Is Arches National Park Dog-Friendly?

A clear look at where dogs can and can't go at Arches.

By Chris Hayworth, Nestward

Short version: Arches is one of the least dog-friendly national parks you'll visit. Dogs are welcome in the park, but only on paved roads, in parking lots, and at the campground. Every trail, every arch, and every viewpoint that requires walking on dirt is off-limits to pets. If your trip is built around hiking with your dog, this is the wrong park, and it's better to know that now.

Where dogs ARE allowed

Arches sits in red-rock desert just five miles north of Moab, Utah. With over 2,000 natural stone arches, soaring pinnacles, and balanced rocks, it's a stunning place, but the rules for pets are narrow. Leashed dogs (leash six feet or shorter) are allowed only in these spots:

• Paved roads and road shoulders, including the 18-mile scenic drive.
• Parking lots and pullouts at the trailheads and viewpoints.
• Devils Garden Campground, if you're staying overnight.
• Inside your vehicle (never left alone in desert heat; more on that below).

That's the full list. There is no dog-friendly trail at Arches.

Where dogs are NOT allowed

This is the part that surprises people. Dogs are banned from all trails and all backcountry, which means the park's signature spots are out of reach with a pet:

• Delicate Arch: the famous one. No dogs on the trail.
• Devils Garden and Double O Arch: the long trail past several major arches. No dogs.
• Park Avenue: even this short walk through the rock walls. No dogs.
• The Fiery Furnace: permit and ranger-led only, and no pets (working service animals excepted).
• Any unpaved viewpoint path, including the short walks at Panorama Point and the windows area.

You can drive the scenic road and see a surprising amount from the car and paved pullouts. But you will not be hiking to an arch with your dog.

Why the rules are this strict

It isn't bureaucracy for its own sake. The desert here is fragile and harsh: biological soil crust takes decades to form and dies under paws, wildlife is easily stressed, and the ground gets dangerously hot. Summer temperatures often top 100°F, and slickrock radiates heat well above the air temperature, enough to burn paw pads fast. The park's own guidance leans hard on keeping pets out of these areas for both their safety and the landscape's.

How to actually make it work

If you're traveling with a dog and still want to see Arches, a few workable options:

• Plan a "one of you stays" rotation. One person hikes Delicate Arch while the other walks the dog along the paved areas, then swap. It's the most common real-world workaround.
• Use Moab as a base. The town has dog-friendly BLM and national forest trails nearby where pets are welcome on actual dirt, a better bet for a real hike with your dog.
• Look into Moab-area dog boarding or daycare for the day you want to hike Devils Garden or do a Fiery Furnace tour.
• Never leave a dog in the car. In spring through fall, a parked car becomes an oven within minutes. There's no shaded long-term parking here.

Timing helps too. The pleasant seasons are spring (April–May) and fall (mid-September–October), when highs run 60–80°F. The park is busiest March through October; entering before 8 a.m. or after 3 p.m. avoids the worst lines at the entrance. Entrance is $30 per vehicle for seven days.

The bottom line

Arches is worth seeing, but with a dog, treat it as a scenic drive, not a hiking trip. If hiking with your pet is the whole point of the vacation, point the car at the dog-friendly public lands around Moab instead and save Arches for a day you can hike it on foot.