I still was able to catch the sunrise over the La Sal Mountains and check out some of the other sites on the way to the trailhead. I had no trouble getting parking and once I passed Landscape Arch, the crowds thinned considerably. I hiked the trail on October 18th starting a little before 8am. You’ll also enjoy cooler morning temperatures. The trailhead parking fills up, but if you get here early, you can catch the sun rising over the La Sal Mountains and beat the crowds to the trail. To hike the Devils Garden trail, you would be smart to start early. Spring and fall are ideal times to visit. This area gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
It takes about 30 minutes to reach from the park entrance, if you can manage the trip without stopping to gawk at the beautiful rock formations. It took me closer to 90 minutes, and it was worth every stop. There is one main road into Arches National Park, and the Devil’s Garden trailhead is all the way at the end of that road. Moab is about a ten hour drive from Los Angeles and it’s a gateway to both Arches and nearby Canyonlands National Park. The park has no food or lodging, but both are found in nearby Moab. Getting ThereĪrches National Park is located just west of Moab ( get directions via Google Maps) on the easter edge of Utah.
The full route with all the spurs clocks in at about nine miles, but you can modify this to do as much or as little as you would like.
Download GPX Hiking the Devil’s Garden Loop is a great way to escape the throngs and see nine aches, including the longest arch in the park.