Double O Arch in Arches National Park

Double O Arch, Arches National Park, Utah | Filip Fuxa

Double O Arch is one of the most rewarding destinations in Arches National Park, but reaching it requires far more effort than visiting many of the park’s famous roadside formations. Hidden deep within Devils Garden, the unusual sandstone feature consists of two openings stacked within the same fin, creating the distinctive double-ring appearance that gives the arch its name.

The hike to Double O Arch is approximately 4 miles round trip, but mileage alone seriously understates the experience. Beyond Landscape Arch, the maintained easy trail gives way to steep sandstone slabs, narrow fins, rocky ledges, exposed drop-offs, and sections where hikers need to use both hands and feet to scramble. The National Park Service rates the route strenuous.

For hikers comfortable with heights and uneven terrain, that difficulty is a major part of the appeal. The route travels across the tops and sides of enormous sandstone fins, providing some of the broadest views in the Devils Garden area. Short side trails lead to Partition Arch and Navajo Arch, while hikers reaching Double O can continue farther to Dark Angel or return by the much more challenging Primitive Trail.

Double O is therefore more than another arch to add to a checklist. The journey provides one of the best opportunities in Arches National Park to experience the sandstone-fin landscape from within and above it.

⚡ Double O Arch Fast Facts

Feature	Details
Location	Devils Garden
Trail distance	About 4 miles round trip
Hiking time	About 2–3 hours
Difficulty	Strenuous
Elevation change	About 275 feet
Terrain	Sandstone slabs, fins, rock ledges and sand
Major hazard	Narrow ledges with steep drop-offs
Scrambling	Required
Main landmark before Double O	Landscape Arch
Optional side trips	Partition Arch and Navajo Arch
Extension	Dark Angel
Alternative return	Primitive Trail
Water recommendation	At least 2 liters per person
Pets	Not permitted
Wheelchair accessible	No beyond Landscape Arch
Best seasons	Spring and fall
Summer concern	Extreme heat
Winter concern	Snow and ice on slickrock
2026 timed-entry reservation	Not required for park entry

⭕ What Is Double O Arch?

Double O Arch contains two natural openings within the same sandstone fin.

The larger opening sits above a much smaller opening near ground level. Seen together, the pair resembles two stacked letter Os, giving the formation its memorable name.

Depending on where you stand, the two openings may initially appear less obvious than expected.

Move around the area and the relationship becomes much clearer.

Like many formations in Devils Garden, Double O is especially interesting because the surrounding fin remains a major part of the landscape. The arch has not eroded into an isolated freestanding monument. Instead, its openings remain embedded within a larger wall of sandstone.

📍 Where Is Double O Arch?

Double O Arch is located deep within Devils Garden, near the northern end of Arches National Park.

Devils Garden lies at the end of the main paved park road, approximately 18 miles north of the visitor center.

The drive from the visitor center generally takes around 45 minutes without significant traffic or sightseeing stops.

From the Devils Garden Trailhead, hikers first travel toward Landscape Arch and then continue onto the much more difficult trail leading across sandstone fins toward Double O.

No special vehicle is required to reach the trailhead under normal conditions.

The challenge begins after you start walking.

🚗 Parking at Devils Garden

Devils Garden is one of the most popular areas in Arches National Park.

The trailhead parking area is relatively large, but it can still fill during busy spring and fall days, holiday weekends, and pleasant summer mornings.

Arriving early provides several advantages.

Parking is easier, temperatures are cooler, and hikers have more time to deal with the slower terrain beyond Landscape Arch.

If the lot is full, do not park on vegetation, block traffic, or create a roadside parking space.

The desert ecosystem surrounding developed areas remains fragile even when hundreds of other visitors are nearby.

🥾 The Hike Begins Easily

The first portion of Devils Garden Trail can create a misleading impression of what lies ahead.

From the trailhead to Landscape Arch, the route is relatively easy.

A broad path winds through towering sandstone fins and rolling terrain.

Optional side trails lead toward Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch.

