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13 Best Photo Spots in Arches National Park

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What are the best photo spots in Arches National Park? Arches National Park has a multitude of rock formations shooting up from the ground, volunteering to be your phone’s next wallpaper.

Some of the most beautiful photos you will ever see come straight from Utah’s finest, and we want to help you get those photos for yourself. Arches is one of those parks that we weekend trip to all the time from Denver, and it never gets old.

Here is your guide to the best photo spots in Arches National Park to get those show-stopping pictures.

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Best Photo Spots in Arches National Park

Balanced Rock

Purple and orange sky behind an outline of a giant rock

Balanced Rock adds a feeling of risk to the magic of Arches National Park. An enormous rock sits atop another enormous rock as if to topple over any second!

Don’t worry, this precarious rock will not be falling over any time soon, but you should definitely have your own picture of it before it does.

This sight is located along the Arches Scenic Drive just before the junction heading to the Windows Section.

You’ll want to find the best angle where the rock is most haphazardly seated, so take a few pictures in multiple different spots to find your favorite. The trail at the base of the rock provides many different viewpoints from which to take your picture.

You’ll find that sunrise is the best time for Arches National Park photography, and Balanced Rock is one of the best examples of this. We always get to the park bright and early to snap a photo here, and it’s one of the lesser crowded early morning spots.

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    Double Arch

    Blue starry sky seen through a rock formation

    You can’t go photographing Arches National Park without snapping a pic of the Double Arch. One of the park’s most fascinating views, where two arches come together at the same foundation.

    You can find this arch in the Windows Section of the park. It is just a short walk from the parking lot, and you won’t be able to miss these two indivisible arches.

    This is one of the best photo spots in Arches National Park at any time of day; however, this is one of the park’s more popular arches.

    There are often people climbing around the area and hiking around, so I would suggest visiting Double Arch for a sunrise picture or, if you’ve got a high-quality camera, snapping some photos at night.

    Landscape Arch

    You’ll find another unique photo opportunity at Landscape Arch. This is the longest arch in North America and one of the narrowest, so you’ll want to have this in your Arches National Park pictures arsenal.

    To find this arch, take the Devil’s Garden Trail until you see the 306-foot-long arch. This trail has various arches worth capturing, so you will not regret attempting to complete the entire hike.

    You’ll have the best luck with a picture-perfect view in the early to mid-morning. The arch will not yet be covered by shadows from its neighboring arches and other rock formations at this time.

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    Fiery Furnace

    Fiery Furnace is a section of Arches National Park that has its own canyons, valleys, fins, and rock formations that come together to create the natural artwork we see today.

    This enchanting destination can be reached by traveling 14 miles past the visitor’s center. Look out for the “Fiery Furnace Viewpoint” sign.

    Now you can stop there and get some iconic Arches National Park pictures, or you can venture into the furnace itself and take some insider pictures of this rock labyrinth. This can only be done with a permit or on a ranger-led hike, so be sure to plan ahead if you want to get the inside scoop.

    Delicate Arch

    Person standing under an upside-down u-shaped rock formation

    Delicate Arch is the most iconic view in the park, and perhaps even all of Utah, so naturally, it will be one of the best photo spots in Arches National Park.

    There are a few different ways to experience the awe of this arch. You can take the trails to the Upper and Lower Arch Viewpoint, which will get you a farther away picture-taking position. The arch, made small by the distance, still stands out against the rest of the landscape.

    You can also hike the 3-mile round-trip trail to see Delicate Arch up close. And by up close, I mean you can stand right under it. This view makes for some awesome pictures, especially when the sun begins to set.

    Oh, you want to do all three? By all means! That’s the option I would choose, too.

    North and South Window Arches

    Girl standing with her arms out standing under an arch with a grey sky in the background

    Seated next to each other inside a singular fin, North and South Window Arches look out upon the great blue sky that often surrounds Arches National Park. They are also known as the Spectacles.

