Photo Tips USA – Arches NP

• Altitude between 1203 and 1718 m (3,947 ft to 5,636 ft)
• On average, 2 million visitors per year
• Main visiting month is August

How, Where, What

Deep red rocks, two or three enormous window openings next to each other, on the right the purple La Sal Mountains – rightly so, the viewpoints overlooking the Windows Section are well frequented in the evening. They offer an unobstructed view of what the park is all about: colorful rocks and geological extremes. Seemingly endlessly, one can wander the plateau of Arches National Park high above Moab between high walls, domes, towers, windows, balancing rocks, and, of course, the countless sandstone arches without seeing the same formation twice. Globally, few places have such geological extremes. The landscape appears in all shades, from creamy white to bright orange to dark red. And, as an addition, the sun makes this jumble glow twice a day. The park officially registers about 1,700 natural arches today, and researchers have located another 300. Some of the more recently discovered arches are located less than 500 yards from the park road. The two major concentrations of natural arches, separated by Salt Valley, are in the Windows Section and Devils Garden.

Directions

Arches NP is easily accessible from US-191 and even the 35 km (22 mi) scenic road is not particularly demanding on vehicle type. There is a basic campground near Devils Garden (52 sites, no hook-ups for RVs, first come-first served), backcountry camping is allowed with a paid permit.

Due to the sharp increase in visitor numbers, the National Park Service has been running pilot programs to control access since 2022. Between April 1 and October 31, you must book your ticket online in advance for a specific time slot if you want to enter the park between 07:00 and 16:00. There are no restrictions outside this period. The results are obviously positive, and the limited resources leave no other choice anyway, so such a regime will probably be maintained for the future.

Moab is a nearby starting point with dozens of hotels and campgrounds in all price ranges. Here, you can also rent everything from motorcycles to 4-wheelers for a motorized trip.

Geographical orientation and the most photogenic times of day

The park area extends in a north-south direction on the nearly flat surface of a plateau north of Moab. In the morning, the good light lasts only briefly, as the sun is long obscured by the La Sal Mountains to the east. So late afternoon and evening are a good choice to capture the bright red of the rocks in the warm light. But a bright blue sky also provides a nice counterpoint to the red sandstone formations, so good shots are also possible during the midday hours.

Motifs along the park road

From the Visitor Center, we climb up the plateau in some serpentines. The first two viewpoints offer good views of the Moab Fault geology, the valley on its east side, and the town of Moab lying within. Just before dark, you can get a good shot of the town lights by parking at the Moab Fault viewpoint and walking down the road a short distance.

Like a wide road, Park Avenue runs under the high cliffs of the Courthouse Towers to the west. A 1,6 km (1 mi) trail (elevation gain 98 m / 320 ft, 45 min.) connects Park Avenue Viewpoint and Courthouse Towers Parking Area. The trail first descends steeply to the canyon bottom and then follows the wash north. From here, you can take in the framing high cliffs and beautiful balancing rocks. You can enjoy good light until late morning or early afternoon, when the side-lit formations do not yet shade each other.

From Courthouse Towers Viewpoint, in the light of late afternoon, with its extended shadows, you can easily spot their namesakes in the Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, Tower of Babel, and Organ formations. From the parking lot on the right side of the road, you can see the rock outcrops of the Garden of Eden to the northeast and condense them nicely with a light telephoto. Baby Arch, to the left of Sheep Rock and still in the process of forming, lends itself to being the first image in a series to document the process of arch formation (see also Pothole Arch). Early in the morning, you can combine the Petrified Dunes northeast of the Tower of Babel with the Great Wall opposite to create a beautiful image. Arrive before sunrise and stroll through the middle of the dunes until you catch a clear view of the first sunlight striking The Great Wall. When setting the exposure, note the contrast between the already lit background and the foreground still in shadow. A graduated gray filter is usually helpful to bring both „in line“ exposure-wise.

