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Arches National Park in 4 Seasons – Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

Arches National Park in 4 Seasons - Arches National Park Weather

The weather at Arches National Park does not shift as much as at parks in the more northern areas of the country, but the seasonal changes do become part of the experience for Utah visitors. Naturally, the heat in the parks farther north is less intense than in Arches during the hottest part of summer, from early July through mid-August. On the other hand, in winter, Utah’s gorgeous Arches park is not as cold as the parks farther north. So, what’s the best time of year to visit Arches National Park in Utah?

What Are the Best Months to Visit Arches National Park?

One of the most gorgeous seasons for visiting Utah and the Arches park is the fall, from around late September through November. The extreme heat of summer is over and there’s a crispness in the cooler air and that fresh, invigorating feeling of fall as you stand among the more than 2,000 majestic arches of the world-famous park.

How Is Arches National Park in the Winter?

There’s that incomparable feeling of knowing you’re experiencing one of life’s incredible moments being in Arches park during winter. That’s partly because there’s a sense of nearly having the park to yourself. There are not nearly as many visitors from December through February. But, there are fewer daylight hours in winter, and you do need to be careful walking in some areas that can become icy. Still, basking in the serenity of the quiet, nearly-empty park in winter is well worth watching out for some ice.

How Is Arches National Park in the Spring?

Spring is just a beautiful time to visit the park. The weather is mild. You can comfortably take your time outdoors. Light jackets are optional; lots of people are already in shorts. Just watch out for sudden quick-moving storms that can pass through and cause the temperatures to drop briefly. Be prepared with an insulated rain jacket in your day pack. Overall, it’s hard to beat the once-in-a-lifetime experience of standing before the great sandstone Arches of southern Utah with the cool spring breeze on your face. For those looking for a thrilling adventure while in the area, consider hiring a Moab climbing guide. Although these guided trips will be outside of the parks, they explore less traveled areas that still flaunt Southern Utah’s unique beauty.

How Is Arches National Park in the Summer?

The summer months are the hottest of the year, and it’s when the 119 square mile park has the most visitors. The red rock facings absorb heat from the sun, and together with the dry air of southern Utah, on many days it can be an especially hot experience. It’s fair to say that it’s potentially hazardous to the health of people who forget to hydrate frequently. Southern Utah visitors need to stay aware of the outdoor temperatures in summer to avoid a potentially severe reaction to the heat. Many travelers turn to the Colorado River to beat the Southern Utah heat. Guided Fisher Towers rafting trips depart less than 20 minutes from Arches National Park.

How Is Arches National Park in the Fall?

Probably the most irresistible season to spend some quality time in Arches park is in the fall. From about late September through November, the rough summer heat is just a memory. Just as the temperatures have fallen to consistently refreshing and comfortable levels, the daily population of park visitors has also fallen dramatically from just a few weeks earlier on the hotter late summer days. It’s that pretty perfect time of year when you can feel the greatest freedom to wander through the park in blissful focus on whatever comes to mind during an ideal experience walking in wonder below the incomparable 65 million-year-old Arches. Rest assured, you won’t run out of activities to choose from while visiting Southern Utah’s parks in the Fall. One of the most popular activities in the area for those ages 8 is Moab canyoneering.

Arches National Park Weather

Southeast Utah is in the high desert region of the west-southwest United States. Temperatures change as much as 40 degrees in a day here sometimes! So, a good rule of thumb is to check Arches National Park weather by month to see the actual predicted conditions for the weeks in which you want to visit.

In summer, temperatures are frequently above 100° F, which can make it dangerous to hike much or do other strenuous outdoor activities in the area. It’s monsoon season, which means sudden raging storms move through virtually every day, sometimes bringing flash flooding.

Winter high temperatures average 30° to 50° F, and lows are from about 0° to 20° F. There are rarely major snowfalls in the vicinity of the park, but icy roads can become inaccessible. It can be a great time to visit Arches for people who don’t mind the cold, but take precautions while driving and walking.

The most comfortable weather months at Arches park are in the fall, from September to early November. Average temperatures range from around 60° to 80°F with nightly lows from about 30° to 50° F.

Average fall temperatures, mid-September through October, range from average highs of 60º to 80º F and lows from 30º to 50º F. Those temperatures, along with the waning guest traffic, make fall the ideal season of the year to visit the spectacular Arches National Park, Utah.

Red River Adventures

A raft floats down the river near arches national park

Red River Adventures’ shop is located less than 15 minutes from the Arches National Park Visitors Center. Since getting our start in 2003, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming more than 100,000 guests and spending over 110,000 days immersed in the great outdoors! We’re thrilled to have earned 5-star ratings on various online review platforms, a testament to our pride and dedication. We are here to provide you and your family with Moab and Southern Utah’s most exciting and fun guided wilderness adventures. Whether you choose a Moab rafting trip, a Moab canyoneering tour or you choose to spend the day with one of our awesome Moab climbing guides, you’re in good hands. Red River Adventures is in the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame.