    If you take the small trail to the back of the fin, you will be in the perfect spot for some unbeatable Arches National Park photography.

    Because this is located in the Windows section, the later in the day means, the more the park starts to fill up. This is a beautiful sight at sunset, but a better picture might be captured at sunrise due to the number of visitors.

    Turret Arch

    Rock formation with a tall piece on the left under a cloudy sky

    Turret Arch is best known when it is framed by the North Window Arch. 

    To take this illustrious photo, you’ll take the trail to the North Window and hop over the arch to the other side. There is a small section just made for you to take your picture. And to make it to the perfect picture, come for sunrise to get that orange glow across both arches.

    If you want to get a photo of just Turret Arch, take the detour off of the Windows Loop trail. It’s a short hike that can take you right up close to the intricate arch.

    The Turret Arch shines in the late afternoon sun, so be sure to come back at that time to get the arch at its full potential.

    The Three Gossips

    Located a short drive from the visitor’s center, the Three Gossips sit high above the park, just waiting to be photographed. 

    These rock formations, with their peculiar name and poignant placement, make it a sight that not many will forget. Anyone who sees these pictures will want to go and take a picture of Arches National Park themselves.

    Pull off of the road to take this photo, which looks most lovely with the glowy colors of sunrise or sunset.

    Devil’s Garden

    Sun peaking through an arch

    Devil’s Garden has a vast selection of the best photo spots in Arches National Park. The trailhead is located at the end of the Arches Scenic Drive road.

    Devil’s Garden Trail is 7.2 miles in total, but even if you decide to only hike a section of it, you’ll find some fantastic views.

    Past Landscape Arch, the trail becomes a bit more difficult, but if you keep going, you can capture arches like the Double O Arch.

    Devil’s Garden has plenty of opportunities for climbing and truly finding that perfect angle.

    Hiking this trail in the early morning will provide the best light for the photos, and there will be fewer adventurers out at this time.

    Sand Dune Arch

    red rock arch with sand underneath it

    Sand Dune Arch is one of the more understated but just as spectacular arches in the park.

    The short trail can be found before the Devil’s Garden trailhead, and it only takes a few minutes to reach the arch.

    The arch is flanked by 2 fins making it one of the most unique and best spots for photography in Arches National Park.

    However, it can be difficult to get the perfect picture because the arch is covered in shade for the majority of the day. Try to catch it early so a little bit of the morning sunlight will be shining on it.

    Park Avenue

    Valley with large rock formations on either side of it

    Park Avenue is the first sight you’ll see after passing the visitor center.

    And what a sight it is.

    Utah’s adaptation of Park Avenue in New York City comes with a little more red rock and a little less concrete, but it is breathtaking all the same.

    This archetypal view can be photographed at any time, and you can’t really go wrong with any angle.

    Panorama Point

    To take in all of Arches National Park at once, you won’t want to pass up taking a picture or two at Panorama Point.

    The viewpoint overlooks La Sal Mountains, the Fiery Furnace, and Devil’s Garden.

    You can get some great pictures at sunrise and during the day, but I would suggest waiting a few minutes after sunset to capture the blue light strewn across the sea of red rock.

    Drive a few minutes past the turnoff to the Windows Section to reach Panorama Point.

    Courthouse Towers

    Courthouse Towers house the famous Three Gossips and many other mesmerizing rock formations.

    Take some landscape cell phone pictures, or bring a heavy-duty camera to get some close-up action of the intricacies of the Towers.

    This view is lovely at either sunrise or sunset, but the orange shroud that sunset brings over Courthouse Towers will be one of your favorite parts of photographing Arches National Park.

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    Final Thoughts: Arches Photo Spots

    Now, these are just a few of the best photo spots in Arches National Park. In all reality, can there be a bad photo spot in such a beautiful, otherworldly place?

    Yeah, I don’t think there can be.

    Check out our vlog from our trip to Arches National Park & Capitol Reef!

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