The walk to Landscape Arch is approximately 1.9 miles round trip if that is your only destination.

For many visitors, Landscape Arch is an ideal turnaround point.

For Double O hikers, it marks the end of the easy part.

🌉 Landscape Arch

Landscape Arch is one of the most extraordinary formations in Arches National Park.

Its light opening extends more than 300 feet, yet the narrowest portion of the sandstone span is only about six feet thick.

The arch appears almost impossibly delicate.

Large pieces of sandstone fell from Landscape Arch during the 1990s, demonstrating that the formation continues to change.

The area directly beneath it is closed because further rockfall is possible.

Double O hikers pass the Landscape Arch viewpoint before continuing into considerably more difficult terrain.

⚠️ The Trail Changes Dramatically

Beyond Landscape Arch, the route becomes strenuous almost immediately.

Instead of continuing along a broad sandy trail, hikers begin climbing steeply onto sandstone fins.

Rock slabs replace much of the ordinary walking surface.

Ledges narrow.

Drop-offs become increasingly noticeable.

Hands become useful for balance and scrambling.

This change is abrupt enough that hikers should make an honest assessment at Landscape Arch before continuing.

If the easy first section already feels tiring, the route ahead will not become easier.

🧗 The First Major Sandstone Climb

One of the first major challenges beyond Landscape Arch is a steep climb onto a broad sandstone fin.

The rock can look intimidating from below.

When dry, sandstone often provides surprisingly good traction, but the slope remains steep enough that many hikers use their hands.

Descending the same section can feel harder because the open terrain below becomes more visible.

Move slowly.

Do not rush because other hikers are waiting.

There is usually room for people to negotiate the obstacle safely if everyone remains patient.

🪨 What Is Slickrock?

Utah hikers frequently use the term slickrock for broad surfaces of exposed sandstone.

The name originated partly from early travelers whose horses struggled on smooth rock surfaces.

For modern hiking shoes, dry sandstone can actually provide excellent friction.

The situation changes completely when the rock becomes wet, snowy, or icy.

A sandstone slab that feels secure on a dry afternoon can become extremely hazardous after precipitation or freezing temperatures.

This matters greatly on the Double O route because several sections involve sloping rock near significant drop-offs.

🌄 Walking Along the Fins

The sandstone-fin sections are among the most memorable parts of the hike.

Rather than remaining on the desert floor, the trail climbs high onto long, narrow rock formations.

Views open in multiple directions.

Rows of parallel fins stretch across Devils Garden, with distant mesas, desert terrain, and mountains beyond.

The experience feels very different from hiking toward a single arch along a canyon floor.

You are traveling across the geological framework from which arches eventually form.

😬 Exposure and Heights

Hikers uncomfortable with heights should think carefully before continuing beyond Landscape Arch.

Some sections of the Double O route follow narrow sandstone fins or ledges with steep drop-offs nearby.

The terrain is not technical climbing, and thousands of visitors complete the hike successfully, but there are places where a fall could cause serious injury.

Avoid looking through a phone while moving across exposed sections.

Stop in a secure location before taking photographs.

Give oncoming hikers enough room to pass.

Most importantly, do not allow pressure from other people to make you move faster than feels safe.

🪟 Partition Arch

A short spur trail between Landscape Arch and Double O leads toward Partition Arch.

The formation contains two openings within the sandstone.

The larger opening acts almost like a giant window looking across the desert beyond.

Partition Arch is worth the detour not simply because it adds another arch to the hike, but because the view through the opening is excellent.

The elevated location provides a natural frame around the landscape.

For many hikers, Partition Arch becomes one of the unexpected highlights of Devils Garden.

🌑 Navajo Arch

The same side-trail area provides access to Navajo Arch.

Its character is almost the opposite of Partition Arch.

Navajo Arch creates a sheltered, enclosed sandstone passage where walls curve around a relatively shaded interior.

After hiking across open, sun-exposed slickrock, the cooler environment can feel dramatically different.

