Dark Angel Trail

The first 1.9 miles round trip to Landscape Arch are relatively flat, with hard-packed footing and moderate rolling hills through tall fins. It's a good shorter outing on its own: turn back there if you want the arch without the harder climb. The Pine Tree and Tunnel Arch side paths add about half a mile round trip if you take them; they aren't part of the 4.9-mile Dark Angel route.

The character changes sharply after Landscape Arch. The main path climbs steeply over sandstone fins, with rocky footing, narrow ledges and steep drop-offs. You'll use your hands and feet in places. Stay on the marked tread rather than cutting across the living soil crust; that thin layer holds desert soil together and supports plants.

Double O Arch is on the way, and the short spur to Dark Angel begins on its north side. That out-and-back spur adds 0.8 mile and leads to the dark tower you've seen ahead. Visit the arch, then follow the main route to the spire and return the same way. The optional Navajo and Partition Arch spurs add more walking and aren't included in this distance. The longer return via the Primitive Trail is a separate, much harder 6.6-mile itinerary with difficult route-finding, narrow exposed slopes, scrambling and a pool crossing that may hold water.

Rainwater works along parallel fractures opened by uplift from underground salt deposits, gradually carving narrow sandstone fins. Weathering can eventually break through a fin and leave an arch. Landscape Arch is a dramatic example: its opening spans 306 feet, its thinnest section is about 6 feet across, and large pieces fell in the 1990s.

Start at Devils Garden Trailhead at the end of the park road, about 18 miles and a 45-minute drive from the Visitor Center. Parking can be very busy in peak season and on holiday weekends. In summer, avoid the middle of the day and bring enough water for a long desert hike. Pets aren't allowed on Arches hiking trails; trained service animals are permitted.