Devils Garden Trailhead
Devils Garden is the largest parking lot in Arches — 160 spaces, 10 of them oversized — and it is 18 miles from the entrance station at the literal end of the park road. Being biggest doesn't make it easy: NPS names Devils Garden as one of the lots “usually full for much of the day” and says summer trailhead lots fill by 7:30 am.
The geography is the whole risk. There is no overflow lot and nothing else out here — if you arrive and it's full, your options are to circle, or to turn around and drive 18 miles back. Check the NPS live parking status before you commit to the drive, which takes 40–45 minutes from the visitor center.
The facts
- Trail served
- Landscape Arch (1.8 mi round trip, easy, hard-packed); Double O Arch (4.0 mi round trip, strenuous, narrow ledges); the full Devils Garden loop including the Primitive Trail (7.9 mi round trip, strenuous); Tunnel, Pine Tree, Partition and Navajo arches on spurs
- Cost / pass
- Parking free. Park entrance $30/vehicle for 7 days, $25 motorcycle, $15/person. America the Beautiful accepted. No timed-entry ticket required in 2026
- Lot size
- 160 total spaces, 10 oversized, 8 ADA-designated (4 van-accessible) — NPS published figure
- When it fills
- NPS: summer trailhead lots "fill by 7:30 am"; Devils Garden is specifically named as "usually full for much of the day." Turnover is slow here because the hikes are long — a full loop ties up a space for 3–5 hours
- Overflow option
- None. This is the end of the road. The nearest alternatives are the Devils Garden Campground day-use picnic area just south of the campground entrance, or driving back toward Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch
- Tow / citation risk
- No published towing policy. NPS asks visitors not to wait in roadways for spaces — the loop road here is narrow and idling in it blocks the only way out
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Road to the lot
- Paved to the trailhead, 18 miles from the entrance station at the north end of the park road. Allow 40–45 minutes from the visitor center
- Busy season
- Spring and fall. The Primitive Trail is not recommended when the rock is wet or icy, which rules out a lot of winter. Summer heat on the exposed sections above Landscape Arch is serious
Getting there
Get directions →The biggest lot, and why that doesn't save you
NPS publishes it: 160 total spaces, 10 oversized, 8 ADA-designated (4 van-accessible). That's the most parking anywhere in Arches, and it's still the lot most likely to waste your morning — because of where it is and how long people stay.
Location. Devils Garden sits at the north end of the scenic drive, 18 miles from the entrance, a 40–45 minute drive from the visitor center. Every other lot in the park is something you pass on the way somewhere else. This one is a commitment. Arrive at 10am on a Saturday to a full lot and you have burned ninety minutes round trip.
Dwell time. The Windows turns over every 45 minutes because the walk is a mile. Devils Garden does not. Landscape Arch is 1.8 miles round trip, Double O is 4.0, and the full loop with the Primitive Trail is 7.9 miles and 3–5 hours. A car that parks at 8am may not move until 1pm. When the lot fills, it stays filled.
One genuine amenity: this is the rare Arches trailhead with drinking water, available spring through fall. Toilets are open year-round.
Match the hike to the parking reality
Most people at Devils Garden are doing Landscape Arch and turning around — 1.8 miles, 30–60 minutes, hard-packed and mostly accessible until the steeper section near the arch. If that's your plan, you need the lot for an hour, and midday in shoulder season is workable.
If you're doing Double O (4.0 miles, 2–3 hours) or the full 7.9-mile loop (3–5 hours), you need a space at dawn, full stop. NPS's warnings for the Primitive Trail are not boilerplate: narrow ledges, steep exposures, uneven surfaces, rock scrambling, not recommended when the rock is wet or icy, and 3+ quarts of water per person plus a headlamp for the full loop. Starting that at 11am because you couldn't park earlier is how the day goes wrong.
Dogs are prohibited on all of it; service animals only.
Plan B
There is no overflow lot — so the Plan B has to happen before you drive up here. NPS runs a live parking status and a busy-times prediction for the Devils Garden lot on its parking page. Check it at the visitor center, not at mile 17.
If you're already at the north end and the lot is full, the useful fallbacks are close: the Devils Garden Campground day-use picnic area just south of the campground entrance, and the Sand Dune Arch / Broken Arch trailhead a few miles back — a short, sandy, shaded walk that's genuinely good and that almost nobody plans for. Skyline Arch is a five-minute stop with its own small pullout.
The real answer is 7am or 4pm. Devils Garden is the best sunrise destination in Arches: the drive is long enough that arriving at first light means an empty lot and Landscape Arch to yourself. Late afternoon works too, but only for the short hike — do not start a 7.9-mile loop at 5pm.
And if you're towing anything: 10 oversized spaces. NPS says outright to leave RVs and trailers in Moab or at the visitor center.
Frequently asked questions
How many parking spaces are at Devils Garden in Arches?
160 total spaces, including 10 oversized spaces and 8 ADA-designated spaces (4 of them van-accessible), per the National Park Service. It is the largest parking lot in Arches National Park.
What time should you arrive at Devils Garden to get parking?
Before 7:30 am in summer — NPS states many trailhead lots fill by that time — and ideally at first light. Devils Garden turns over slowly because the hikes are long, so a lot that fills at 7:30 can stay full into the afternoon. Late afternoon after 4 pm is the other good window.
How far is Devils Garden from the Arches entrance?
18 miles (28 km), at the north end of the park road. Allow 40 to 45 minutes of driving each way from the Arches Visitor Center. There is no overflow parking at the end of the road, so check the NPS live parking status before making the drive.
What trails start at the Devils Garden trailhead?
Landscape Arch is 1.8 miles round trip on a hard-packed, mostly accessible trail. Double O Arch is 4.0 miles round trip and strenuous, with narrow ledges and drop-offs. The entire Devils Garden loop including the Primitive Trail is 7.9 miles round trip and takes 3 to 5 hours.
Is there water at the Devils Garden trailhead?
Yes, seasonally. NPS lists drinking water as available spring through fall at Devils Garden, and toilets open year-round. It is one of the few trailheads in Arches with water — Wolfe Ranch and The Windows have none.
Facts on this page last verified July 21, 2026. Fees, hours, and access rules change seasonally — confirm with the official source before a long drive.