Best Spots to See Sunrise in Arches National Park

This blog post is about the best places to see sunrise in Arches National Park in Utah.

Arches National Park contains arguably the most surreal mars like landscape in the country. The stunning Utah scenery creates beautiful sunrises ensuring you will have a great time watching the sun rise casting a warm glow among the red rock arches and rocks. An Arches National Park sunrise should be on your bucket list and definitely worth a stop on your next road trip!

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What You Need to Know

• Timed Entry Tickets. Timed Entry Tickets are required from April 1 to October 31. Whether or not you need one to see sunrise will depend on the time of year you visit and the time of sunrise. If you plan to arrive in the park before 7 am then you don’t need a ticket. However, keep in mind that if you leave the park and plan to reenter before 4 pm you will need a timed entry ticket. And during prime season these will run out!
• Park Pass / Entry Fee. Most National Parks require a fee to visit and Arches National Park is one of them! Be sure to bring funds with you to purchase a pass upon entering the park.
• Sunrise Times. The time of sunrise changes throughout the year! See later in this post where I go over the typical times throughout the year but be sure to look up the time for your specific date and arrive EARLY so you don’t miss it.
• Arrive Early. During certain times of the year sunrise can be busier than you expect. Be sure to arrive early so you get parking and time to hike to the spot if needed. This will also grant you some blue hour time and stargazing if you’re early enough. A magnificent sight to be seen!
• Check the Weather. This one is probably obvious. You want to be prepared! I will say though, no matter what the forecast says do not get discouraged. There have been many times for me when it called for cloudy skies but I ended up seeing an incredible sunrise. Even when it calls for rain, I’m always pro-go-anyway!

Best Time of Year to Visit

The best time to visit Arches National Park is early spring or fall. This time is better than the summer months because it is cooler with less crowds.

Not to mention, the sun rises later in the morning as compared to summertime so you can sleep in a little. Even winter would be a good time, just dress appropriately. Remember that Between April to October you need a timed entry reservation if you arrive after 7 am.

What Time is Sunrise?

The time of sunrise in the park varies throughout the year. Its important to keep in mind the location of where the sun rises at the time of your visit. I highly recommend checking out the PhotoPills app especially if you’re a photographer. Not only can you see the sunrise and sunset times of a location, you can also pinpoint exactly where you want to take a picture and it will tell you where the sun will rise. Its SO helpful! (Not sponsored, just genuinely love the app).

The exact time can vary slightly so be sure to check on your specific date before going! You can do this with a simple Google search. There is also approximate times listed below for your convenience.

• January 1 – 7:36 am / January 31 – 7:25 am
• February 1 – 7:24 am / February 28 – 6:52 am
• March 1 – 6:49 am / March 31 – 7:03 am
• April 1 – 7:02 am / April 30 – 6:21 am
• May 1 – 6:20 am / May 31 – 5:55 am
• June 1 – 5:55 am / June 30 – 5:57 am
• July 1 – 5:57 am / July 31 – 6:19 am
• August 1 – 6:20 am / August 31 – 6:47 am
• September 1 – 6:48 am / September 30 – 7:13 am
• October 1 – 7:14 am / October 31 – 7:44 am
• November 1 – 7:45 am / November 30 – 7:17 am
• December 1 – 7:18 am / December 31 – 7:36 am

What to Bring With You

• Headlamp / headlight. Some hikes are longer and require you to hike in the dark before the sun comes up. Its very dangerous to hike in the dark!
• Camera. This one may be obvious but its a good one! Bring a camera so you can document the beautiful landscape of Utah.
• Map. Sometimes service is unreliable in the park so it’s not a good idea to rely on your phone. Get a map ahead of time or pick one up at the visitor center. You can ask for one at the entrance station as well.
• Park pass / entry fee. There is a fee to enter Arches National Park. You can either buy a one day pass, a week pass, or they also sell yearly passes to all Utah parks or for $80 you can get an American the Beautiful Pass which gives you access to all national parks in the country for a year.

