Tip #6 – Take plenty of snacks if you plan to stay up for sunset and stars. We didn’t have much time to explore the park in depth as we did at Arches National Park the day before. Pin It For Your Visit! Consider this when planning your arrival time for sunset at Delicate Arch. Luckily, there are plenty of other interesting rock formations to see in between listed at the bottom. In the future, we hope to come during the summer, when we can shoot the stars and the night sky! Tip #1 – Viewing platform. What makes it so special is its obvious and majestic vertical protrusion in an otherwise horizontal terrain. The Windows at Arches National Park: Sure enough, our unexpected convoy of cars all ended up at the same place as us; the Windows. Open up your aperture to F11+ for fun sun stars against Delicate Arch’s frame. September 3, 2019 Posted in Arches National Park Tagged Arches National Park, Devil's Garden, Landscape Arch, Sunrise Arches national Park is a red-rock wonderland in Southern Utah. With Mother Nature as conductor; water, ice and erosion were the orchestral sections of geological change. Delicate Arch and its deep bowl-like depression are the stars of an extraordinary sunset show in Arches National Park, Utah. There are some instances where stairs have been carved into rock and in Winter you can follow rock piles / cairns to the top. Tip #4 – Only visit between 12-4pm if you absolutely can’t make it for sunset or sunrise. Copyright © 2020 Where Are Those Morgans. We only recommend hotels we stayed at if we genuinely believe they offer value and this is one such occasion. There are many options in town, but you should try to book ahead to get the best places and prices. Don’t forget you can paint the arch with a torch or even your smartphone. Tip #1 – Don’t forget your torch. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. We booked yurts in Dead Horse State Park … Don’t forget you can enter Arches for free if you buy an America the Beautiful National Park pass. Before sunset, walk all the way around Delicate Arch, taking photographs from various angles including below the arch. Mother Nature has chiseled some of her finest landscapes in the Beehive State and Delicate Arch is one of her masterpieces. Take an easy trail to view North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch. The trailhead has a parking lot but it is relatively small and will fill up in peak season. Tip #6 – Be patient. Delicate Arch and its deep bowl-like depression are the stars of an extraordinary sunset show in Arches National Park, This guide will walk you through the fun hike to Delicate Arch, what time you need to arrive for prime sunset position and our best, Best Time To Arrive For Sunset At Delicate Arch, Bonus – Magnificent Stargazing at Delicate Arch, 7 Tips For Visiting Delicate Arch At Sunset, Other Awesome Areas To Explore At Arches National Park, Delicate Arch Sunset & Stargazing Interactive Map, Delicate Arch is the largest free standing monolithic sandstone Arch in Arches National Park and one of the most famous geological features in the. Not worth risking! With the arch ahead, look to your left to find a ‘viewing platform’ on which other photographers are probably already set up. Explore Utah’s stunning landscape via bike, foot, or jeep ... SUNSET may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. You should plan to summit the trail at least 1 hour before sunset so you can appreciate its grandeur in daylight and take a lot of photographs! Essential Reading: If you want to see more of Arches, check out this lightening fast one day itinerary covering both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks! After stopping at Arches National Park visitor center, you’ll drive up steep switchbacks on a paved park road. You will not easily be able to take photographs of the arch without people in your frame. Season: Year Round Here’s an account of the end of our first day at Balanced Rock in Arches National Park at sunset. Arches National Park a beautiful national park in southern Utah that will leave you speechless with its breathtaking views. For example, if sunset is at 6.45pm, plan to summit no later than 5.45pm. Tip #5 – Don’t forget to carry at least 1 liter (1 quart) of water per person on the hike to Delicate Arch. From Hwy 70, take Exit 182 towards Crescent Jct/Moab, taking Hwy 191 S for about 25 miles until you reach Arches National Park on your left. Nevertheless, the day was full of beauty and wonder. But be sure to look around Moab to compare other hotels and read our ultimate guide on how to book the cheapest hotels. Don’t forget you can look at all our itineraries, destinations and USA specific travel guides to help plan your next trip! Nearby Dead Horse Point State Park is a fantastic place for sunrises and sunsets. Consider hiking to Delicate Arch. As previously mentioned, there are more than 2,000 sandstone arches in this national park. Now, we help travelers like you to plan efficient itineraries for travel, hiking and photography! You will have no clearly defined path to follow and can simply walk in a direct straight line up the slick rock slab. Your tripod might struggle with the angle of rock below. Arches is spectacular at any time of day, but especially at sunrise and sunset when the sun is low in the sky and illuminates the Arches sandstone in radiant yellows and oranges. