The ultimate guide to Devils Garden Trail Arches National Park

The Devils Garden Trail in Arches National Park is one of the best hikes in Arches National Park near Moab in Utah.

As one of the most popular national parks in the system, I’d seen pictures of Arches National Park for months leading up to our Canada and America trip.

I’d done a little bit of research and seen that the Devil’s Garden Loop Trail in Arches National Park seemed like the one to do.

It was the longest, had loads of arches to see, and (apparently) the most difficult. I love a good hiking challenge.

I was also pretty desperate to get out and do some hiking, the places and cities on the east coast we’d visited so far were fun to explore, but they weren’t quite the same as enjoying a hike.

The National Park Service says that “The Devil’s Garden Trail leads you between sheer walls of sandstone fins”. That sounded pretty cool to me. There’s also the Devil’s Garden primitive trail which makes things extra fun.

Below I’ll walk you through the Devils Garden hike so you know what to expect and what arches you’ll see along the way.

Hiking Devils Garden Primitive Trail Arches National Park

The Devil’s Garden Trail in Arches National Park is an amazing 7.8-mile hike where you can see eight different arches. This Arches hike gives you a chance to climb rocks, do some light rock scrambling, and walk along unique sandstone ridges, and see some incredible sights in the park.

Because of the fact that this is a loop trail, you’re able to choose which part of the trail you want to do and can call it a day if you’ve had enough before doing the whole loop.

The first part of the Devils Garden, Arches National Park trail is paved until you reach Landscape Arch. After this, the hike is what’s described as “primitive”.

This means there’s no paved trail and you can expect to have to work your way around slick rocks and drop-offs.

I found that you don’t need to worry about getting lost at all on the Arches primitive trail. There are plenty of signs and enough people around that you can’t go too far wrong.  But, having said that, at the time we hiked this trail, there were sections where no one else was around. It’s pretty perfect.

Arches National Park Devils Garden Trail Stats:

• Distance: 7.8-mile loop, with more optional offshoots
• Elevation Gain: 1178 ft
• Time: 3-5 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Devils Garden trail map.

Devils Garden Trailhead to Landscape Arch

Landscape Arch is the biggest arch in the world and surpasses Zion National Park’s Kolob Arch by three feet. In total it’s 306 feet long but only 11 feet wide at its narrowest part. There are several spots here to get some great photos.

Throughout the centuries, chunks of this arch have collapsed, so you’re no longer allowed to get up close to Landscape Arch like we were back during our visit in 2017.

Despite this, the sight of Landscape Arch is spectacular, with its width proving particularly impressive and it’s definitely one of the best arches in the park to see before it collapses.

During your hike, you’ll notice that many hikers will walk up to Landscape Arch and then return back to the parking lot. From Landscape Arch you can take a short detour to Pine Tree Arch or Tunnel Arch on your way back to the car.

Or, you can continue to Double O Arch and the rest of the trail as we did.

Then, you can choose to turn back or keep going to Double O Arch for some real fun.

The trail to Navajo Arch and Partition Arch

From Landscape Arch, hike up the sandstone ridges and take in the breathtaking views. Soon you’ll reach the side trail to Navajo and Partition Arches.

Navajo Arch and Partition Arch (below) are located on the Navajo Arch short Spur Trail which branches off from the Devil’s Garden Primitive Loop trail about 1.2 miles from the Devil’s Garden trail head. 

This branch of the trail takes you to the south side of the area and tends to be a little quieter than the path leading up to Landscape Arch. 

From Partition Arch, you get a wonderful view of the park. Navajo Arch looks more like a cave than an arch but is still worth seeing. I thought it was a pretty cute little arch and it was cool that you could walk right underneath. 

Walking to Double O Arch

Double O Arch is a unique arch on the Devils Garden trail of Arches National Park.

It’s two arches stacked on top of each other, almost forming a figure-8. The larger arch spans 71 feet, with the smaller one stretching 21 feet.

Located almost 2 miles from the trailhead, Double O Arch is at the far end of the Devils Garden Loop.

Following the signs to Double O Arch is easy. When you reach a big sandstone ridge you’ll need to climb up onto it and walk along the top of it.

When you get to Double O Arch you’ll have rejoined the main trail with hikers that didn’t take the spur off to Navajo and Partition Arches.

From Double O Arch, you can see the Dark Angel, a striking sandstone spire with a somewhat eerie aura. There’s an option to hike up to this rock formation too which I’d recommend doing though it’s not essential if you’re purely there for the arches!

Dark Angel (not an arch but a pretty cool rock)

The Dark Angel rock formation in Arches National Park, Ut is a 150ft sandstone tower.

It’s around 0.5 miles northwest of Double O Arch and is an extra add-on to the Devils Garden Primitive trail. You’ll have to walk up a small hill to reach the Dark Angel.

I think it’s worth the effort since you get great views across Arches National Park from the base of the Dark Angel.

From Dark Angel, you can retrace your steps back towards Landscape Arch.