For your guided adventures in amazing Utah, call us at (435) 259-4046, or contact us here online anytime.

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The River People
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We strive to ensure that time spent with us is time that you will always look back on fondly. We want to leave you with a memories that bring a smile to your face no matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, and no matter how much time has passed. In addition to a deep reservoir of personal experience, our rafting guides are licensed by the state of Utah, have Wilderness First Responder and/or First Aid/CPR certifications, and are insured. Many guides also have swiftwater rescue training. Our climbing and canyoneering guides are AMGA-certified for the terrain in which they operate. Our skiing guides are certified for the terrain, and some are world-renowned for their experience. All of our guides are intimately acquainted with not only the river, rock and snow, but also with the incredible surroundings of the areas we guide.

River Rafting Reviews and Red River Adventure Testimonials!

Jason Kallas
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Jason Kallas
July 15, 2025

Our family had a great time canyoneering. We rappelled twice and hiked through some amazing landscapes. The biggest drop was Morning Glory at 120 ft. Nate, at Red River, was a terrific guide, made it fun and took good care of us. Our rappels are something we'll be talking about for years to come. If you're looking for a fun adventure in Moab, we'd highly recommend Red River Adventures.

Dianna MacPhee
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Dianna MacPhee
July 15, 2025

What a great time! Nate was amazing, encouraging, and professional. Loved every minute.

Hypnotlze
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Hypnotlze
July 15, 2025

Great trip. Great views. Great guide (Erin). Probably my favorite activity in Moab. A well-run outfit; book now!

Cathy Coulter
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Cathy Coulter
July 15, 2025

We had an awesome trip down the Colorado River. Red River adventures were great! The check in process was really easy and organized. Our tour guide was friendly and fun! We got to swim multiple times and even played some fun games on the tube. We just picked them out of the list of tours but so glad we did! I would highly recommend Red River Adventures.

Hayden Miller
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Hayden Miller
July 15, 2025

Guide was chill and shit. I had a good time.

Nathan Wolfe
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Nathan Wolfe
July 15, 2025

Jenna was an excellent river guide. Very friendly. We all enjoyed the casual vibe and conversation with her. Highly recommended!

Bryan Garbellano
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Bryan Garbellano
July 14, 2025

Had an amazing experience on the Colorado River with our Guide John. I highly recommend this experience, especially if it’s your first time to Moab.

Kelsie Foster
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Kelsie Foster
July 14, 2025

I did the Chamisa Canyon canyoneering trip with Nate this morning. He was knowledgeable, safe, fun, and has such a calming demeanor - Everything I was hoping in my guide while doing something that made me nervous! The trip was well worth it. Definitely challenging physically and mentally at times. There was some technical scrambling, different rope techniques for canyoneering, and then the 90ft rappel. Red River as a company was professional and had easeful operations. Highly recommend.

Rafael Vargas
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Rafael Vargas
July 14, 2025

It was very fun ran enjoyable thank you for the experience

CJ Artus
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CJ Artus
July 14, 2025

We had a great experience! Our guide Erin was amazing and her jokes were great!

Noah Sublette
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Noah Sublette
July 13, 2025

The staff at Red River were great! We took the half day trip and had a wonderful time. Our guide, Savannah, was personable and accommodated our group at every turn. We appreciated everyone involved with our experience, including Dave!

J.E. Hawk
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J.E. Hawk
July 13, 2025

Had a blast. Our guide John was a lot of fun. Will hit you up again our next trip to Moab.

michael richards
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michael richards
July 13, 2025

Staff was amazing, our personal guide Jenna was knowledgeable and told the best dad jokes... lol the whole experience was top notch! Thanks for a great day!

Kathy Stigall
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Kathy Stigall
July 12, 2025

We had an awesome time with Red River Rafting. Our guide, Sebastian, was fun and friendly and took great care of us. If you are looking for a rafting company in Moab, search no farther!

Lisa Hawk
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Lisa Hawk
July 12, 2025

Great rafting 1/2 day trip. All 3 guides were awesome. John was in charge of our raft and was funny, personable and skillful. Highly recommend booking with Red River.

Jennifer Thompson
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Jennifer Thompson
July 11, 2025

Everything about this organization gets an A+. From my first outreach where I was met with friendly communication and excellent customer service (this was not the case in all of my Moab excursion interactions), to every moment of the trip, this was an awesome experience. Nathan was a great guide. He was knowledgeable, pointing out things along the way to teach and inform. He was super friendly, offering to take photos of the group in great spots. And he was fun! The trails were beautiful. I felt safe in my rappelling. He even gave some town recommendations on the way back. Awesome experience. Can't recommend enough!

Jeff Smith
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Jeff Smith
July 11, 2025

My wife, daughter, and I had a great experience with our guide and our group. The half day morning trip was the perfect amount of time for us. The thrill of this experience is the beauty of the canyon, swimming in the Colorado, and meeting other travelers.