Visiting both arches adds roughly 0.8 mile to the overall outing.

If weather and energy levels are good, the detour is worthwhile.

↗️ Continuing Toward Double O

After returning to the main trail, hikers continue across fins and increasingly open terrain.

The trail remains marked, but the surface frequently looks less like a conventional path.

Cairns help indicate the route over bare sandstone.

Pay attention to them.

Do not create your own cairns, move existing markers, or follow random rock piles that may have been built by visitors.

False cairns can lead hikers away from the correct route and into dangerous terrain.

🧭 Pay Attention on the Return

A trail can look surprisingly different when traveled in the opposite direction.

This is especially true across broad slickrock where there is no dirt path worn into the ground.

While hiking toward Double O, occasionally look behind you.

Notice important intersections and unusual rock shapes.

That habit makes the return easier, particularly late in the day when shadows and lighting have changed.

The standard route is popular and marked, but hikers still need to pay attention.

⭕ Reaching Double O Arch

Double O appears within a substantial sandstone fin.

The larger upper opening immediately draws attention, while the smaller opening near the ground creates the second O.

The surrounding area provides room to rest, eat a snack, and study the formation from different angles.

After the exposed trail, reaching Double O feels like a genuine destination.

Do not immediately turn around.

Walk enough to see how the two openings align.

Look back toward the fins crossed during the hike.

The arch itself is impressive, but the surrounding Devils Garden landscape is equally important.

🪨 How Did Double O Arch Form?

Double O began as part of a large sandstone fin.

Long fractures divided the sandstone into narrow walls.

Water entered weaker sections within those walls.

Weathering loosened individual sand grains and enlarged existing cracks.

Freeze-thaw cycles helped break apart weakened rock.

Gravity removed unstable sections.

Eventually openings developed within the fin.

As those openings enlarged, the formation evolved into the natural arch seen today.

Because two significant openings developed within the same fin, the result became Double O.

🧂 Why Are There So Many Fins Here?

The fin landscape of Devils Garden is connected to much deeper geological processes.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, enormous deposits of salt accumulated beneath this region.

Younger sediments later buried the salt beneath thick layers of rock.

Under pressure, salt can move and deform.

That movement bent and fractured the rock above.

Parallel fractures developed in sandstone.

Water and weathering gradually widened those cracks until long isolated walls—fins—remained.

Devils Garden contains an extraordinary concentration of these fins.

💧 Water Creates Arches

Wind may be the most visually obvious force in a desert, but water does much of the important geological work.

Rainwater enters cracks in sandstone.

Water weakens some of the mineral cement holding sand grains together.

Freezing temperatures expand water inside fractures.

Runoff carries loose material away.

Gravity removes unsupported blocks.

Given enough time, a crack can become an opening.

The opening can enlarge into an arch.

Eventually the arch itself becomes too thin or unstable to remain standing.

⏳ Double O Will Not Last Forever

Every natural arch has a beginning and an end.

Double O is no exception.

Weathering continues enlarging fractures.

Small pieces of sandstone continue falling.

The openings will continue changing.

Eventually a major section will collapse.

That may happen thousands of years from now or geological change may occur sooner than anyone expects.

Arches National Park has documented significant collapses within recent history, including Wall Arch in Devils Garden in 2008.

The landscape is active even when it appears perfectly still.

🗿 Dark Angel

Hikers with additional time can continue beyond Double O Arch toward Dark Angel.

The short out-and-back spur adds approximately 0.8 mile round trip.

Dark Angel is not an arch.

It is a tall freestanding sandstone spire visible in the distance from around Double O.

The formation’s dark appearance from certain angles contributed to its name.

Walking to Dark Angel takes hikers deeper into Devils Garden and provides additional views across the surrounding wilderness.

🌄 Is Dark Angel Worth the Extra Distance?

If you have already reached Double O and still have energy, the extension is relatively modest compared with the distance you have already traveled.

The trail becomes less crowded than the route closer to Landscape Arch, and Dark Angel provides a different geological feature from the numerous arches encountered earlier.

