When to Go

When to Go

The busiest times of year at Arches are spring and fall. In the spring, blooming wildflowers and temperatures in the 70s bring the year's largest crowds. The crowds thin in summer as the thermostat approaches 100°F in July and then soars beyond that for about four weeks. In August, sudden, dramatic cloudbursts create rainfalls over red rock walls and dramatic skies for a part of the day.

Fall brings everybody back to the park because the weather is perfect—clear, warm days, and crisp, cool nights. October is the only autumn month that gets much rain, but even that isn't much, considering how little rain falls in the desert: an average of only 8 inches a year.

The park almost clears out in winter, and from December through February you can hike any of the trails in nearly perfect solitude. Though few realize it, winter can be the best time to visit this part of the country. Snow seldom falls in the valley beneath the La Sal Mountains, and when it does, Arches is a photographer's paradise, as snow drapes slickrock mounds and natural rock windows.