How to Get to Arches National Park (Road Trip Ideas + Closest Airports)

Arches National Park in Utah is a bucket list destination! Every year, 1.5 million visitors from across the world visit this amazing landscape. But, choosing how to get there can be a bit tricky.

There are 3 international airports: Salt Lake City, UT, Denver, CO, and Las Vegas Harry Reid, NV, that make sense for most travelers to fly into to visit Arches National Park due to how many airlines and direct flights they offer. There are 2 regional airports: Grand Junction, CO and Durango-La Plata County Airport, Durango, CO, and the very small Canyonlands Field Airport, Moab, UT that make sense for some travelers if they serve the city they are flying from.

Visitors should also consider if they are interested in visiting nearby sites and national parks. Travelers who fly into Salt Lake City, UT, have the option of visiting Utah’s other 4 national parks, travelers who fly into Las Vegas, NV have the option to visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and visitors coming from Denver can visit several cool Colorado mountain towns.

Lastly, the Amtrak Train offers trips to Arches National Park from several different cities.

I’m Cheryl and I live in Utah, just 4 hours from Arches National Park. My husband and I write guides to help people travel to the West and we’ve done each of the road trips listed above. Read on to learn which airport, train ride, and/or road trip is right for you!

Getting to Arches by Airplane

There are 6 airport options that make sense for travelers to use when visiting Arches National Park. There are 3 International airports: Salt Lake City International Airport (Salt Lake City, Utah), Denver International Airport (Denver, Colorado), and the Las Vegas Harry Reid International International Airport (Las Vegas, Nevada).

There are 3 smaller airports that make sense for SOME travelers: Canyonlands Field Airport (Moab, UT), Grand Junction Regional Airport (Grand Junction, Colorado), and Durango-La Plata County Airport, (Durango, Colorado). So few people use the Canyonlands airport that it’s hardly worth mentioning, but thought you may want to know about it.

Below, I’ve listed all the airports starting with the most popular ones and ending with the regional and local ones. The driving times are from the listed airport to Moab, UT, where most travelers stay when visiting Arches National Park.

1. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, Utah

• Distance/Drive Time: Approximately 239 miles / 3 hours and 48 minutes to 4 hours​.
• Directions: Start on I-80 E from the airport, then take I-15 S, US-6 E, and US-191 S which will directly take you to Moab.
• Direct Flight from 100 cities across the world. This is a big airport.
• Pros: More flight options and international connections, the option to hit Utah’s other national parks on the way there, and possibly cheaper flights.
• Cons: There are closer airports to fly into, but this is still a great pick.

Not only is this the closest international airport to Arches National Park, but Salt Lake City is the perfect jumping-off point to see all of Utah’s National Parks in 1 epic road trip.

2. Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado

• Distance/Drive Time: Approximately 376 miles / 5 hours and 46 minutes​.
• Direct Flights: see all domestic and international flights.
• Directions: Start by taking I-70 W through Colorado into Utah, then following US-191 S to Moab.
• Pros: High number of flight options, the option of a very cool Colorado road trip, and possibly cheaper flights.
• Cons: Long drive to the park.

Denver is a huge airport so a cheaper flight is a very real possibility. There are 2 great road trips you could take when flying into this airport- Rocky Mountain National Park and Colorado’s Mountain Towns or hitting Mesa Verda National Park and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

3. Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada

• Distance/Drive Time: Approximately 465 miles / 6 hours and 45 minutes​​.
• Direct flights from several cities. Read all about the American cities.
• Directions: From the airport, get on I-215 W, next, follow I-15 N and I-70 E to US-191 S. Take exit 182 from I-70 E. Then follow US-191 S to Moab.
• Pros: Vast number of flights and connections, the option to road trip to the Grand Canyon, and possibly cheaper flights
• Cons: Longest drive to the park among the airports listed.

Even though you are looking at a butt-kicker of a drive to Arches National Park, you start your trip in Las Vegas, NV! It’s like 2 trips in one. Plus you can turn this into an even longer road trip by taking a longer driving route and hitting Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon on the way.

4. Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT), Grand Junction, Colorado

• Distance/Drive Time: Approximately 114 miles / 1 hour and 44 minutes​​.
• Directions: From the airport, head south to connect with I-70 W. Follow I-70 W to US-191 S in Utah, then continue on US-191 S.
• Direct Flights from Dallas, Los Angeles, Orange County, Phoenix, Denver, San Francisco, and Las Vegas
• Pros: Direct flights from some major cities, relatively short drive, scenic routes with several attractions along the way​​.
• Cons: Prices may be more expensive

Grand Junction, CO has some great things to do nearby including Colorado National Monument and Palisade, CO, where you can get some yummy peach treats!

5. Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO), Durango, Colorado

• Distance/Drive Time: Approximately 177 miles / 3 hours​​.
• Direct Flights from Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, and Phoenix, with seasonal nonstop service available to Houston
• Directions: Start by heading north through Colorado on CO-172 N to US-160 W, then take CO-184 to US-491 and US-191 directly to Moab.
• Pros: Direct flights from a few cities, offers a scenic road trip option.
• Cons: Not as close as other airports, longer drive time.

Durango Colorado is a great place to visit. You may want to allow an extra couple of hours to ride the Silverton Railroad.

6. Canyonlands Field Airport (CNY), Moab, Utah

• Distance/Drive Time: Approximately 18 miles / 23 minutes​​.
• Directions: The drive doesn’t get any easier than this. Just drive south on US-191 S until you get to Moab.
• Direct Flights from Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City
• Pros: Closest airport, short drive to the park, offers scenic airplane and helicopter tours​.
• Cons: Limited flight options due to its smaller size and expensive.

We have helped thousands of people travel to Arches National Park and have never heard of anyone using this airport.

Getting to Arches National Park by Train

Did you know that the Amtrak Train also travels near Arches National Park? There are actually 12 different trips being offered that allow guests to see the incredible Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

The Amtrak station servicing Arches is in Green River, UT, about 45 minutes away from Arches.

Most of the trips depart from places in the West like San Francisco, CA or Denver, CO, but there are options as far East as Chicago, IL. You can check them out on the Amtrak website.

Road Trip Ideas

It is rare for travelers to come hundreds of miles to Arches National Park and turn around and go home. From my experience, I’ve seen people visit Arches National Park on one of three specific road trips.

Utah’s Mighty 5 National Park Road Trip

• Distance/Drive Time: Approximately 641 miles / 10 hours.
• Start: Salt Lake City, UT
• Days Needed: 6-10
• What You’ll See: Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks + the option to see other great state parks in Utah.

We did this exact road trip in 7 days. These are all red rock desert parks but they all offer something unique. You can watch our video that shows the whole adventure. Here’s what we did.

Day 1: Gunlock Falls, Gunlock State Park. Because Utah had a big winter that year, there were actually waterfalls cascading over the red rock.

Day 2: Zion National Park. There are 2-3 days worth of activities in Zion including Angels Landing and Narrows, but for this trip, we did the River Walk, Weeping Rock, and the Overlook Hike. Read more about how to visit Zion on our webpage.

Day 3: Bryce Canyon National Park. This park can take between 1-3 days to see but on this trip, we watched a sunrise, hiked into the amphitheater, and went to the viewpoints. Read more about how to visit Bryce Canyon on our webpage.

Day 4: Petrified Forest State Park, Devil’s Garden State Park, Anasazi State Park, Scenic Route 12, and sunset at Capitol Reef National Park.

Day 5: Capitol Reef National Park and Goblin Valley State Park. We love to spend 3 days exploring Capitol Reef but only had a day on this big road trip. We did the Grand Wash hike and got mixed berry pie at the Gifford House. Read more about how to visit Capitol Reef or Goblin Valley.

Day 6: Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point, drove the Shafer Trail, and hiked to Delicate Arch in Arches. Canyonlands is so big you could easily spend 1-3 days exploring it. Read more about how to visit Canyonlands National Park or Dead Horse State Park.

Day 7: Arches National Park. Hiked Devil’s Garden, went to Little Hollywood, and drove HWY 124. You can spend 1-3 days exploring the Arches and the city of Moab, UT. Read more about how to visit Arches.

Grand Canyon to Arches Road Trip

• Distance/Drive Time: Approximately 604 miles / 10 hours.
• Start/Finish: Las Vegas, NV
• Days Needed: 4-10 Days
• What You’ll See: Las Vegas, NV, South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, AZ, Arches National Park, UT.

What I love the most about this road trip is that you get big city lights and the excitement of Las Vegas, the breathtaking views of the Grand Canyon, the picturesque western scenery of Monument Valley, and then end in the playful arches of Arches National Park. We did the trip way too quickly and have visited each of these locations in more depth on other trips, but here’s what we did.