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Don’t leave Arches National Park before sunset. You might need to move down from the ‘viewing platform’ and set up closer to Delicate Arch. Trust us, they will save the day! As you arrive at the summit, quickly look around to assess where you would like to photograph sunset. We hope this helped you plan your Delicate Arch sunset hike and photography shoot. With first light and last light times, and a graphical view of local daylight hours Plus, there’s a surprise in store after sunset that you can’t miss. Don’t let photographs deceive you of its size. Prepare to have your mind blown by a stunning scene stretching as far as the distant horizon. Visiting Arches National Park in Summer But be sure to look around Moab to compare other hotels and read our ultimate guide on, : When we hire a car at an airport or in the city, we always use Rental Cars for best value and most options |. Take a short 0.3-mile (0.5 km) trail around its base. Arches National Park and the surrounding Colorado Plateau offer some of the darkest night skies remaining in the United States. I'm so excited to go here. You can take a relaxing walk around Balanced Rock or The Windows to watch the sunset. At the top, the Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers area is the first you’ll reach. You will get lost, it will take 3-4 hours and you will need a lot of water. Sunset Arches National Park Tours Reviews "Arches sunset National Park tours" Our guide Stewart for the Arches Sunset Tour, was Awesome! Please let us know if you have any questions about any of Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks! We were a little late in the season (November) but we weren’t alone! You’ll get the best pictures by waiting for the sunset at just the right place. Delicate Arch is the largest free standing monolithic sandstone Arch in Arches National Park and one of the most famous geological features in the United States. Tip #7 – Golden hour is your golden ticket. We only recommend hotels we stayed at if we genuinely believe they offer value and this is one such occasion. • Reaching the summit and seeing the Delicate Arch and bowl depression against its dramatic backdrop for the first time is a genuine breathtaking moment. The most temperate seasons are … Tip #7 – Carry a wide angle lens around 16mm-24mm. http://moabadventurecenter.com/trips/national-park/ MOAB ADVENTURE CENTER Want to explore Arches National Park but don't know where to start? Don’t let photographs deceive you of its size. Calculations of sunrise and sunset in Arches National Park – Utah – USA for November 2020. Note: You can walk the easy / flat trails to lower or upper arch view if you don’t have time to hike or if you are unable to hike. Sunrise / Sunset times Arches National Park. For photography enthusiasts and plain lovers of nature, do not miss the chance to witness a mesmerizing night sky appear above Delicate Arch. Weather conditions are pleasant and you can avoid the big crowds that flood the park in the summer. Don’t forget tripod and headlamp. • You will begin this moderate difficulty hike at Delicate Arch parking lot. Assuming a two-wheel drive vehicle, what are the best places in the Moab area to watch sunrise and sunset? National Parks All-Inclusive Beach. We were very grateful to have experienced a lovely sunset here at Canyonlands National Park. Best Time to Go to Arches: The spring and fall months are the best times to visit. However, sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands should be your first sunrise choice. Hiking: Zion and Bryce Canyon offer more amazing hiking opportunities in Utah. When you plan your trip, we’ll assume you intend to set up base in Moab (recommended). Tip #5 – Ask for help. • After half a mile of steady incline, you will reach what can only be described as a gigantic acutely angled rock slab. We loved it! Narrow and widen the angle of opening between the arch for perspectives. Hiking, mountain biking, climbing, and camping opportunities abound. Photography Gifts: Are you looking for awesome gift ideas for the photographer in your life? Delicate Arch is the largest free standing