Sand Dune Arch   |  National Park Service/Neal Herbert

Arches Broken Arch Trail

A short loop trail right through a big arch.

How to Visit Arches

Start: Devils Garden Campground across from campsite No. 40

Distance: 2 miles; loop

Difficulty: Easy

Maps: USGS Arches National Park; Trails Illustrated Arches National Park

Finding the trailhead: Drive north into the park on the main road for 19 miles and turn into the Devils Garden Campground. Go to the end of the campground and park along the small loop near the trailhead.

Trailhead GPS coordinates: 38.773297, -109.587061

The trail goes through sand dunes and slickrock on its way to Broken Arch. In places the trail isn’t well defined, but well-placed cairns make it easy to follow all the way. The trail goes right through Broken Arch—a nice place to take a break and study a  great piece of nature’s art. Option: To shorten your route, you can retrace your steps back to the trailhead from here for an out-and-back hike of 1.3 miles.

Continue through the arch and return to the campground at campsite No. 51.  Along the way you’ll see a trail coming in from Sand Dune Arch. If you’re interested  in adding a half mile to your hike, you can take this trail out and back to Sand Dune Arch before completing the loop.

At the end of the loop, you have to walk about a quarter mile on the paved campground  road back to your vehicle.

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