Petrified Dunes Viewpoint looks down on the petrified sand dunes located to the southeast. These are millions-year-old formations of particularly red Navajo sandstone. In the late afternoon, the low northwest sun sets them off particularly well, working out the textures and making the red rock glow. A light wide angle, as well as a light telephoto focal length, are the tools of choice for working these subjects directly from the vantage point at this time. In the early morning, on the other hand, hike as far into the dune field as you can until they frame the steep, rocky outcrops of the Great Wall located on the back (west) side of the Petrified Dunes Viewpoint. Shortly after it rises, the sun casts its first warm rays directly on this elongated formation, making it glow brightly. Remember to use a graduated gray filter to bridge the contrast with the dunes still in shadow.

Balanced Rock is one of the most rewarding subjects in the park. You can shoot it alone or in the foreground of the La Sal Mountains at sunrise or sunset. A short trail leads around the monolith. Be in position on its west side before sunrise to silhouette it against the spectacular sky. Once the sun has risen, wait for the moment when it peeks just above the top edge. Then close the aperture and expose for the foreground to break up the sun’s rays and give them a jagged shape. If you are lucky enough to be here during a full moon, you can shoot the setting sun and the moon rising in the east from the same position. From the parking bay or road, the monolith, the Windows Section, some photogenic sandstone columns in the foreground, and the La Sal Mountains in the background, beautifully illuminated in the late afternoon, combine to create a stunning composition. At sunset, the colors intensify to bright pinks and reds.

Located just at the beginning of the spur road to the Windows Section, on the right, is the still-emerging Pothole Arch. You can combine it with the Double Arch to create a before-and-after sequence that explains the formation of such formations. Beyond the wide bend, the Garden of Eden impresses with the multitude of its vertical formations, and the Parade of Elephants with the animal shapes more clearly recognizable as such from a distance.

The three most massive rock arches form the Windows Section on a slight rise, connected by an easy trail. North Window is difficult to photograph because of its size and shape. Place people underneath, preferably in the afternoon when the sun is shining directly from the front, to give the image scale. South Window next to it does best in combination with its sister. To the southwest is Turret Arch, which you can crop very well from here with a medium telephoto focal length. If your schedule permits, climb through North Window to its eastern side and use it as a frame for another view of Turret Arch. This is also an appreciative subject in the afternoon with its clear contours and surrounding trees.

The Windows Trail starts at the Windows Parking Area and leads in a 1,6 km (1 mi) loop (very level, 60 min) to North and South Window and Turret Arch. The alternative return trail (Primitive Loop) along the backside of the two windows is 500 m (0.3 mi) longer and starts at the South Window Viewpoint. Along the slight climb to Turret Arch you can get a good picture back of North and South Window side by side. A few steps off the trail, you’ll find some nicely grown Utah Junipers that fit right between the two windows in the foreground. Behind Turret Arch the world is not over yet either: a little way along the narrow rock bridge, you can shoot South Window through Turret Arch. To the right are good views of the three Sandstone Fins, with the La Sal Mountains in the background. Flat lighting in the morning and afternoon tickles the red out of all the formations.

Photographers can capture the entire Windows Section, featuring Elephant Butte as the most prominent landmark, at sunrise from the Salt Valley Overlook and at sunset from near the Petrified Dunes Viewpoint. Both vantage points afford excellent views of the plateau, then bathing in flat light with the La Sal Mountains in the background; the latter viewpoint in particular makes the openings of the windows stand out to their special advantage.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a quiet place for sunrise completely devoid of the otherwise ubiquitous formations, head for the trail that leads to the back of North and South Windows. A well-dosed fill flash brings the juniper bushes in the foreground in line, exposure-wise, with the rising sun over the Colorado River canyon directly to the east.

The Double Arch, located on the opposite side of the Windows Parking Lot, is a pothole arch, a former large depression in the earth where water collected and later washed out the side walls. It is considered one of the most beautiful arches. Unfortunately, its size and three open sides make it difficult to capture photographically, so you’ll have to work hard to get a good view. With a 24 mm wide angle, it comes in well against a blue sky in the morning light, with one of the juniper bushes along the way providing foreground and scale. Also good is the view from its center across to the Windows Section, to the three rock monoliths standing in a row to the north, or to the cliffs of the Moab Fault. Furthermore, you can try out your whole arsenal of focal lengths and related perspectives here. Climbing through it will take you to the hidden Cove of Caves on its backside.

