Believe it or not, Arches National Park still has a few lingering secrets. A sprinkling of places where crowds don’t flock. A select few arches that still manage to slide under the radar.
Feeling skeptical? Come hike the Broken Arch Trail and see for yourself!
Tucked behind the Devil’s Garden Campground, the Broken Arch Trail is home to three incredible, underrated natural arches and offers some of the most spectacular views in the park…without all the people!
On our most recent trip to Arches National Park, we discovered this gem of a trail, just a quarter-mile walk from our campsite – and it blew us away!
We had two of the three arches to ourselves, and only saw a couple other hikers on the main loop. It had us in disbelief that we were inside one of the busiest national parks in the country.
In this guide, I’m going to share everything you need to know to hike the Broken Arch Trail in Arches National Park and experience this delicious solitude, including when to go, what to pack, and how to see all three natural arches.
Let’s go hiking!
Broken Arch Trail Guide: How to See 3 Underrated Natural Arches!
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About the Broken Arch Trail
The Broken Arch Trail is a 1.9-mile loop in Arches National Park that features two underrated natural arches, with an option to add on a third for less than a mile more.
A true bang-for-your-buck hike!
With its main trailhead tucked inside the Devil’s Garden Campground, this trail (and its natural arches) sees much less traffic than many others in the national park.
So this is a great place to escape the crowds!
Access to this trail is available from two parking areas:
- Devil’s Garden Campground – small, accommodates 5 or 6 standard-sized vehicles, conveniently within walking distance of all of the campsites
- Sand Dune Arch – large, room for a couple of dozen standard-sized and a few oversized vehicles, more crowded
No matter where you choose to start, this trail is easy to customize based on your time and energy. You can pick just one arch, venture to two, or explore all three. Your choice!
Here’s the mileage of each arch:
- Tapestry Arch – 0.3 miles one way from the Devil’s Garden Campground trailhead
- Broken Arch – 0.6 miles one way from the Devil’s Garden Campground trailhead
- Sand Dune Arch – 0.2 miles one way from the Sand Dune Arch trailhead
If you have time, hike the entire 2.6-mile loop to see all three natural arches: Tapestry, Broken, and Sand Dune.
Know Before You Go
These are not dog-friendly trails. Pets are not permitted on any hiking trails or overlooks in Arches National Park. They are only allowed at campgrounds, picnic areas, parking areas, and established roads.
A $30 entrance fee is required to enter Arches National Park. Bring your America the Beautiful Pass to get in for free!
Please Leave No Trace when recreating outdoors. Leave the trails and arches exactly as you find them. Please do not stand on arches, do not move or stack rocks, and do not pluck wildflowers. And make sure to pack out all of your trash.
Bonus points if you bring a trash bag and pick up other visitors’ garbage!
When to Hike the Broken Arch Trail
The Broken Arch Trail is open year-round, but the best time to hike it is in the spring and fall, when temperatures are milder.
Summers are hot, with three-digit temperatures being the norm. With limited shade on this route and most others in the park, hiking this season is neither safe nor comfortable.
And on the other extreme end, winters are cold and can be snowy and icy. With all the slickrock on this trail and others, this is also not an ideal time of year to hike in Arches.
What to Bring
Here are some essentials to bring (and wear) for your hike:
- Day pack – To store all of your essentials
- Water – 1-2 liters per person
- Snacks or lunch – To enjoy at one of the arches
- First aid kit – Just in case something happens
- Headlamp – To help with visibility near sunrise or sunset
- Sun protection – Sunscreen, hat, sun hoodie, etc., to battle the intense sun
- Boots or sandals – I wore my trusty Tevas for this hike
- Downloaded trail map – Get 30% off a premium AllTrails membership with code alexysabroad30
- (Optional) Sun umbrella – A desert luxury and my new favorite piece of gear
- (Optional) Garmin inReach – In case something happens, no cell service here
Tapestry, Broken & Sand Dune Arch Trail Description
- Length: 2.6 miles
- Elevation Gain: 219 feet
- Type of Trail: Loop
- Difficulty: Moderate
As mentioned above, there are different combinations of routes you can take to see one, two, or three of these arches. It’s a true pick-your-own-adventure type of trail!
