Delicate Arch, Utah, United States

5ItchyFeet 5:00 PM Oct 30, 2020

Our favorite hike
We got to the parking lot about 8:45 AM and the parking lot was already full. People were just starting to leave when we got there because many people go at dawn or during predawn hours to see the sunrise. This trail is rated as a difficult hike however I don’t think it is particularly difficult unless you go mid day. As the maps and information state, there is no shade except early in the morning hours when you might be able to stand next to a bush or small tree. If you do this hike in the middle of the day or when it was very hot it would be much more difficult however I think everyone would suggest that you do this hike first thing in the morning. We spent about three hours going up to the arch, hanging out for a while and then hiking down. I took several pictures and posted them here of the trail. There are some places as you can see in the photos where the trail is very specific and narrow and other places where you could walk pretty much anywhere going up the hill or back down to the parking lot. I would say that you need to be in fairly good shape because you’re starting off at a good altitude of over 6000 feet and walking for a good hour all uphill over rocks. When we got there, as I said, the parking lot was full, so the attendant to the lot was motioning people to just keep moving. I talked to her about it and asked her if I could wait till somebody came out of the parking lot and she told me that I could go across the street and she would wave me in once somebody left. I did this and was able to get a space almost immediately after I got there. I would definitely recommend this hike and definitely recommend going as early in the day as possible. It should go without saying but you should wear hiking boots and definitely take water.

5LP 5:00 PM Jul 9, 2021

Incredible
The Delicate Arch is Incredible. The hike is not easy as expected and a proper footwear and GPS or navigation would help a lot. We lost at night without a GPS and would recommend to hike only during daytime if you’re not the adventurous type of not worrying about getting lost. During summers it’s very hot and plan to hike for an hour with water before sunset for incredible views.