Skyline Arch Hike in Arches National Park

Located on the way to Devil's Garden in Arches National Park is a small parking lot that marks the trailhead to one of the less well known but more family friendly hikes in the park. The Skyline Arch is often overlooked by travelers but considering the short amount of time it takes, it should be a viable option for most groups.

How to Get There:

Getting to the Skyline Arch trail head is simple. You stay on the main road that takes you into the park. Don't turn at either road that you come to (the first would take you to the Windows District and the second would take you Delicate Arch Trail). Just keep going like you were heading for the end of the road at Devil's Garden. Shortly before you come to the Devil's Garden parking lot you will see a small parking lot on your right hand side. This is the Skyline Arch trail head. The parking lot is easy to miss since the sign for it comes up at the same time, giving you very little warning.

If you miss it on your way up though you can always turn around in the Devil's Garden loop and come back, or do your Devil's Garden Hiking and catch Skyline Arch on your way back down. That is what we did. We first hiked Landscape Arch and then came back for Skyline Arch.

What You Will See:

This is an extremely easy hike from the parking area down to Skyline Arch. The trail is almost completely flat and less then half a mile round trip. You will be able to see the arch most of the way and the trail will eventually terminate at the base of the wall the arch is in. Unlike other arches in the park you cannot reach this one to climb up inside it; you will have to content yourself with looking at it.

At the base of the wall there are some large boulders that kids could climb on. Some of these come from the arch itself when it doubled in size suddenly in 1940 when a large section of rock fell out. 

Sum Up:

It's not the most exciting trail in Arches, but it is very easy. It should take you around 20 minutes to complete and there are bathrooms and water close by at Devil's Garden.