Double O Arch Trail

The Double O Arch in Arches National Park is part of a sandstone complex that features many of the park's most notable arches. Though relatively short on its own, the labyrinth of trails in the area lead to a diversity of sandstone arches, all of which are part of the Devils Garden, and must be considered collectively as a required stop while visiting Arches National Park.

The trail begins from Devils Garden Trailhead, which is located at the north end of Arches Scenic Drive.  One of the more difficult trails in the park, the trail to Double O Arch is primitive, traversing narrow ledges with steep drop-offs and requiring rock scrambling at points. Cairns along the trail help to guide the way, but without care it's easy to lose the trail.

At the beginning of the hike, pass through dramatic sandstone fins before the trail opens up to great views of the surrounding area. In about 0.8 mile arrive at Landscape Arch, which many use as the turnaround point on this trail. It's well worth continuing for a more demanding hike.

The trail is gravel and sand up to this point, but it becomes rock shortly after passing Landscape Arch. In another 0.25 mile, approach what looks like a dead end; instead, ascend large rock slabs to continue on the trail. The majority of the trail beyond is composed of sandstone slabs to hike and climb over, and some parts are very narrow.

A spur trail leads to Navajo Arch and Partition Arch. The arches are in the same general direction, but the spur trail does fork into two different directions for each arch. They are both very short, and this will only add about 0.5 miles to the hike. Once back on the main trail, the next main attraction is Black Arch Overlook, which offers spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. This is a great place to take a break and have a snack. From the Overlook, it isn't much farther to the final destination of Double O Arch. Over the last 0.1 mile, the trail becomes sand on the approach to the arch—this indicates how close the arch is.

This is a breathtaking hike that is well worth the time and effort. As long as you're comfortable navigating primitive trails and following cairns, you'll have nothing to worry about on this trail. The rock scrambling and narrow ledges aren't too intimidating and add to the fun. If you'll be doing this hike in the summer, get an early start to avoid the hottest part of the day.