The main reasons to skip it are time, heat, weather, or fatigue.

Remember that reaching Double O represents only half of an out-and-back hike.

Save enough energy and water for the return.

🔄 Returning the Same Way

The simplest return from Double O is to retrace the main trail.

For most visitors, this is the better option.

You already know the terrain.

The route is more obvious than the Primitive Trail.

You also get another chance to visit Partition or Navajo Arch if you skipped them earlier.

Descending the steep sandstone sections can still be challenging.

Move carefully and resist the temptation to hurry simply because the trailhead feels close.

🧭 The Primitive Trail Option

Experienced hikers can return using the Primitive Trail instead.

This 2.1-mile one-way route reconnects with the main Devils Garden system farther south and creates a larger loop.

It is considerably more difficult than the standard Double O trail.

NPS describes the Primitive Trail as the most difficult portion of the Devils Garden system.

Expect challenging route-finding, steep slopes, scrambling, narrow drop-offs, loose sand, and a pool that may contain water.

This should not be treated as an easier alternative to retracing your steps.

⚠️ Primitive Means Primitive

The word primitive is meaningful here.

Trail markings are limited.

Terrain is rugged.

Obstacles vary according to weather and recent conditions.

Some sections require hikers to scramble over or around sandstone formations.

The water-filled pool can become an awkward obstacle depending on its depth.

Hikers uncomfortable with exposure or uncertain navigation should return via the main Double O route.

There is no prize for choosing the harder option.

🌧️ Avoid the Primitive Trail When Wet

NPS specifically advises against using the Primitive Trail when sandstone is wet or icy.

The same caution is sensible for exposed sections of the standard Double O route.

Rain changes the character of slickrock.

Snow and ice make the problem far worse.

If weather deteriorates, choose the safest available return rather than insisting on completing a planned loop.

🏹 Private Arch

A side trail from the Primitive Trail leads to Private Arch.

The spur adds approximately half a mile round trip.

Because reaching this area requires traveling deep into Devils Garden, Private Arch receives fewer casual visitors than Landscape Arch or the formations near the trailhead.

It makes a rewarding addition for experienced hikers completing the full route, provided weather, daylight, water, and energy remain adequate.

🥾 How Difficult Is Double O Arch?

NPS rates the hike strenuous.

The approximately four-mile distance may sound modest to experienced hikers, but the route includes steep climbs, exposed sandstone, rock steps, narrow ledges, scrambling, and uneven footing.

People accustomed to four-mile neighborhood walks should not assume those experiences are comparable.

Upper-body balance matters.

Confidence on rock matters.

Footwear matters.

Heat also changes the difficulty substantially.

A pleasant spring morning and a 100°F July afternoon can make the same trail feel like two completely different hikes.

⏱️ How Long Does It Take?

Allow approximately two to three hours for an out-and-back hike to Double O without extensive side trips.

Photographers and hikers visiting Partition and Navajo arches may need longer.

Adding Dark Angel increases both mileage and time.

Returning via the Primitive Trail can turn the trip into a half-day outing.

There is little benefit in rushing.

Devils Garden rewards stopping to look at the fins, arches, desert vegetation, and distant landscape.

💧 How Much Water?

NPS recommends carrying at least two quarts, or about two liters, of water per person for the hike to Double O Arch.

Hot weather may require considerably more.

There is no natural source of safe drinking water along the trail.

Start hydrated.

Drink regularly rather than waiting until you feel severely thirsty.

Carry salty snacks or other food if you expect to spend several hours hiking.

The dry desert air can make fluid loss surprisingly easy to underestimate.

☀️ Summer Heat

Summer temperatures in Arches National Park regularly exceed 100°F.

The Double O route contains long exposed sections with little dependable shade.

Sandstone absorbs and radiates heat.

The scrambling sections also require more physical effort than ordinary walking.

During very hot weather, begin around sunrise.

Avoid strenuous hiking during the hottest part of the afternoon.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are far more serious hazards than missing an arch.

