Broken Arch: One of the Best Underrated Hikes in Arches National Park

If you’re looking for a great hike in Arches National Park without the crowds seen at Delicate Arch or The Windows area, look no further than Broken Arch. The traffic on this family friendly hike is only a fraction of what you’ll find on the busier trails in the park, yet it offers great views and a fun place to explore within a 15-minute walk of your car. In fact, you can spot the arch right from the parking lot, so you can immediately get a sense of what you’re in for. Before you make the trip though, remember that the park is using a timed entry system this year. You can learn more about getting your reservation for that here.

Now onto the good stuff, the hike! The main trailhead towards the end of the park’s main road, just look for the sign that says “Sand Dune Arch Parking Area”, or you can find it on Google Maps here. Shortly after you start on the trail you’ll see a sign for Sand Dune arch, which is a short detour that you should definitely make, though it won’t really matter if you go there before or after Broken Arch. It’s a fast deviation in a narrow canyon between some rock fins, and though you’ll likely find plenty of people on this route, it makes a nice little refuge from the worst of the heat if you’re there on a hot summer day. If it’s a wintery day, you’ll be searching for slivers of sun, like the subject in the photo above.

Continuing on the Broken Arch Trail, do be prepared for some sun, as you’ll have zero options for shade for the first stretch of the walk. As long as you’ve got water though, I wouldn’t let any heat discourage you, since it’s a relatively quick jaunt, and very flat terrain. The sandy trail is easy to follow, and as you make your way across the open desert you’ll have a clear view of the horizon in front of you, and large rock formations on both sides of you. Before long, you’ll arrive at a junction with a clear indication to continue to the right. From there you will have some trees, and soon enough you find yourself at the arch with plenty of shady places. You’ll definitely want to go to the other side of the arch to experience the view from both sides. If you have any young ones in the group they may need some help to scramble up and through the arch. While the trail does continue on from there, I wouldn’t recommend it, as it just takes you to Tapestry Arch, which in my opinion is one that should be skipped. After you’ve rested and soaked in the views, just make your way back the same way you came! If you have any questions on this hike just let me know in the comments.

Photography Tips: My favorite time to shoot here is at sunrise, on the East side of the arch looking through as the first rays of the day light up your foreground as well as the landscape through the window. There are plenty of great options here for compositions, so walk around for various perspectives and look for leading lines and other foreground elements such as boulders or trees to enhance your photos.