Park Avenue Trail in Arches National Park

This is a fun and easy walk, it is a perfect introduction to Arches National Park for families and beginner hikers, the Park Avenue trail gets you quickly immersed among the high red rock features of what Utah and this national park are all about.

Someone noticed a similarity between these high sandstone spires and the famous skyscrapers along New York City’s Park Avenue, and the name stuck.

This is one of the first major pullovers in the park so many people stop to admire the view down the ‘avenue’, a few people will venture down the trail a short bit and come back.

The real fun is heading down the entire trail and experiencing an easy downhill walk through the high rock walls rising up on both sides of you and seeing all the named rock formations like Nefertiti or the Twinkie.

You can do this as a two-mile out-and-back trail or if you have the means, leave a car at the Courthouse Towers parking lot at the other end of the trail and do the hike one way.

Getting to the Park Avenue Trail Heads

Just three miles into the park on the Arches Scenic Drive Road you come to the Park Avenue parking area on the left, continuing 1.5 miles will take you to the Courthouse Towers parking lot.

Parking

Park Avenue parking lot (upper trailhead) ( 38.624431, -109.599582 )

Courthouse Towers parking lot (lower trailhead) ( 38.636956, -109.600087)

Notes

No dogs, national park
There is a trailhead at both ends of the hike so you can do it from either end
If you have another car you can leave one at either end and do it as a one-way hike
Starting it from the Park Avenue official parking lot means you are mostly walking downhill to the Courthouse Towers parking lot

Distance

2 miles total out and back, 300 feet of elevation gain

Route

From the Park Avenue trailhead, the trail starts out as a concrete path leading to a scenic overlook, from here you can see the well-defined trail heading down through the scenic junipers and cactus.

Just follow the trail, sometimes it disappears on the slickrock, but look for well-placed rock cairns. The trail is mostly gently downhill going in this direction.

Nefertiti to the left and the Twinkie standing up by itself to the right

Nefertiti looks more like herself if you photograph her while standing farther to the left

The Three Gossips are 350 feet tall

The Monolith at the exit

Sheep Rock looks exactly like a sleeping sheep

Not sure if this is a named feature but I think it looks a bit like a Moai from Easter Island, look for it up high on the left as you’re about 2/3rds of the way through the trail

In the evening the sunset makes great shadows along the walls of Park Avenue

Explore Nearby...

Hikes...

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Secret Spire

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Dellenbaugh Tunnel

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Moki Mesa

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Seven Mile Canyon (South Fork)

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Moab Maiden – Hike

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Courthouse Wash (Lower Canyon) – Hike

An easy hike that takes you from the bridge in Moab into Arches National Park through a low canyon with water

Mill Creek North Fork – Hike

A local swimming hole, with a waterfall, two arches, and an amazing amount of rock art

Seven Mile Canyon ( Lower ) – Hike

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Hidden Valley – Hike

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The Owl Panel – Hike

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Arches National Park...

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Skyline Arch

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Tapestry Arch & Broken Arch

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Guide for the Devil’s Garden

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Windows section of arches national park 11

How to photograph Turret Arch through the North Window at sunrise

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Tower Arch Hike

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Willow Springs Road

Willow Springs Road is a backdoor road into Arches National Park that avoids the toll gate, and reservation system

Park Avenue – hike

This is a fun and easy hike and is a great introduction to hiking in Arches National Park for beginners, the trail gets you quickly immersed among the high red rock features of what Utah and the park is all about.

Windows Section of Arches National Park

The Windows and Double Arch are the main attraction, but you can see The Parade of Elephants, Turret Arch, Cove Arch, Ribbon Arch, Elephant Butte, and the Cove of Caves also.

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Dinosaur Stomping Grounds – Hike

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Scenic Drives...

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