🧢 Sun Protection

Wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat.

Lightweight long sleeves can provide additional protection.

UV exposure is intense in the high desert even when the air temperature feels comfortable.

Wind can create another deceptive situation by cooling the skin while sunlight remains strong.

Sunburn and dehydration often occur together because both result from underestimating environmental exposure.

⛈️ Thunderstorms and Lightning

Summer thunderstorms can develop rapidly.

The elevated sandstone fins that make the Double O route spectacular are poor places to be during lightning.

If threatening weather develops, do not continue onto exposed high terrain simply because Double O seems close.

Turn around when safe to do so.

Heavy rain can also make sandstone slippery and fill low drainages.

Check the forecast before beginning the hike and continue monitoring the sky.

🌬️ Strong Wind

Strong desert wind deserves attention on exposed fins.

A gust that would be inconvenient on a broad trail can affect balance significantly when hikers are crossing a narrow sandstone ridge.

Secure hats and loose equipment.

Move cautiously when conditions are windy.

If gusts become strong enough to make balance uncertain, retreat rather than continuing onto more exposed sections.

🌸 Spring

Spring is one of the best times to hike to Double O.

Daytime temperatures are generally comfortable and desert vegetation may be flowering.

The major drawback is crowding.

Devils Garden is extremely popular, and parking can fill during peak hours.

Arrive early.

Spring can also bring strong winds and sudden cold fronts, so carry a layer even when Moab feels warm.

🍂 Fall

Fall provides another excellent hiking season.

September afternoons can remain very hot, but conditions usually become increasingly pleasant through October.

Cool mornings are particularly good for climbing exposed slickrock.

Parking remains competitive because fall is one of Moab’s busiest travel seasons.

Begin early for both temperature and crowd advantages.

❄️ Winter

Winter can turn Devils Garden into a striking red-and-white landscape.

Snow highlights fins and arches while crowds become much smaller.

It can also make the Double O trail dangerous.

Ice on sloping sandstone is difficult to negotiate safely.

Shaded areas may remain frozen long after sunlit sections have melted.

Traction devices may help on some portions, but they do not remove the risks of exposed icy slickrock.

Turning around at Landscape Arch is often the wiser choice after storms.

👟 What Shoes Should You Wear?

Wear hiking shoes or trail-running shoes with excellent traction.

Avoid open-toed sandals, high heels, or shoes with smooth soles.

Much of the route beyond Landscape Arch involves direct contact with sandstone.

Loose sand may cover rock surfaces and reduce traction unexpectedly.

Footwear should also remain secure while scrambling.

If your shoes are already sliding around on the easy portion of the trail, reconsider continuing onto the exposed fins.

🎒 What to Bring

Carry at least two liters of water per person, snacks, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and a small backpack.

A headlamp belongs in the pack even if you expect to return well before dark.

Bring an extra layer during cool weather.

A simple first-aid kit is useful.

Trekking poles may help on sandy sections but can become cumbersome during scrambling, so use collapsible poles that can be attached securely to a pack.

Keep your hands free for difficult sections.

🌱 Protect Biological Soil Crust

The dark, rough material covering portions of the desert ground may be biological soil crust.

This living community includes cyanobacteria, lichens, mosses, fungi, algae, and other organisms.

It stabilizes desert soil, retains moisture, reduces erosion, and helps plants survive.

It can take decades to recover from a single footprint.

Follow established trails and cairned routes.

When traveling over open terrain, use durable surfaces such as bare sandstone rather than stepping across undisturbed soil.

🚫 Don’t Build Cairns

Official cairns help mark sections of trail across bare sandstone.

Do not move them.

Do not build additional cairns.

A visitor-created pile of stones may seem harmless, but other hikers can mistake it for an official trail marker and follow it toward unsafe terrain.

False cairns also alter the natural environment.

Navigation markers should be left to park staff.

🚫 Don’t Walk on Arches

Walking or climbing on natural arches is prohibited in Arches National Park.

