The Windows at Arches

Where: Arches National Park
Trail: The Windows Trail & Double Arch

Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1 mile loop & 1/2 mile RT
Adventure Rating: 2 Stars
Pets: no


Note: I am a fan of going off-trail now and then, however, Arches National Park is one place you really need to stay on the trail or on rock. The desert floor is covered in microscopic cyanobacteria that "bind[s] together grains of sand, creating stable sites for algae, moss, and fungi to grow." Basically, that black crusty soil is alive and storing nutrients/water for the plant life. So, do NOT step on it.

Park in The Windows Section. We hiked to the North Window around to the South Window and finally around to the Turret Arch. It's an easy hike that can be made more fun by climbing on the rocks and boulders.

From the same parking lot, you can hike to the Double Arch. It's a short hike, but once you get to the arch, there is plenty of rock climbing/scrambling.