Devils Garden Arches National Park Hike Guide
Devils Garden in Arches National Park is a very popular loop hike located on the far north side of the park. This hike is anywhere between 6-8 miles long with a number of arches along the way including Landscape Arch, Tunnel Arch, Pine Tree Arch, Private Arch and many more. In addition to the beautiful landscape and arch views, there is a bit of scrambling along this hike. Devils Garden is a great hike but recommended for those with a bit more experience as some of the rock spots can be slippery and a fall could be fatal.
Devils Garden Arches National Park Quick Facts
Virtual Trail Guide: Devils Garden Arches National Park
Devils Garden Arches National Park Rating: ★★★★ (⅘ Stars)
Distance: 6-8 Miles long RT – can be shorted to about 3-4 miles if you do not complete the whole loop.
Elevation Start: 5,240ft
Highest Elevation: 5,513ft
Total Elevation Gain: 1,057ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 3-4 Hours
Difficulty: Moderate What does this mean?
Class: Class 2 – What does this mean?
Season: Year Round – Best Time to Hike Winter, Spring and Fall
Directions to Devils Garden Arches National Park
Trailhead: Devils Garden
Getting Here: First navigate to Arches National Park just north of Moab, Utah. Once through the entrance station, follow the main road for about 17.5 miles until you reach the end of the road and the large parking areas around the trailhead. The trail to Devils Garden starts right next to the bathrooms.
Parking: This hike is extremely popular and parking is sometimes going to be very tricky. If you want to avoid crowds, head here before 8AM or after 4PM. There is a massive parking area that can fit 100+ cars, but likely it will be full on many occasions. If you can’t find a spot, you can park along the road before the main parking area or at the picnic spots. There is a couple of non-plumbing restrooms at the TH.
Fee: As of 2022, there is a typical fee + required reservation if visiting Arches National Park April 3 – October 3. This is a test system and may change in future years. Read more about it here. If visiting outside of this period, you can just pay the fee which is $25.
Summary
Dogs: Like all US National Parks, Arches is not dog friendly on any hiking trails.
Camping: Read more about camping in Arches National Park here.
Make it a Loop: Devils Garden is a lollipop loop hike with the option to either start or end at Landscape Arch. In addition to this choice, there are several other smaller trails along the way that hikers can tack on to add distance to their hike. All are very well marked with signs and distances.
Trail X Factors: Side Trails
Devils Garden is a fine trail in its own right, but it’s the series of side trails that make this hike so cool. Each side trail is well marked and usually has an end destination that is likely an arch. Pine Tree Arch, Private Arch, Double O Arch, and Dark Angel are just some of the MANY attractions along the way. In addition to the side trails, take some time to responsibly explore some of the many rock scrambles towards the top of the trail with amazing views of the La Sal Mountains in the background.
Hike Tip(s): If I had to plan your visit to Devils Garden, here are some tips:
- Visit during the winter (Jan/Feb/March)
- You will avoid a reservation, likely have smaller crowds and best of all have snow on the La Sal Mountains which adds to the picturesque views on this hike.
- Get to the TH early or later in the day. If you visit outside of this period, crowds will be insane and parking spots can be tricky to find.
- Complete the entire loop – crowds will thin out after the first 2 or 3 miles and all of the little side trails are well worth it. I think my favorite arches were Private Arch, Pine Tree Arch and Double O Arch.
- Wear shoes or boots with good grip – it will make the hike much more enjoyable, especially on the rock scrambling sections.
Best Views: My favorite views on the Devils Garden loop hike were towards the start/end of the hike when you are on top of the rocks with the La Sal Mountains in the background. Although the aerial views are not great in all directions, looking South is A+ and makes all of the miles worth it.
Devils Garden Arches National Park Hike Route
Gear Needed
- Men’s Trail Runners
- Women’s Trail Runners
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Women’s)
- Backpack
- Food & Water – I would recommend at least 32-64oz of water
- Protection from the Sun
- Map of Area
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: Camera and Lens
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
My Trip to Devils Garden: March 2022
Winter is a tough time in Colorado – avalanche conditions can prevent safe outings and weather can sour even more plans. I was pretty sick of having objectives shot down by these factors and decided to make the long drive out to Moab. I had not yet been to Arches National Park and it marked the last one for me in Utah. After 5+ hours of driving, I arrived at a packed Devils Garden TH around 11AM. I knew the park was going to be crowded and I honestly didn’t care, I was just excited to be hiking outside and filming content again.
The hike started with a mile or so of a very well established gravel trail. The first of many detours were Tunnel Arch (okay) and Pine Tree Arch (super cool). The trail was off to a great start and got even more cool along the way. I hiked by a few more arches and windows and headed right to start the “primitive trail” – aka a sand trail. The crowds thinned out significantly and the views of the La Sal Mountains behind me forced me to stop frequently to snap pictures.
The red sand trail worked down into a wash and started scrambling up some slick rock. At one point, I wasn’t sure where to go and had to reference the map on my watch. The trail worked up a somewhat steep section of rock, I would call this section a high Class 2, and without a doubt the crux (hardest part) of the entire Devils Garden loop. After 4 miles or so, I started seeing more people but still nothing compared to the start of my hike. I continued checking out the side trails with the exception of Dark Angel which was just a rock spire (yawn).
Double O arch was really cool and the views after this portion of the trail were some of the best of the entire day. I hiked on top of the red rock and the back towards the start of the hike with the snow capped La Sal Mountains ever present right in front of me. Before finishing up the loop there was another small scrambling section which seemed to be giving some lesser experienced hikers problems.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Devils Garden loop and was excited to check out more hikes in Arches National Park.