Double O is a destination to observe and explore from legal ground-level routes, not a structure to climb onto.

The sandstone is continually weathering and may contain weaknesses invisible from the surface.

Respect closures, signs, and regulations even when a route onto an arch looks physically possible.

🐕 Are Dogs Allowed?

No.

Pets are not allowed on Devils Garden hiking trails, including the route to Double O Arch.

Dogs are permitted only in certain developed areas of Arches National Park when properly leashed.

Never leave a pet in a parked vehicle during warm weather.

Interior vehicle temperatures can become lethal very quickly in the Utah desert.

♿ Accessibility

The route to Double O Arch is not wheelchair accessible.

The easier Landscape Arch portion of Devils Garden uses a much more developed surface, but beyond Landscape Arch the route becomes steep, rocky, exposed, and highly uneven.

Hikers must negotiate rock steps, sandstone slabs, scrambling, and drop-offs.

Visitors seeking a more accessible major arch should consider locations such as Double Arch in the Windows Section, where the approach is much shorter and more developed.

👨‍👩‍👧 Is Double O Good for Kids?

It depends heavily on the child.

Older children and teenagers with hiking and scrambling experience may consider Double O one of the most exciting hikes in the park.

Young children, impulsive hikers, or anyone uncomfortable near drop-offs may struggle with the exposed fin sections.

Parents should assess balance, judgment, endurance, and ability to follow instructions rather than relying on age alone.

Landscape Arch provides an outstanding family destination if continuing farther does not feel appropriate.

😟 Who Should Turn Around at Landscape Arch?

Consider ending the hike at Landscape Arch if you have:

A strong fear of heights
Significant balance or mobility limitations
Footwear with poor traction
Young children uncomfortable with scrambling
Insufficient water
Signs of heat exhaustion or unusual fatigue
Approaching thunderstorms
Wet, snowy, or icy trail conditions

Turning around is a hiking decision, not a failure.

Landscape Arch is already one of the great destinations in Arches National Park.

📷 Photographing Double O Arch

Double O Arch can be photographed from several useful angles.

Wide-angle lenses work well when standing relatively close because the surrounding sandstone fin occupies a large portion of the scene.

Move around enough to make both openings visible.

A person near the base can provide scale.

The route itself also offers outstanding photography.

Elevated sandstone fins create broad views that may be more dramatic than the arch itself.

🌅 Early Morning Photography

NPS includes Double O among locations particularly suitable for early-morning photography.

Morning also provides practical advantages.

Temperatures are cooler.

Parking is easier.

The trail is quieter.

Light and shadow emphasize the shapes of fins without the harsh heat of midday.

For summer hikes, an early start is strongly preferable even if photography is not a priority.

🌇 Late Afternoon

Late-afternoon sandstone can glow beautifully, but hikers need to think about the return.

The route contains enough scrambling and exposed terrain that descending unfamiliar fins in darkness is not ideal.

If visiting late, carry a headlamp and turn around with substantial daylight remaining.

Sunset photographs are not worth rushing across exposed rock afterward.

🌌 Nightfall Comes Quickly

Devils Garden can become surprisingly dark once the sun disappears.

High fins block remaining twilight in some locations.

Route markers become much harder to identify.

Temperatures may also drop rapidly.

A headlamp is an important emergency item even on a hike planned for daylight.

Do not depend on a phone flashlight.

You may need both hands for scrambling.

🆚 Double O Arch vs. Double Arch

Despite their similar names, Double O Arch and Double Arch are completely different formations.

Double Arch is located in the Windows Section and can be reached by an easy 0.6-mile round-trip trail.

Double O Arch is deep within Devils Garden and requires a strenuous roughly four-mile hike involving exposed sandstone and scrambling.

Double Arch is named for its two enormous connected spans.

Double O is named for the two O-shaped openings stacked within its sandstone fin.

Do not confuse the two when planning.

🆚 Double O vs. Landscape Arch

Landscape Arch is easier to reach and much more famous.

