Park Avenue Trail: Arches' First Hike After the Entrance

Most visitors drive past Park Avenue on their way deeper into Arches. That’s a mistake. The trailhead sits 0.8 miles inside the entrance, the parking area is usually easier to get than the Delicate Arch lot, and the hike itself is one of the most dramatic 2 miles in the park. Don’t treat it like a warm-up.

What You’re Walking Through

Park Avenue runs through a narrow canyon cut between two parallel rows of Entrada sandstone fins. The fins are vertical walls of rock, 200 to 300 feet tall, running side by side with a sandy canyon floor between them. From the south viewpoint above the trailhead, the skyline of fins really does look like a city seen from a distance. That’s not just ranger creativity with the name. The resemblance is genuinely striking.

The fins formed over millions of years as erosion worked along parallel vertical fractures in the sandstone. Water, ice, and wind widened those fractures from cracks into slots into the canyon you’re walking through now. The fins are an intermediate stage in the arch-formation process. Given enough time, the thinner sections of fin will wear through and become arches. Park Avenue is essentially an arch nursery, though nothing will change on a human timescale.

Standing at the viewpoint, you have a rough idea of the scale. Walking on the canyon floor is different. The walls tower above you in a way that the overlook doesn’t prepare you for.

The Trail Itself

The standard route runs 2 miles one-way from the Park Avenue viewpoint (south trailhead) to the Courthouse Towers viewpoint (north trailhead). The trail descends about 320 feet heading northbound, which makes the south-to-north direction slightly easier going.

The surface mixes packed sand and flat rock. There are some rocky steps where the trail drops into and through the canyon, but nothing that requires hands. The path stays clear. You won’t spend much mental energy on route-finding.

The first half mile from the south trailhead drops you into the canyon and gives you the full fin experience. Walls rise on both sides. The scale settles in. The middle section of the canyon is mostly sandy and level, with the fins flanking you the whole way.

The north end opens into the Courthouse Towers area.

Courthouse Towers

The last third of the hike changes character. The fins give way to free-standing towers: Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, and Tower of Babel are the named formations you’ll pass. These are separate columns of sandstone rather than connected fin walls, and they make the geologic story more legible. You can see how a fin, eroded from both sides, eventually becomes a narrow tower, then a pointed spire.

Spend time looking at these on the way through. Three Gossips is three connected columns leaning slightly together. Tower of Babel is the tallest and most imposing. Most people barely slow down here because the trailhead is close, but this section rewards a few extra minutes.

Car Shuttle vs. Round Trip

The two trailheads are 0.4 miles apart on the main park road, which is what makes the one-way shuttle work. Drop one car at the Courthouse Towers viewpoint lot, drive the other to the Park Avenue viewpoint lot, and hike north. When you finish, you’re 0.4 miles from your starting vehicle.

If you’d rather skip the logistics, two other options work fine. Hike 1 mile in from either end, turn around, and return. That covers the best fin and tower sections without the full distance. Or do the complete 4-mile round trip, which adds 320 feet of climbing on the return from north to south.

The round trip is a reasonable workout. The one-way with shuttle is the classic version.

Light and Photography

The canyon runs roughly north-south, with the fins on the east and west sides. Morning light from 7 to 10 a.m. hits the east-facing walls with warm direct light and long shadows that give the rock texture and depth. This is the best time to photograph the fins from inside the canyon.

By midday, the sun is overhead and the shadows flatten. The fins lose most of their texture in flat overhead light. Late afternoon brings some recovery as the sun moves west and the light rakes across the west-facing walls.

For the Courthouse Towers formations at the north end, morning light works well too. The towers catch early light on their east faces before the sun climbs.

If you have a choice, plan Park Avenue for the first hike of the day.

Heat and Season

No shade on the canyon floor in the central section. The fins cast moving shadows in the morning and afternoon, but from roughly 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in summer, you’re hiking in full sun on hot sand. Arches sits at about 4,000 feet elevation, which reduces heat slightly compared to lower desert valleys, but temperatures still hit 100 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit in July and August.

The practical rule: start before 9 a.m. from June through August. Spring (March to May) and fall (September to November) are the best seasons. October is ideal. Winter hiking is possible and beautiful, but the park requires timed entry permits from April through October, so check the reservation system before you plan.

Carry more water than you think you need. A liter per person for a 2-mile one-way hike sounds like enough. In July heat, it’s borderline. Bring 2 liters each and you won’t have to think about it.

Fitting It Into an Arches Day

Park Avenue and the Windows Section together make a good half-day itinerary. Both are near the park entrance and middle section of the main road. Neither requires the long drive out to the Delicate Arch trailhead or the full commitment of Devils Garden.

Do Park Avenue in the morning while the light is right and the temperature is manageable. Then drive to the Windows Section for the easy loop there. That’s 3 miles of hiking total and covers two of the park’s most photogenic areas without an early 3 a.m. wake-up or a brutal midday slog.

Save Delicate Arch for a separate trip or a very early morning start. It’s 3 miles with 480 feet of gain, and it deserves its own morning, not a tack-on after two other hikes.

The timed entry reservation system affects entry, not which trails you walk once you’re inside. Get your reservation, enter when your window opens, and make Park Avenue your first stop. It’s the right way to begin an Arches visit.

Frequently Asked Questions