Panorama Point looks out over the northern part of the park and especially Salt Valley, whose rolling hills are good for condensing with a telephoto focal length in the afternoon light.

At the next intersection, turn right to Delicate Arch Viewpoint. On the 3,5 km (2.2 mi) route, you first pass the Wolfe Ranch Parking Area. Even if you don’t want to walk the Delicate Arch Trail that starts there, it’s worth a short stop to take in the well-preserved petroglyph panel. It is easily accessible and shows hunting depictions with animals and people. 85 mm focal length is sufficient to capture the carvings from in front of the barrier in full format. Because the surrounding rock is very dark, some automatic exposures tend to overexpose the shots. So a correction may be necessary.

Actually, the 15 m (50 ft) high and 11 m (36 ft) wide Delicate Arch was named Landscape Arch when it was discovered in the last century. Later, when the first map of the area was drawn, the two were confused, but the names were kept for simplicity. However, Delicate Arch is now virtually synonymous with all of Utah and is one of the highlights of the park. There are two ways to shoot it. From the Delicate Arch Viewpoint, much lower and quite a distance away, its isolated location becomes especially clear. Here, it is worth spending a sunrise watching the light moving from the top of Delicate Arch down to the rock walls of Cache Valley. A telephoto focal length of around 300 mm gets the arch full-frame; a strong wide angle supplies the whole scene with the juniper bushes in the foreground. After 17:00, when the sun has subsided, it’s the ideal time to embark on the Delicate Arch Trail, which begins at the Wolfe Ranch Parking Area and spans 4,8 km (3 mi) round trip, with an elevation gain of 146 m / 480 ft. The journey takes 2 hours, during which you should not leave your tripod in the car and remember to carry plenty of drinking water. This allows you to witness the arch at sunset from a close-up perspective. It stands gracefully above a wide amphitheater, from whose curved edge you have the best photo opportunities, in the background the 4000 m (13,120 ft high La Sal Mountains. As the sun sinks, the rock formation takes on an impressively strong red color from top to bottom. If you’re brave, descend into the deep bowl and capture the arch from below at a steep vantage point. Or circle it on its western side and take one of the rare pictures in which it stands in front of the amphitheater. A few feet before its end at the overlook, the Delicate Arch Trail runs along a narrow ridge. Above and to the right, there is a ledge and an opening in the rock that provide an unusual view of the arch and the amphitheater below. From up here, at sunset, you can also get a good shot of the pointed spikes of Fiery Furnace to the southwest.

Fiery Furnace is a labyrinth of more than 90 arches, closely spaced fins, and rock towers whose spires seem to catch fire in the light of the low sun. Since many visitors get lost in the confusing area, where no paths are marked, it is now only accessible on guided walks at 10:00 and at 14:00 accompanied by a ranger (duration 2,5 hours, register early at the Visitor Center, as the number of participants is limited). These tours do not allow much time for photography, so you can do without a tripod in favor of high ISO and focal lengths between 20-28 mm. Nevertheless, you should not miss the opportunity to walk down the trail at sunrise at least a bit on your own, to capture the towers with a wide angle from below against the sky.

Just before you reach the northern end of the park road, near the Devils Garden trailhead, is the turnout for Skyline Arch. A short trail leads down to its base, from where it can be well posed with a short focal length against the blue sky.