It is also longer, with an opening exceeding 300 feet.

Double O requires significantly more effort but provides a more adventurous hiking experience.

If your priority is seeing a remarkable arch with minimal technical terrain, Landscape Arch is the better choice.

If your priority is combining arches with scrambling, exposed sandstone, and expansive views, continue to Double O.

🆚 Double O vs. Fiery Furnace

The Fiery Furnace provides an even more navigation-intensive experience.

Double O follows a marked trail system, although sections cross bare sandstone.

Fiery Furnace is a maze requiring a permit or ranger-led reservation, with route-finding, squeezing, scrambling, and dead-end passages forming much of the experience.

Both are excellent choices for adventurous hikers.

Double O is simpler logistically because no special permit is required beyond normal park entry.

🗓️ A Great Double O Hiking Plan

Arrive at Devils Garden early.

Take the short detours toward Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch if you have plenty of time.

Continue to Landscape Arch.

At Landscape Arch, reassess the group, weather, and water supply before committing to the difficult route.

Climb onto the sandstone fins and take the spur trails to Partition Arch and Navajo Arch.

Continue to Double O Arch and rest.

If everyone remains strong and weather is stable, add Dark Angel.

Most hikers should then return using the main trail.

Experienced groups wanting a longer and much more difficult adventure can use the Primitive Trail instead.

🗺️ Full Devils Garden Adventure

Hikers wanting to explore nearly everything in Devils Garden can combine Double O with the Primitive Trail and the various spur routes.

The complete trail system can reach approximately 7.9 miles when major side trips are included.

NPS recommends roughly three to five hours, though many visitors need longer.

The mileage does not capture the difficulty.

The Primitive Trail contains route-finding, steep slopes, water obstacles, scrambling, sand, and exposure.

Start early and carry at least three liters of water per person for the full adventure, particularly during warm conditions.

🚧 Current 2026 Planning Notes

Double O Arch remains part of the established Devils Garden trail system under normal current conditions.

For 2026, Arches National Park does not require an advance timed-entry reservation for general park entry.

Visitors may enter during normal operating hours, although heavy visitation can result in entrance lines, crowded trails, limited parking, and temporary vehicle diversions when parts of the park become too congested.

Devils Garden is particularly popular because it serves Landscape Arch, Double O, the Primitive Trail, Devils Garden Campground, and several additional arches.

Arriving early remains one of the best ways to avoid parking problems.

Special reservations are still required for Devils Garden Campground and Fiery Furnace activities, but no separate hiking permit is required for Double O Arch.

Always check current conditions before starting because rain, snow, ice, extreme heat, storms, or emergency closures can change trail safety.

⭐ Is Double O Arch Worth the Hike?

Yes, especially for hikers who want more adventure than the easier trails in Arches National Park provide.

Double O itself is distinctive, but the journey is what elevates this hike.

You begin on a broad developed path between sandstone fins.

You pass Landscape Arch, one of the longest natural arches on the continent.

Then the character of the trail changes.

You climb onto steep sandstone, move above the desert floor, cross narrow fins, pass exposed ledges, and look across an increasingly complex landscape of rock walls, towers, and distant desert.

Partition Arch provides a window onto the landscape.

Navajo Arch creates a sheltered sandstone chamber.

Double O waits farther beyond, its two openings still contained within a massive fin.

And if that is not enough, Dark Angel and the Primitive Trail continue the adventure.

The hike also provides one of the clearest demonstrations of how Arches National Park works geologically.

Those huge fins are not background scenery. They are the raw material from which arches form.

Water enters fractures.

Sandstone weakens.

Openings develop.

Some expand into arches.

Eventually every arch collapses and the fin becomes something else.

Double O represents one moment in that process.

Take your time reaching it.

Carry enough water.

Do not underestimate the exposure.

Turn around if the rock is wet or icy.

And when you reach the two openings, look beyond the arch itself.

The sandstone fins surrounding you are the real story of Devils Garden—and Double O is one of the best places in the park to experience them.