Lodging Recommendations near Arches

Here are some of my top recommendations for staying near Arches. You can also camp inside of the park if you choose (reserve your site beforehand) or stay at any of the numerous beautiful free BLM spots in the area for some good ol’ primitive camping.

Under Canvas Moab

Under Canvas is a unique option right outside of the park. Here you can stay in canvas tents for a glamping experience. They often have live music and fire pits nightly with free smores. Don’t forget to look up at night – the stargazing here is incredible and some parts of the year you can even see the milky way!

Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton

The Hoodoo Moab by Hilton is a great hotel for those looking for a more luxurious experience during their stay by Arches. There is a restaurant, room service, spa, pool with a poolside bar, gym and free wifi.

Apache Motel

The Apache Motel is a great option where western film star John Wayne stayed! This place is a great bang for your buck with amenities like complimentary bike rentals and washing station, a dog wash, bbq area with firepit, general store, pool with a hot shower, and clean rooms with specialty suite options.

Best Spots to See Sunrise in Arches

Delicate Arch

This is perhaps the most iconic spot in the park and watching the sunrise here is a surreal experience. It’s a moderately strenuous hike to reach the arch, but the view at sunrise is well worth it.

Iconic Delicate Arch is an excellent viewpoint for sunrise but be sure to get here early. Parking for the trailhead can fill up quickly as its a fan favorite in the park. Not to mention you need enough time to hike to the viewpoint as well. Be sure to bring a headlamp or flashlight with you so you can see on the hike up in those early morning hours.

Balanced Rock

This massive, precarious-looking rock formation offers a stunning backdrop for sunrise photography. You can view it from the parking lot area or take a short hike closer to the rock for a different perspective.

I recommend doing the short hike as its less than a quarter of a mile, easy and accessible. The way the sun glints off this unique rock formation is out of this world! On clear weather conditions you can even see the La Sal Mountains off in the distance.

The Windows

The North and South Windows, along with Turret Arch, create a dramatic scene during sunrise. You can photograph the sun rising between the arches, casting beautiful colors on the surrounding landscape. There’s lots of different photographic opportunity here making it a great option to get the perfect shot of a unique perspective of sunrise.

The hike is a little over a mile and along the trail you will see North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch. All of these formations make great subjects for capturing sunrise as the sun paints the red rocks with a warm glow. This is a popular location at the park so visiting during sunrise is the best time of day to see the arches without crowds.

La Sal Mountains Viewpoint

Head to this viewpoint along the main road for a panoramic view of the park with the distant La Sal Mountains in the background. It is one of the first stops past the visitor center and park entrance along the scenic drive. The contrast between the red rock formations and the snow-capped mountains during sunrise is mesmerizing.

Not to mention, you don’t need to hike to see this view, making it a good option for us non-morning people. While it isn’t usually a super crowded spot as people don’t tend to stick around for too long, the best way to see it is in early morning with fewer people.

Courthouse Towers

This area offers several viewpoints where you can capture the sunrise illuminating the towering rock formations known as the Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, and The Organ.

The Courthouse Towers can be seen from the La Sal Viewpoint but I recommend getting up close and personal with them by taking the relatively easy hike that takes about an hour. There are some rock stairs leading to Park Avenue Viewpoint on this hike but its nothing too crazy.

Double Arch

Double Arch makes a great feature for a sunrise photo. Standing at 124 feet tall it is the tallest arch in the park! It gets its name because its technically two arches in the same rock formation. It is next to the Windows section of the park making it a good option to see both structures in the morning light.

The hike is also easy running just above half a mile. Be sure to explore around here for different angles and viewpoints using the arch to frame your photo but be sure to stay on the trail as to not damage fragile soil or plants.

Conclusion

These are some of the best spots to see the sun rise in Arches National Park. Now you have all the information you need to have a spectacular morning during golden hour!