Trails and times at Devils Garden from the parking lot

Tunnel Arch 
500 m/0.3mi, 5 min

Pine Tree Arch 
700 m/0.4 mi, 10 min

Landscape Arch 
1,4 km/0.9 mi, 25 min

Wall Arch 
1,6 km/1 mi, 30 min

Partition Arch 
2,3 km/1.4 mi, 75 min

Navajo Arch 
2,4 km/1.5 mi, 90 min

Double O Arch 
3,2 km/2 mi, 90 min

Dark Angel 
3,6 km/2.2 mi, 120 min

Fin Canyon 
3,6 km/2.2 mi, 120 min

There are nine arches along the easy-to-walk Devils Garden Trail, which you should walk in the early morning for the best light and pleasant temperatures. Along the way, you will find the following landmarks:

Landscape Arch competes with Kolob Arch in the northern part of Zion NP for the honor of being the longest natural rock arch in the world. The method of measurement determines who holds the title. The average of the last measurements of the Kolob Arch is 89,6 m (294 ft), which is just 1,2 m (3.9 ft) longer than the Landscape Arch. Anyway, you need at least 24 mm of focal length to capture the Landscape Arch completely. A huge piece broke out in 1991 and the backside was closed for safety reasons, so we all have to settle for frontal views. With an actively designed foreground, such as the imaginatively grown branches of Utah Junipers on the side of the path, you can effectively capture the free, wide span of the arch throughout the day, but the composition only really becomes good when the light hits it directly from the front. This is in the early morning during the summer, and a little later in the morning during the rest of the year.

Past Wall Arch, a branch off to the left of the main trail leads to Navajo and Partition Arch. The latter appears as a double opening, and from its high position, you have a good view into the canyon below. The 14-meter-wide (45 ft) Navajo Arch provides a view into an open-topped chamber between two parallel rock walls. Especially spectacular: the reflected morning light makes it glow red from within around 10:00 in the summer.

Once you’re back on the main trail, look to your right from the height of the following ridge into Fin Canyon, where the „nursery of the Arches“ lies. Here you can trace the formation of the arches from the large, vertically divided packages of layers. With a focal length of 100-200 mm, you can isolate nice details to fill the format. From this position, you can also enjoy a good view to the west of Double-O-Arch, an interesting formation where a large arch forms over a smaller window.

At the very end of the trail, the dark, rocky peak of Dark Angel still awaits, worthwhile only for those who really don’t want to miss anything.

From Double-O-Arch, a poorly marked side trail leads east through Fin Canyon back to Landscape Arch and past ten more smaller rock arches. If you have planned a full day for Devils Garden, you can either spend the afternoon climbing there (11,5 km / 6.9 mi round trip) or return after a reasonable lunch break on the already familiar trail (7,2 km / 4.5 mi round trip) and work the exciting formations once again in a completely different light.

West of Devils Garden are the Klondike Bluffs on the edge of Salt Valley, reached via the 8 mi Salt Valley Gravel Road. This little-visited part of the park offers good photo opportunities. In dry weather, the route is not a problem for normal passenger cars. The main subject is Tower Arch, named for the tall rock tower on its backside. A 3,8 km (2.3 mi) roundtrip hiking trail (2 hrs) from the Klondike Bluffs Parking Area leads from the east over a slight hill to the arch, which measures about 30 m. At its northern and southern bases are carvings made by settlers in the 1920s of our century. Early morning indirect light, reflected from the surrounding red rock walls, illuminates the opening from within. Late afternoon is a good time to use Tower Arch as a frame for the wild area to the southwest, bathing in the light of the low sun. The trailhead to the west can only be reached via a difficult 4WD road off Salt Valley Road.

Before and after a thunderstorm, the dry areas of the southwest often offer the best photo opportunities. If you are lucky enough to experience one during your visit to Arches National Park, Panorama Point is highly recommended: Photograph the gathering dark clouds and spectacular lighting effects over the red rocks, and wait out the lightning and thunder in the safety of the car. Once the shower clears the air and the sun emerges from the clouds, a wide panoramic view becomes available. Do not give away such an opportunity!

Minimum program and daily schedule

One or two days, of which the first afternoon and sunset should be reserved for Delicate Arch. You should spend the following morning in Devils Garden and the afternoon in the Windows Section, which also serves as the backdrop for the sunset.

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