monolithic sandstone Arch in Arches National Park and one of the most famous geological features in the United States. You will find everything referenced in this article to help plan your visit. My friends and I are taking a ~10 day road trip from salt lake to denver in june. It turned out to be a huge bonus! *Please note this post may contain affiliate links. Getting to Arches National Park: Arches National Park is located in southeastern Utah. The huge sandstone boulder perched on a narrow pedestal seems to defy gravity. However, parking here would mean an additional 2 miles are added to your roundtrip hike up to the arch and back. Tip #3 – Visit in Spring (April and May) or Fall (September and October) for fewer crowds and comfortable temperatures. For professional photographers, arriving early allows you to scout the location to consider exactly where you want to set up for sunset and beyond. The best place to set up camp or grab an air-conditioned hotel (recommended in the summer) is in Moab, Utah, a town that prides itself on being in between two National Parks. More Photography: Don’t miss this essential guide to the top 5 Golden Gate Bridge photography locations and this Horseshoe Bend photography guide! Delicate Arch is one of the best sunset spots in Arches National Park. As you move closer, you will need to change the angle of your frame to include both the arch and Milky Way. We're Mark & Kristen Morgan, two scientists who put our careers on hold in 2018 to live our dreams of travel and adventure. Windows: Best place to watch the sunset - See 505 traveller reviews, 681 candid photos, and great deals for Arches National Park, UT, at Tripadvisor. From a personal perspective, the uniqueness of Delicate Arch and its immediate surrounding is one of our favorite landscapes to date. Now is your best chance to photograph Delicate Arch with no people, no glare and awesome colors in the sky. However, parking here would mean an additional 2 miles are added to your roundtrip hike up to the arch and back. That’s plenty of time to hike the awesome Devil’s Garden trail before heading up to Delicate Arch for sunset. Tip #3 – Use extreme caution when walking around the bowl. Then stay after dark to enjoy the spectacular night skies of Arches National Park. Click into this map, zoom in / out and move around to orientate yourself with Moab and Arches. We will visit at least three locations for photography in iconic Arches National Park for the afternoon golden hour and sunset. Thank you for the support and happy travels!*. Expedition Lodge OR all other Moab hotels. Moab is a lovely little town, packed full of hotels and restaurants. Tip #4 – Sun stars. The pass costs US$ 80 but includes entrance to all parks for 1 year. Visiting late in the afternoon or evening is an excellent time to see Arches. I will be arriving at Arches on a Saturday afternoon, but I think I will change my plans based on RedRox suggestion and do sunset/star gazing at Canyonlands on Saturday and sunrise at Arches the next day . Thank you both for the tips! The second the sun disappears, so do the masses. Stewart was very accommodating to our father and answered all of his questions. By the time we arrived at around 5.45, there were plenty of photographers lined up in the North Window, and someone had kindly placed a camera doing a timelapse in the centre of the arch. But it is so famous, that it might be crowded. The cooling orange rocks turn to deep browns. Geology, Arches, Night Sky, Astronomy, Scenic Views, Canyons and Canyonlands, Rock Landscapes and Features. Driving time is approximately 35 minutes to cover 18 miles between Moab and Delicate Arch trailhead. This 3 day itinerary to Zion and Bryce Canyon will help you plan your trip! Located in Southeast Utah, 5 miles North of Moab, Utah. There were other nature lovers who stayed with us for the stars and another couple joined after hiking up in darkness for an astrophotography shoot. Their spicy chicken peanut sauce is different level! In fact, take two and a head torch! Only buy the pass if you intend to visit a few more parks in the next year! Note how the shape and size of Balanced Rock seem to change with every step. At the end of the day rather than rush back to Moab for dinner we decided beforehand that we’d find a spot to watch the sun go down. You don’t need a fish eye or telephoto lens. This guide will review everything you need to know to create an epic Arches National Park itinerary, including travel tips, where to stay, the best place to watch the sunset in Delicate Arch at sunset might be the most famous image to photograph in the park, but it certainly isn't the only one, nor is it necessarily "the best." Explore the legendary rock formations and more stunning landscapes of Arches National Park in southern Utah. Photographers and hikers flock from around the world to wonder in amazement at how this staggering arch-and-bowl combination has formed. Temperatures are cooler, the lighting is better for photography, and you'll avoid the crowds. Arches National Park Morning Adventure. I have traveled extensively in search of amazing photographic locations, and it is hard to beat Arches National Park.for the wide variety of photographic locations, and it is an official Ithernational Dark Skies park. Temperatures are cooler, the lighting is better for photography, and you'll avoid the crowds. 