Hiking the Sand Dune Arch Trail in Arches National Park
Distance: 0.3 miles / 0.5 km
The Sand Dune Arch Trail is one of the best effort-to-reward hikes in Arches National Park!
By this, I mean that the Sand Dune Arch is one of the most uniquely beautiful arches within the park, and the hike requires such little effort to enjoy this natural wonder!
Furthermore, the Sand Dune Arch is my personal favorite arch within the park, and it’s one that I think makes for a great place to sit back, relax, and, most of all, spend some time on the soft sand and out of the sun during the hot summer months!
Sand Dune Arch Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Sand Dune Arch Trail is located in a small parking lot directly off of Arches National Park Road. In my experience, the lot can fill up during the peak hours of the day.
That being said, the Broken Arch Trail (mentioned below) and the Sand Dune Arch Trail are commonly hiked as one longer day hike. I say this because if this is something that you were considering, parking at the Broken Arch Trailhead will almost always be easier if the parking at the Sand Dune Arch Trailhead is too difficult to come by.
Google Maps Directions: Sand Dune Arch Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Arches
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Arches National Park.
Hiking the Sand Dune Arch Trail
At only 0.3 miles (0.5 km) roundtrip, the Sand Dune Arch Trail is tied for being the shortest hike in Arches National Park.
However, the Sand Dune Arch Trail is often combined with the Broken Arch Trail via the Broken Arch Connector Trail to make one longer adventure, measuring about 3.0 miles (4.8 km) roundtrip.
Sand Dune-Broken Arch Connector Junction
After just 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the Sand Dune Arch Trail splits with the Broken Arch Connector Trail, which is the reason why both trails are often hiked as one, beginning from either trailhead.
In any case, go right to continue toward the Sand Dune Arch, located shortly ahead.
Read My Separate Post: Broken Arch Trail
Sand Dune Arch
According to various sources, the Sand Dune Arch is roughly 15 ft. (4.6 m) tall and 30 ft. (9.1 m) wide, but it’s truly the fine, soft orange sand found throughout that makes the Sand Dune Arch so uniquely beautiful and different from the rest!
Sand Dune-Broken Arch Connector Junction
Once back at the Broken Arch Connector Trail, you can either go right to hike the 0.3-mile (0.5 km) Connector Trail over to the Broken Arch Trail, or go left to hike back to the Sand Dune Arch Trailhead.
What I can say is that the best parts of the Broken Arch Trail are closest to the far side of the loop, where the Connector Trail ties in. This means that if you were to hike from the Broken Arch Trailhead, you wouldn’t be as close to the best parts of the loop as the Connector Trail gets you.
Read My Separate Post: Broken Arch Trail
Broken Arch Trail
Overall, the Broken Arch Trail is a 2.1-mile (3.4 km) loop that features two different arches along the loop, as well as a narrow passage through some of Arches’ beautiful sandstone fins, which I personally think is one of the best parts of the trail.
That being said, the fins are located just a short walk to the left of this junction, and the Broken Arch is just 0.25 miles (0.4 km) to the right of this junction. This is why I said previously that the best parts of the entire loop are located closest to where the Connector Trail meets with the Broken Arch Trail.
Read My Separate Post: Broken Arch Trail
