Reverse Arches National Park Self-Guided Audio Tour

Escape the crowds and discover Utah’s iconic Arches National Park on this flexible, self-guided audio tour. This self-guided audio driving tour—the "Reverse" route—takes you through the entire scenic drive in reverse order, putting you in prime position to beat the crowds while discovering iconic formations and hidden gems at your own pace. You’ll get early access to Delicate Arch and other highlights! Experience over 50 audio insights across 18 stops, including spectacular viewpoints like Park Avenue, Petrified Dunes, and Panorama Point; iconic formations such as Balanced Rock, Double Arch, and the famed Delicate Arch viewpoint; and hidden wonders like Pothole Arch and the tranquil Garden of Eden. *Download the Shaka Guide app to access the purchased tours*

1. 1

   Stop 1

   10 min

   The Visitor Center has necessities like water, snacks, and restrooms. This is a good place to fill up your water and purchase a few snacks. There is no other place in the park that sells food and the only other place that has drinking water is all the way at the end of the road at Devils Garden.

2. 2

   Stop 2

   5 min

   At the Moab Fault viewpoint, you can see the result of enormous pressure that separated the area of the viewpoint from the cliff wall on the other side of the canyon.

3. 3

   Petrified Dunes

   5 min

   This is a vast landscape of these sorts of lumpy rock formations. It may not look like it at first, but they are actually sand dunes, like on the Sahara. More specifically though, these are petrified sand dunes, meaning that the sand actually solidified into rock around 200 million years ago.

4. 4

   Delicate Arch

   1 hour

   This is probably the most famous Arch in Arches National Park. In fact, it’s on the Utah state license plate! While Delicate Arch is certainly not one of the tallest in the park, this iconic formation has a special charm that has attracted people from all over the world.

5. 5

   Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint

   15 min

   If you don’t have time or don’t have a reservation to make the three-mile hike to Delicate Arch, you can still see the arch from two viewpoints. The trail to the lower viewpoint is just a short 100-foot walk from the parking lot. The second trail is to the upper viewpoint, about a half-mile round trip.

6. 6

   Stop 6

   5 min

   The Salt Valley was once called the paradox formation because early geologists couldn’t determine how it was created. It’s a good thing you’ve got Shaka Guide to make everything clear.

7. 7

   Fiery Furnace

   1 hour

   This place got its name because the rocks here glow as if they're on fire when the sun is at the right angle. There is a permit-only hike through the Fiery Furnace but permits are limited and must be reserved online. We don’t recommend the hike on our tour due to its difficulty, but if you really want to hike it, you can make a reservation here.

8. 8

   Sand Dune Arch Trail

   1 hour

   Here you can walk a short distance to visit Sand Dune Arch, which includes a sort of sand pit that children of all ages like to play in. There’s a two-mile hike to Broken Arch and a rough road that will take you further to Tower Arch.

9. 9

   Skyline Arch

   20 min

   This large arch sits just above the horizon framing the sky as a wonderful window arch. No hiking is required, but if you want, just 10 minutes on foot will get you up close to the arch.

10. 10

    Stop 10

    1 hour

    At Devils Garden, miles of trail systems connect seven arches and numerous fins, spires, and other formations. We recommend you set aside some time to park here, walk around, and check out the arches. The hike is short - about two miles - and it's well worth it. You'll also find picnic tables and a restroom if you want to relax for a while. The most famous formation at the Devil's Garden Trail is definitely the Landscape Arch, the longest arch in North America.

11. 11

    Stop 11

    1 hour

    City folks say you get the same feeling standing among the rock formations in Park Avenue that you do standing next to the towering skyscrapers in New York City.

12. 12

    Stop 12

    5 min

    La Sal means the salt in Spanish. The mountains got their name in 1776 when Spanish explorers thought the snowy peaks looked like giant piles of salt. The highest peak, Mount Peale, is over 12,000 feet and around 3,600 meters high

13. 13

    Courthouse Towers

    5 min

    Here you’ll find a series of huge sandstone rock formations like the Three Gossips, The Organ, and Sheep Rock.

14. 14

    Balanced Rock Trail

    5 min

    Balanced Rock stands over 120 feet or 11 stories tall. This giant Hoodoo has a ball on top that appears to be perfectly balanced on the spire below.

15. 15

    Stop 15

    1 hour

    This area features more than 30 different magnificent arches including The Windows, Turret Arch, and Double Arch, which was featured in the opening scenes of Indian Jones and the Last Crusade.

16. 16

    Stop 16

    15 min

    The Garden of Eden is a great place to wander around. This is an open terrain dotted with fins, windows, and miniature arches, or even arches still being formed. There's no designated trail so be sure you watch your step for any biocrust. You can find the owl rock just a short distance from the parking lot.

17. 17

    Pothole Arch

    5 min

    The Pothole Arch is unlike the rest of the arches you’ll see on the tour because, while those arches are vertical, this arch is horizontal.

18. 18

    Stop 18

    5 min

    From this high vantage point, you can see for miles and miles in several directions. To the north is Devil's Garden and the Fiery Furnace. To the south, you can see Elephant Butte, the highest point in the park at 5,600 feet.

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Travelers must have a smartphone compatible with the Shaka Guide app.
• The app must be downloaded and the tour redeemed before arrival.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.