If you didn’t do Private Arch, Pine Tree Arch, and Tunnel Arch, then you can take the short detour on the spur trails to them before going back to your car if you wish.

Private Arch

Private Arch is quite small but it was the quietest we came to on our Devils Garden hike of the loop trail. It’s a great spot for a snack break!

You can do the following two arches in Arches NP at the beginning or at the end of your Devils Garden hike, Arches National Park.

Pine Tree Arch

Close to the Devil’s Garden parking lot and trailhead, Pine Tree Arch has, as the name suggests, a pine tree at the center of it.

To get to Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch, take the path going off to your right as you start the Devil’s Garden walk. 

Tunnel Arch

We didn’t get a picture of this one as we decided not to hike out to it since we were also hiking to Delicate Arch after this trail.

If you do decide to go for it it’s not hard to get to, but it is a bit further away.

Hiking the Primitive Trail

Once you reach Landscape Arch, you can choose to keep going towards Double O Arch or turn right for the longer, more adventurous Primitive Trail.

If you like less crowded, off-the-beaten-path trails, I highly recommend the Devils Garden Primitive Loop trail. This part was my favorite part of the Devil’s Garden Trail.

The Primitive Trail takes you through some of the best scenery in the park. Expect to climb some rocks and jump over small pools of water. You’ll need to look for cairns which are stacked stones that mark the trail. They can be hard to spot, so I recommend using offline maps from AllTrails.

While on the Primitive Trail, you can add on a short detour to Private Arch. It’s a small, low arch and you might have it all to yourself.

Beyond the spur trail for Private Arch, the trail gets a bit harder to follow. It is very important to keep spotting those rock cairns. The trail will make a sharp turn to the left, climb up and over a fin of sandstone, and then turn right again. This is the section where most people lose the trail.

A Shorter Option for the Devil’s Garden Trail

If you don’t want to do the full almost 8-mile loop on the Devil’s Garden hike you can go directly to Landscape Arch and then to Double O Arch skipping Partition and Navajo Arches and cutting out an hour.

Skipping Dark Angel also saves you at least 30 minutes of hiking and there are plenty of other interesting rock formations throughout the park.

Tips for an Awesome Experience

• Save your maps before your trip using AllTrails+. It’s unlikely you’ll have a phone signal during your hike, but you can still use the GPS on AllTrails to track where you are and line it up on that to see where you are on the trail.
• Pack sunscreen. There isn’t much shade on this trail so make sure you have sunscreen. A hat and sunglasses are very useful to have too.
• Carry enough water. If you’re hiking in the warmer months, bring at least 2 to 3 liters of water per person, especially if you’re planning to hike the whole loop. There’s nowhere to fill up your water on the trail (besides the trail head) so make sure you already have it with you.
• Wear appropriate clothing: Though the trail isn’t that difficult, you should still wear sensible shoes such as hiking boots or trail runners. Since it’s likely you’ll be hiking in the heat, check out my guide to what to wear hiking in hot weather. This will help keep you cool and protected from the sun as you hike.
• Start early: This hike gets busy and it also gets very hot in Arches National Park in the summer months. I recommend starting early (before 8 am) to beat both the crowds and the weather.

Arches Devils Garden Campground, UT

The Devils Garden campsite is open all year round and you can reserve up to 6 months in advance. You definitely need to reserve it as it’s often fully booked since it’s one of the most coveted campgrounds in Arches National Park. 

The campsite is very close to the Devils Garden trailhead and so spending a night here is perfect for hikers keen to start early in the morning. 

There are 51 campsites at the Devils Garden campground which includes 2 group campsites and 1 accessible spot.

The roads are paved so you don’t need to have an AWD or 4×4. Besides the stunning views of sandstone fins and clear night skies, this campground also has flush toilets and drinking water.

However, there are no showers (check my Moab guide to find out where to shower in Moab!) at the Devils Garden Campground in Arches.

If you travel in an RV, there are no dump stations or electric hookups. For that reason, you may prefer to stay in one of the privately-owned campgrounds outside of Arches National Park mentioned below. 

You can see a Devils Garden campground map here (scroll to the bottom). For Devils Garden campground reservations book online.

Arguably all the campsites at the Devil’s Garden campground are great but perhaps the Devils Garden campground’s best sites are those numbered 48-52 as they’re the furthest away from the main road. 

FAQs on the Devils Garden Hike

Final thoughts on Devils Garden Arches National Park

Hiking the Devil’s Garden Trail is one of the best hikes in Arches National Park. Over the course of just under 8 miles, you’ll get to see some of the incredible rock formations that make this park special.

From the towering Devils Garden arches and magnificent desert landscapes to the cool rock formations and views of the park, you’re sure to be impressed!

You can make this hike as long or short as you want depending on the other things you want to do and see in Arches National Park.

If you’re planning on visiting Arches and Canyonlands National Park in 1 day, I recommend just checking out Landscape Arch and Pine Tree Arch which are closest to the parking lot – unless you’re super fast hikers!

The Arches Devils Garden trail in Utah is definitely one for the books!

Last Updated on July 17, 2023 by Hannah