Day 1: Las Vegas, NV. There is lots to do in Las Vegas and you can easily check out this city in 1-3 days. On this trip, we only did one day. We walked along the strip checking out the gardens in the Wynn and the Bellagio (watched the water show too!), checked out the Museum of the Mob (interesting and terrifying!), and caught a show that night.

Day 2: Grand Canyon South Rim, AZ. Did a walking tour of the Grand Canyon Village, hiked down the South Kaibab Trail a bit, and watched the sunset. You can easily spend 1-3 days exploring the South Rim alone and even more if you visit the nearby, Page, AZ. Learn more about how to visit the Grand Canyon.

Day 3: Monument Valley, AZ. Did the Monument Valley Scenic Drive and then took a guided tour to learn more about the Navajo Nation. Monument Valley is a 1-2 day stop. You can watch our video, What We Wish We Knew Before Visiting Monument Valley.

Day 4: Arches National Park, Utah. To be honest, on this trip, we actually hung out in Moab, UT and went on a Jeep Ride. You can watch our video about riding Hell’s Revenge here and read about more things to do in Moab.

Rockies To Red Rock

• Distance/Drive Time: Approximately 476 miles / 8 hours, 45 minutes.
• Start: Denver, CO
• Days Needed: 6-13 Days
• What You’ll See: Rocky Mountain National Park, Breckenridge, Vail, Aspen (optional- not on the map), Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, and Arches.

We did this exact road trip except starting from Utah! We actually didn’t stop at Arches National Park but it would have been easy to. We spent 10 days total and we loved mixing the red rock of Utah with the towering mountains of Colorado. Plus, mixing touristy towns with national parks is a great way to add variety. Watch our Colorado Road Trip.

Day 1: Arches National Park, UT. You could try the Fiery Furnace- a unique area filled with mini arches, bridges, and hoo-doos where the whole purpose is to explore and get lost! We have done this in the past and it is a great activity for families.​

Day 2: Glenwood Springs, CO. Soaked in the 130-year-old Glenwood Hot Springs. We loved Shoshone Springs, the mix between a lazy river and a water slide.

Day 3: Glenwood Springs, CO. Played at the adventure park on top of a mountain: Glenwood Springs Caverns! Ended the day laughing at the witty and hilarious Glenwood Vaudeville Review.

Day 5: Aspen, CO. Maroon Bells, John Denver Sanctuary, and drove Independence Pass. It was a day of seeing beautiful things. Read more about our itinerary for the day in Aspen.

6: Leadville and Frisco, CO. Today was the day of adventure. We ziplined, walked along the Mineral Belt Trail, and rented canoes at Dillon Reservoir.

Day 7: Vail, Breckenridge, and Georgetown, CO. Explored the beautiful Betty Ford Gardens, visited Izak Heartstone, one of Thomas Dambo’s many trolls, and rode the Georgetown Railroad!

Day 8: Estes Park, CO. Drove the highest paved road in America, Mt. Blue Sky, did the Peak to Peak drive, rode a cool carousel in Neder, and then explored Elk Horn Ave in Estes Park. Read about things to do in Estes Park.

Day 9: Rocky Mountain National Park, CO. 5 Lakes Hike at the Bear Lake Corridor and then toured the haunted and historic Stanley Hotel! Read about how to visit Rocky Mountain National Park.

Day 10: Rocky Mountain National Park, CO. Drove the amazing Trail Ridge Road and went horseback riding.

Day 11: Rocky Mountain National Park, CO. Drove the Old Fall River Road, checked out the Holzwarth Historic Site, and spent the night in Grand Lake.

Whether you are flying, riding a train, or going on a big western road trip, Arches National Parks and the surrounding areas always deliver! Hopefully, you now have a good idea of how you want to arrive at Arches National Park and have a few ideas of things you can do along the way.

Are You Ready to Take a Road Trip?

Planning your road trip shouldn’t be stressful. We have a step-by-step itinerary for most of these National Parks so you can visit the best places at the right times and still avoid the crowds once you get there.

Let us help you plan your visit to Rocky Mountain National Park, all the Utah Parks, the Grand Canyon, and we even have a Colorado Road Trip Guide where we have planned the entire road trip for you. Many of these also come with a free audioguide where we tell you all about the park while you drive!

Stop planning and start having the vacation of your dreams now!