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We were fortunate to have timed it for new moon as the Milky Way shone just to the side of Delicate Arch. You can enjoy the park after dark by viewing spectacular night skies. Follow a wide open flat trail passing by the old Wolfe Ranch homestead before crossing a bridge over Salt Wash. • Wolfe Ranch is an old cabin built by a Civil War veteran who lived in Arches National Park until 1910. Arches is a fun kid-friendly destination with stunning scenery, educational visitor center, short hikes and plenty of sand to play in. As an Amazon Associate we earn commissions from qualifying purchases. Delicate Arch Hike Length: 3 mile roundtrip (1.5 miles each way). Arches is spectacular at any time of day, but especially at sunrise and sunset when the sun is low in the sky and illuminates the Arches sandstone in radiant yellows and oranges. Here’s a hint – you’ll need a torch! At sunset in Utah’s Arches National Park, Delicate Arch seems to ignite with the flare and fire of the desert sun, its iconic image symbolizing the American Southwest. As a backup, stop at the Garden of Eden and check it out. You will find there are countless perspectives to shoot but most people just take the typical front on photograph. Such is its renown. Stay a while after dark but it might take a long time for the orange colors of dusk to disappear from the far horizon, as you can see! Arches National Park: Sunset - See 10,081 traveler reviews, 8,975 candid photos, and great deals for Moab, UT, at Tripadvisor. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. The closest city is Moab, just a 10-minute drive from the park. This guide will walk you through the fun hike to Delicate Arch, what time you need to arrive for prime sunset position and our best photography tips. Consider this when planning your arrival time for sunset at Delicate Arch. Like most national parks, Arches is best visited when the weather is most likely to be cooperative and the temperature fluctuations aren't too extreme. Also, there’s a hot tub and small pool with water slide if you’re traveling with children. The Windows Section contains a large concentration of arches and is one of the most scenic locations in the park. It was very entertaining and educational tour! Other photographers will take photographs of you under / next to Delicate Arch. • After the slick rock slab levels out and you pass by Frame Arch (which can be used as a frame for Delicate Arch), you will navigate a narrow rock ledge for the final 600 feet. Balanced Rock, one of the most iconic features in the park, stands a staggering 128 feet tall. Don’t forget your tripod! I made a big mistake on my very first visit to Arches National Park: I visited on a sunny afternoon in August, when temperatures were pushing 105 degrees F.. sunset at arches national park wanderessence1025 September 20, 2018 6 Comments After eating dinner our second night in Moab at Arches Thai , we decided to make a mad dash back up to Arches National Park to catch the sunset. People have died falling into the depression because it is unexpectedly steep. We stayed at Expedition Lodge, just over the road from Thai Bella. The hotel was perfect with a spacious room, 2 huge double beds and excellent breakfast. Sunset is by the far the most popular time to sit back and relax on the Delicate Arch ‘viewing platform’ – but first we have to get you there and in good time. There could be hundreds of people in the small area during the summer. Even though my sister and I made a valiant effort visiting lookouts, walking around Balanced Rock, and roaming around the Windows Section of the park, I knew that longer hikes were absolutely out of the question for me on such a hot … This is particularly important for those with entry level cameras that tend to perform poorly in low light. Flying in from the east coast and renting a van. Even if you don’t stay for astrophotography, you can still use torches on the descent immediately after sunset. Tip #2– Get creative! Particularly in peak season, there could be hundreds of people at Delicate Arch for sunset. Do you think of the actual hike or simply the arch?