The Windows Section
The Windows loop has 92 spaces — the smallest of the three lots NPS publishes numbers for — and it is named as one of the lots “usually full for much of the day.” Twelve miles in from the entrance, roughly a 25–30 minute drive.
But this lot behaves differently from the other two, and that's the useful thing to know. The walk to North Window, South Window and Turret Arch is 1 mile round trip, 99 feet of gain, 30–60 minutes. People are in and out. Where Devils Garden ties up a space for four hours, The Windows recycles — which means midday, when Delicate Arch is hopeless, waiting five or ten minutes here usually works.
The facts
- Trail served
- The Windows and Turret Arch (1 mi round trip, 99 ft, easy); the primitive loop back behind the Windows; Double Arch (short, hard-packed, barrier-free) from the lower lot; views of Garden of Eden, Elephant Butte and the Parade of Elephants
- 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
- 92 total spaces, 4 oversized, 4 ADA-designated (2 van-accessible) — NPS published figure. Oversize parking is at the lower lot near Double Arch
- When it fills
- NPS names The Windows among lots "usually full for much of the day," with peak congestion 8am–3pm spring through fall. Because the hikes are under an hour, spaces free up continuously rather than staying locked
- Overflow option
- The lower Double Arch lot on the same loop is the practical second option. Otherwise Balanced Rock, a mile back at the junction, has its own small lot and a 0.3-mile loop
- Tow / citation risk
- No published towing policy. The loop is one-way and narrow — NPS asks visitors not to wait in roadways for spaces, and here that request has teeth: a stopped car blocks the loop
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Road to the lot
- Paved spur off the main park road, 12 miles from the entrance station; about 25–30 minutes from the visitor center. The section is a one-way loop with an upper and lower lot
- Busy season
- Year-round — this is the best cold-weather and bad-weather stop in Arches because the walks are short. Sunrise through the South Window is the classic photograph; midday is brutal in summer with no shade
Getting there
Get directions →Small lot, short trail — the math works out differently here
NPS lists 92 total spaces, 4 oversized, 4 ADA-designated (2 van-accessible) for The Windows Section, twelve miles in from the entrance. On paper that's the tightest of the three lots the park publishes numbers for — 41% smaller than Devils Garden.
In practice it's the easiest of the three to get into, because dwell time is what actually determines whether you park. The Windows and Turret Arch trail is 1 mile round trip with 99 feet of gain, rated easy, and NPS puts it at 30–60 minutes. Double Arch off the lower lot is shorter still. Nobody is here for four hours. Cars leave constantly.
So the honest read: the sign says full, and NPS's traffic page correctly warns that this lot is “usually full for much of the day.” But circle the one-way loop once, and something will open. This is the one lot in Arches where patience is a viable strategy instead of a fantasy.
Vault toilets are open year-round. There is no drinking water. Oversize vehicles go to the lower lot near Double Arch — and there are exactly four such spaces.
Midday, honestly
Between roughly 10am and 2pm, Arches sorts itself into two categories: places you cannot park and places you can. The Windows is reliably in the second category. Delicate Arch and Devils Garden are locked up by hikers on multi-hour trails; here, the crowd churns.
This is why The Windows is the right salvage plan for a badly timed arrival. You get North Window, South Window, Turret Arch and Double Arch — four of the park's most photographed formations — inside about two hours of easy walking, from one loop. NPS itself calls this concentration “the beating heart of Arches National Park.”
Accessibility is real here too, which is worth stating plainly: Double Arch Trail is hard-packed and described by NPS as barrier-free with accessible parking, though it has slopes and sandy patches. The first 300 feet of the Windows trail is flat and accessible; past that it becomes stone steps. If someone in your group can't do slickrock, this is the stop that works.
Plan B
First: the lower Double Arch lot. The Windows Section is a one-way loop with two parking areas, and people fixate on the upper one. The lower lot serves Double Arch and is where the oversize spaces are. Drive the loop before you conclude it's hopeless.
Second: Balanced Rock, a mile back at the junction with the main road. Small lot of its own, a 0.3-mile paved loop, and it's a legitimate destination rather than a consolation — about 15–20 minutes from the visitor center, so it's also the right stop if you're short on time entirely.
Third, and best: come at either end of the day. The South Window frames sunrise, and the Parade of Elephants at low light is the reason photographers set alarms. NPS's park-wide advice — enter before 8am or after 3pm — applies, and here the payoff is aesthetic as well as logistical.
Before you drive out, check the NPS live parking status for The Windows lot; it's one of only three lots in the park with a live feed and a busy-times prediction.
Frequently asked questions
How many parking spaces are at The Windows in Arches?
92 total spaces, including 4 oversized and 4 ADA-designated spaces (2 van-accessible), according to the National Park Service. Oversize parking is at the lower lot near Double Arch. It is the smallest of the three Arches lots with published capacities.
Is The Windows parking lot easier to get into than Delicate Arch?
Generally yes, despite being smaller. The Windows trail is only 1 mile round trip and takes 30 to 60 minutes, so cars cycle through constantly. Delicate Arch is a 3-mile hike and Devils Garden can be 7.9 miles, so those lots stay full for hours once they fill.
What can you see from The Windows parking lot?
North Window is visible directly from the parking area. A 1-mile round-trip trail with 99 feet of elevation gain reaches North Window, South Window and Turret Arch, and Double Arch is a short hard-packed walk from the lower lot. Garden of Eden, Elephant Butte and the Parade of Elephants are also in this section.
Is The Windows Section wheelchair accessible?
Partly. NPS describes the Double Arch Trail as barrier-free hard-packed surface with accessible parking, though it includes slopes and sandy sections. The first 300 feet of The Windows and Turret Arch trail is flat and accessible; beyond that it becomes stone steps and elevation change. There are 4 ADA-designated spaces in the lot.
Are there restrooms at The Windows in Arches?
Yes — vault/composting toilets, open year-round. There is no drinking water at the trailhead, so bring your own from Moab or the visitor center.
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.