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Arches National Park, Utah

Looking for the best backpacking in Arches National Park? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Arches National Park. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

Top Backpacking Spots in and near Arches National Park

  • Moab, Utah

    Backpack the Lathrop Canyon Trail in Canyonlands

    18 mi / 2130 ft gain
    Access to this trailhead is a few miles south of the Islands in the Sky Visitor Center in Canyonlands National Park. An easy drive from Moab or Interstate 70. Remember to get permits and check in with the rangers if camping. If just doing a day hike then no permits are needed. REMINDER: There is ...
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  • Moab, Utah

    Syncline Loop in Canyonlands NP

    5.0
    7.87 mi / 1955 ft gain
    Be advised, the NPS signs and maps that warn of a very difficult hike ahead are not hyperbole, as I thought at first. This hike is a loop around the famous Upheaval Dome on an unmaintained trail that leads you down over 1500 feet into the canyon, close to the Green River, then climbs back up 1500...
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  • Monticello, Utah

    Backpack to Chesler Park, Canyonlands NP

    5.0
    13 mi / 600 ft gain
    The first draw of this adventure is the roadtrip to the trailhead itself. Set out pre-dawn from Moab, UT and head 77 miles south and west to the Needles District Visitors Centre on Utah 211. En route you'll pass Newspaper Rock, a treasured collection of pictographs well worth the detour if you're...
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  • Monticello, Utah

    Joint Trail in the Canyonlands Needles District

    5.0
    19.06 mi / 3028 ft gain
    A large part of the grandeur of Canyonlands National Park is the vast barren vista at Island in the Sky, but no visit to Canyonlands would be complete without the intimate and immersive desert experience that the Needles District offers. Drive two hours southwest of Moab away from cell phone rece...
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  • Fruita, Colorado

    Backpack in the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness

    4.2 mi / 1000 ft gain
    If you're looking to backpack outside of the highly publicized areas of Colorado (aka the Rockies), head out to Western CO for some amazing experiences. Located 4 hours west of Denver along I-70 is the McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA). Overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM...
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  • Green River, Utah

    Canyoneering the San Rafael Swell

    4.0
    The San Rafael Swell, is the home of many adventures! One of those adventures being canyoneering. There are many slot canyons of various skill levels that have been explored and descended. There are many other canyons that still have yet to be explored by man kind. The Swell is large and ungo...
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