Happy Birthday National Park Service! For 104 years federal agencies have managed the 400+ national parks. To celebrate they are waving the entrance fee at all national parks today. We want to encourage you to get outside and practice self care. But we don’t want to promote a mad dash. So below you find more fee free park days.
It’s also important for us to mention Making National Parks Accessible to Native People Again and to other People of Color. Out of the 292.8 million visitors to national parks in 2014 only 22% were People of Color. Which is precisely what makes initiatives like Diversify Outdoors so important.
In an effort to help diversify the outdoors we are creating a Fat-Friendly National Parks Guide! We’ve asked members of our Facebook Community to share photos, tips, and stories from past national park visits. Here’s what some of our members had to say about Arches National Park.
River Rae
Arches National Park is located in the state of Utah and perched high above the Colorado River. It has the densest concentration of natural stone arches in the world. There are over 2,000 documented arches in the park, plus pinnacles, balanced rocks, fins and other geologic formations.
Entrance Fee: $10-$20 USD
Free Entrance Days:
January 20: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
April 18: First day of National Park Week
August 5: Celebrating the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act
August 25: National Park Service Birthday
September 26: National Public Lands Day
November 11: Veterans Day
Best Time to Visit: April, May, September, October when the daytime temperatures average about 60 to 80 degrees.
Worst Time to Visit: June, July, and August are still peak season for the park despite 100 degree temperatures. Summer is when kids are out of school and families go on vacation.
Covid-19 Update: Arches National Park roads, trails, campground, park store, and restrooms are open. The visitor center exhibits and Fiery Furnace remain closed.
Tasheon and Friends
“It was busy AF and we went on like Monday in the spring! But there was plenty of room to spread out and lots of accessible trails.” The following parts of the park are ADA compliant: Devils Garden Campground site #4H, Park Avenue Viewpoint, Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Picnic Area, Wolfe Ranch Cabin and rock art panel, and Delicate Arch Viewpoint. Get more wheelchair accessibility tips here.
Julissa
The Windows Section contains a large concentration of arches and is one of the most scenic locations in the park.
Christina
“I loves Arches National Park. We had the most beautiful day there.” Double Arch is the third-longest/widest arch in the park, at 144 feet (44 m) across.
Megan
Delicate Arch is undeniably the most famous natural stone arch in the world. This is the ideal place to watch the sunset.
Kailey
Arches was a favorite on our honeymoon. We woke up for sunrise at The Windows Section. It’s a popular spot that you don’t want to miss!
Sam
Over 2,000 arches have been discovered and recorded in Arches National Park. This number changes, as new arches are discovered and others collapse.
Erica
“Arches National Park has lots of easy hiking options with fun rocks to climb all over. It has an incredibly diverse landscape with amazing sunsets.”
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