Parking
Use the Sand Dune Arch parking area off Arches Scenic Drive. A vault or composting toilet is available at the trailhead.
Overview
About Sand Dune Arch Trail
Why go
- A low arch inside a sheltered sandstone corridor.
- Short enough for a quick stop with a distinct sandy approach.
Heads up
- Deep, loose sand makes the short distance feel slower.
- One very narrow section; the route is not wheelchair accessible.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Arches map
Full mapElevation5,167–5,210 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Arches Tour Guide
Your drive to Sand Dune Arch Trail, 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 trailhead
Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch0:00 / 0:30
“Sand Dune Arch is ahead, tucked inside a shaded, sandy chamber between tall rock fins. I'd choose this stop for a close-up arch visit with a very different feel from the open viewpoints.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Arches Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Skyline Arch
- Ears That Shed Heat
- Devils Garden Campground and Tapestry Arch
- Pine Nuts for Later
- 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.”
Trail guide
Hiking Sand Dune Arch Trail
The quick out-and-backSand Dune Arch Trail is a 0.
Sand Dune Arch Trail is a 0.4-mile out-and-back from its roadside parking area to a low arch tucked between tall sandstone fins. Plan on 15–30 minutes. The route is mostly level, but the soft, deep sand makes this feel like more work than a flat path of the same length. Go for a short walk through the fins and a look from beneath the arch.
Sand first, then a narrow passageThe route crosses deep sand and pinches into one very narrow gap between the fins.
The route crosses deep sand and pinches into one very narrow gap between the fins. Expect a brief squeeze near the arch. The park says the trail is not wheelchair accessible because of the sand. Dogs are not allowed on park trails; service animals are allowed.
The arch and a longer optionThe low arch spans the sandy floor in a shaded sandstone chamber.
The low arch spans the sandy floor in a shaded sandstone chamber. The reward is getting beneath it; stay on the ground because climbing or jumping off the arch is prohibited. For a photo, step back on the sandy floor and frame the opening with both tall walls so the picture shows how low the arch sits.
You can continue across grassland toward Broken Arch and return by the campground, but that is a separate, longer outing. The park lists the Broken Arch loop at 2.3 miles. The 0.4-mile figure here covers only Sand Dune Arch and the walk back to this parking area.
Start at the right lotBegin at the Sand Dune Arch parking area off Arches Scenic Drive.
Begin at the Sand Dune Arch parking area off Arches Scenic Drive. A vault or composting toilet is available at the trailhead. The same parking area provides access to the Broken Arch continuation, so follow the Sand Dune Arch path for the short out-and-back.
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.