For the sake of this trail guide, I’m going to share info on how to hike the entire loop to all three natural arches – Tapestry Arch, Broken Arch, and Sand Dune Arch – starting from the Devil’s Garden Campground trailhead.
If you’re staying at the campground, you can conveniently walk to the trailhead! If not, you can park at the small lot next to the restrooms. There’s room for a handful of non-oversized vehicles.
The first quarter-mile is sandy and easy to follow. At the first junction, you’ll approach a sign with arrows pointing in opposite directions.
Tapestry Arch is off to the left, and Broken Arch is off to the right. Since this is a clockwise loop, take the spur trail to Tapestry Arch first!
Tapestry Arch is only about a quarter-mile from the junction. The path is easy at first, with some minor scrambling on slickrock at the end. Cairns help guide the way to the arch.
As you’re standing on the slickrock, take in the sweeping panoramic views. From here, you can even catch a glimpse of Tapestry Arch from afar!
The trail appears to end just past the slickrock, blocked off by some bushes, so we didn’t venture all the way to the arch. But it was still magnificent, even from a hundred feet away!
Tapestry Arch is a collection of two caves (or alcoves) framing an arch, so it almost looks like you’re staring at a three-piece curtain of sandstone art!
To get to the next arch, Broken Arch, return the way you came, across the slickrock, and once you reach the junction again, follow the arrow for Broken Arch this time.
The half-mile section of trail from the junction to Broken Arch is easy and very scenic. I thoroughly enjoyed the front-row views of the red rock and the distant views of the gray-tipped La Sal Mountains!
Soon, you’ll reach Broken Arch. Fun fact: it’s not actually broken – it’s just cracked!
Because of its sheer size and uniqueness, Broken Arch was my favorite. Not only can you directly stand under the arch, but the trail actually continues under it! How cool is that?!
When you’re done admiring this one, continue the hike by walking through the arch.
As you’re standing directly beneath the arch, you’ll have to maneuver down the slightly steep slickrock. This involves some hands-and-knees scrambling and scooting, which just adds to the adventure!
Just past the arch, and slightly to the right, you’ll see a sign guiding you onto the correct path.
Continue hiking for another quarter-mile until you reach the next junction. This is where you’ll find the turnoff for Sand Dune Arch!
If you have the extra time, take the 0.3-mile (one-way) spur trail to check it out.
Sand Dune Arch sits only a quarter-mile from the parking lot on the main scenic drive, so it tends to attract more visitors than the other two. Despite this, I still think the quick detour is absolutely worth it!
Especially since there’s something rare over there – shade!
Because Sand Dune Arch is hidden away inside a narrow, sandy canyon with towering red rock walls, this area becomes a cool, shady escape that feels oh-so refreshing in the warmer months.
To finish the loop, continue back the way you came, and when you reach the Sand Dune Arch/Broken Arch junction again, take a left.
This marks the beginning of my favorite part of the hike. The final half-mile of the Broken Arch Trail involves navigating (and scrambling) through tall, narrow canyons.
While it just might be the most picturesque, unique, and adventurous part of the entire trail, it is probably the most confusing, too. The path isn’t always clear, so I kept my AllTrails map handy to keep us on track.
And the sporadic cairns helped guide the way, too!
While you’re navigating the slickrock, you’ll see the campground materialize off in the distance. This will make you realize two things: how close you are to the end and how high up you are! You have some quick descending to do.
Eventually, the trail descends and empties at the campground. But not exactly where you started! To get back to the official trailhead, walk along the campground loop for just a tenth of a mile.
Finish Planning Your Trip to Arches
I’ve been to Arches National Park twice. Take the stress out of trip planning with the help of my guides!
- Jam-Packed 3-Day Arches National Park Itinerary
- 6 Best Hikes in Arches National Park
- How to Conquer the Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park
- What Are the Best Arches at Arches National Park?
- Complete Guide to Exploring Arches National Park
- Arches Vs. Canyonlands: Which National Park Should You Visit?
Discover Your Next Adventure
Where to next? I’ve got some suggestions!
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