Arches National Park Visitor center is located just beyond the park entrance off of highway 191 North of Moab, UT. The building and parking lot sit at the base of towering sandstone walls formed by the Moab fault. Beyond the turn into the parking lot, the park road snakes up and above the visitor center, which leads to the rest of the park atop the plateau. Once past the entrance booths, a right turn after the roundabout leads to the parking lot and visitor center. The parking lot is spacious, with a small shade structure and picnic tables on its Northwest side. The visitor center building is located to the right-- northeast of the lot. The building itself is multi-storied and angular, painted different shades of beige, tan, and light maroon. In front of the building is an extensive interpretive plaza, shaded by two columns of ramada style roofing, one running along the Northwest side of the plaza, the other, along the Southeast. Each section is held up by several sandstone brick pillars. In the center of these two shaded sections sits a series of decorative boulders and bronze statues of wildlife. Restrooms and other amenities are located just beyond these statues along the northeast wall. The overall low profile of the building and shade structures gives the sense that the structure is part of the colorful sandstone layers located beyond and above it. Scanning the Interpretive plaza clockwise from the parking lot, several trash and recycling bins are visible near the leftmost brick pillar. The following pillar features an informational panel about water on each side. The next pillar, which extends back towards the visitor center entrance in the northeast corner of the plaza, features a large NPS Arrowhead and the words ‘Arches National Park.’ The remaining two pillars curve towards the building entrance and feature large informational panels about wildlife and park features respectively. A section of windows with two double doors on the left marks the entrance to the visitor center building. Continuing to the right, the northeast wall of the plaza features a low bench, two water fountains and water bottle filling stations, trashcan, and a shaded alcove with access to two gendered and one handicapped accessible family restroom. Opposite the first column of pillars, a second shade structure runs East to south. Underneath the structure, the pillars feature additional informational panels; “Climbing and Canyoneering,” “What to do at Arches,” “Park Features,” and a gold lettered quote that reads: “Extraordinary arches, awe-inspiring landscapes.” Closer to the parking lot, the last two pillars also feature low benches. A flagpole with a raised American Flag stands closest to the road on the sidewalk before the parking lot. In the center of the plaza are several large rocks and life-sized bronze statues of wildlife in Arches. The floor beneath these statues is characterized by a sweeping patch of rough, light gray cement, in contrast to the smooth orange cement of the rest of the plaza. A male bighorn sheep sits atop the largest rock, a small lizard and two ravens perch on a neighboring boulders. A female bighorn sheep and baby stand closest to the parking lot, another lizard on a smaller rock behind them. Past these statues, one enters to visitor center through the double doors in the northernmost corner of the visitor center plaza. The entryway leads to a large mural of delicate arch, flanked by two digital trip planning kiosks. Directly in front of this mural is a large three dimensional relief map of the park at about waist height. To the left of this map is the park store. Several kiosks and display shelves are present in the entry way of the store. To the right of the relief map is the visitor center information desk. Behind the desk are panels with photographs of different prominent rock features in the park. To the right, a small inlet against the large windows facing the plaza holds two televisions mounted to each wall, used for orientation and safety videos. To the left of the information desk is the exhibit hall, which leads to various exhibits on the geology, environment, wildlife, and history of the park. The exhibit hall features a large two story window that looks up towards the sandstone wall behind the visitor center, and several large scale models of arches and sandstone features weave throughout the exhibits. On the far end of the exhibit hall sits the entryway to the theater, which seats 114 persons for showings of the park film.

The visitor center is generally open every day except December 25. Hours vary by season. You can learn about the park from exhibits and a bookstore. Rangers are on duty to answer your questions. Restrooms and drinking water are available.

Arches National Park Visitor Center and sandstone walls on a clear day.

Arches National Park Visitor Center

Arches Visitor Center

Arches Visitor Center is normally open year-round and daily except for December 25. Hours vary by the season. Restrooms, drinking water, and outdoor exhibits are available 24 hours a day.

Late Winter Hours

Spring Hours

Late Spring Hours

Summer Hours

Early Fall Hours

Late Fall Hours

Winter Hours

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day

Arches National Park Passport Cancellation, Moab, UT

Arches National Park Passport Stamp

Old Spanish Trail NHT, Apr 12, Arches NP, UT

Old Spanish Trail Nat'l Historic Trail

A stamped circle containing the date on top of Delicate Arch with the park's title and location.

Delicate Arch Stamp

Three passport stamps are available at Arches Visitor Center: 1) the standard cancellation stamp with the park name and date, 2) a version with an image of Delicate Arch, 3) the standard cancellation stamp for Old Spanish Trail with the trail name and date. 2016 NPS centennial stamp available upon request.

Discover a landscape of contrasting colors, land forms, and textures unlike any other. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks. This red-rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its sunsets.