Overview
About Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint
Why stop
- A higher, slightly less obstructed view than the flat lower overlook.
Heads up
- The stair climb is real, but the arch still sits about a mile away.
The arch’s opening is 46 feet high and 32 feet wide, the largest freestanding arch in the park and a widely recognized symbol of Utah. It was also called Cowboy’s Chaps, Old Maid’s Bloomers, and Salt Wash Arch. “Delicate” appeared in a 1934 account of a scientific expedition, describing the arch’s finely carved look.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy it’s called DelicateMap
Where it is
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Arches Tour Guide
Your drive to Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Arches National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Arches audio tourRecorded for this place
Delicate Arch Viewpoints“You're nearing the Delicate Arch Viewpoints, a quick way to see the famous arch without the long hike. Choose the level, wheelchair-accessible lower path for a brief look.”
Plays as you drive up to Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint in the Parkwolf Arches Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Delicate Arch and Wolfe Ranch
- The Dark Streaks on Sandstone
- Shrimp Waiting for Rain
- The Desert's Living Skin
- 35 audio storiesacross Arches’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Raven, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 28 trails, 41 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“I can’t believe how helpful this app is and how interesting the information is for each highlight along the Arches Scenic Drive! This is the first park I’ve used it in.”
Guide
More about Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint
Take the upper route for a different angleUpper Delicate Arch Viewpoint is an elevated lookout across the canyon, with Delicate Arch…
Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint is an elevated lookout across the canyon, with Delicate Arch about a mile away. From the shared viewpoint trailhead, it’s a 0.5-mile round trip with 171 feet of climbing, over slopes and steps; allow 30 to 45 minutes. The upper view is slightly less obstructed than the lower one, but it doesn’t take you to the arch. Choose it for the extra height if stairs are comfortable; the lower viewpoint is the easy, level stop. The upper route isn’t wheelchair accessible, and dogs aren’t allowed on the viewpoint trails.
Look across the canyonDelicate Arch stays small in this distant view, with a wide sandstone ridge and canyon between…
Delicate Arch stays small in this distant view, with a wide sandstone ridge and canyon between you and the opening. Binoculars or a telephoto lens help bring out its shape. The lower viewpoint is just 100 yards from the same parking area, so you can compare the level view with the higher one without moving the car.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Arches
14 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
10 sightingsPronghornMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
610 sightingsRavenMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
188 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
51 sightingsPrairie DogMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
15 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Arches. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