Ty S
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Ty S
July 11, 2025

We took two excursions with Red River Adventures. The Bow and Arrow canyoneering trip and the Fisher Towers full day rafting trip. Everything ran smoothly and the guides are awesome!! Highly recommend!!

Sarah Cantrell
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Sarah Cantrell
July 9, 2025

fun environment and loved the guides. Made it very fun

Dominique Grecian
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Dominique Grecian
July 8, 2025

Excellent day out with the family!

Mike Florczak
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Mike Florczak
July 7, 2025

Great driver, great guide who was super friendly, great explanations, swam in river, awesome time!

McKenzie Barnes Platt
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McKenzie Barnes Platt
July 7, 2025

Fun time with a great guide!

John Coleman
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John Coleman
July 6, 2025

Aaron our guide was great! The family loved our trip. So glad we did the full day vs the 1/2 day. (Tip- don’t call a raft trip that ends 2:30-3:00 a “full day” trip)

Trevor Massey
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Trevor Massey
July 6, 2025

Jenna was our guide and was wonderful. The trip was great, we moved a good pace and finished on time. The lunch was really nice and simple. Everyone one in my group thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Thank you.

Charles Songy
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Charles Songy
July 5, 2025

Good place to take a rafting trip with. All of the staff was very friendly and helpful. Our guide, John was great! Kept us going and also engaged us in conversation. Rapids were a little less strong, but that's nothing that they have control over. A great experience!

Courtney Bonthuis
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Courtney Bonthuis
July 5, 2025

What a great first experience white water rafting! Jenna was fantastic and the whole crew was funny yet professionals. Our three boys loved it and can’t wait to go again!

Michelle Hall
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Michelle Hall
July 5, 2025

Super friendly staff, our guide Savannah was kind and informative. Such a beautiful rafting journey! We were graced with a wonderful 4th of July experience, as Red River really knows how to do it right.

K 3102
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K 3102
July 5, 2025

The river was a bit mild that day. So we enjoyed the picturesque scenery as we padd)ed. It was a beautiful cloudy day so we saw many herons, 3 otters playing, 2 American bald eagles, and a family of mountain goats on the red rocks way above us. The guides were great... and funny! MKHtravel

Cathy Hollister
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Cathy Hollister
July 4, 2025

I have been whitewater rafting for 42 years. This river trip was wonderful! The rapids are very mild. The scenery is unsurpassed! 😍 I chose this full day float as a special way to experience the beautiful red rock, we spotted River Otters and Bighorn Sheep! The bus driver and guides were all fun and engaging, while totally professional. When I return to the area, I will do this again with Red River.

Morgan Turley
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Morgan Turley
July 3, 2025

Great experience! John was our guide and he was such chill dude. Seamless experience, would recommend!

Ethan Busch
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Ethan Busch
July 3, 2025

Really fun and the hosts were nice and very funny I’d recommend it

John Lucas
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John Lucas
July 3, 2025

Anna and the group of guides, fhe bus driver and everyone at Red River did a great job and I highly recommend Red River. We did the 6 hour trip with lunch and it was outstanding

Ronald Dunleavy
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Ronald Dunleavy
July 3, 2025

We did a half day Green River rafting adventure. Jenna was awesome! Trip was informative, entertaining and fun! Highly recommend! Red River Rocks!

Shane Donnelly
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Shane Donnelly
July 3, 2025

Our guide Emily was funny and awesome. Highly recommend booking with this company.

Sophie Squirrell
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Sophie Squirrell
July 1, 2025

I had a really wonderful time doing a half day rock climbing experience. Carl was an expert guide and explained everything really clearly as I was a beginner. I felt very safe and Carl was a great coach with made me get the most out of the experience. I will never forget the great view from the top. I would highly recommend using red river adventures

Suzie Simon
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Suzie Simon
July 1, 2025

Sam was a great guide!! Would definitely recommend. Would like to have more white water

Elizabeth Chingren NE-Omaha
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Elizabeth Chingren NE-Omaha
July 1, 2025

Our guide Nathan was great! He was so patient with the little boy in our group who was so scared on the big repel. We all made it out alive 😂 He pointed out interesting sites and taught us about the plants along the way.

Kendall Lyons
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Kendall Lyons
June 30, 2025

Awesome company and great river guides! Very satisfied with this company!

L M
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L M
June 30, 2025

Shout out to Sam! She was our guide for the afternoon and we had a blast! She was very professional and informative about the area as well as keeping us all safe. Thank you, Sam and Red River Adventures for a fun river experience. 😃🛶

Renee Anderley
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Renee Anderley
June 30, 2025

We did the Bow and Arrow Canyoneering trip. We had Nathan as our guide and the experience was fantastic. It was a highlight for my 3 teenagers.

Mark Loucks
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Mark Loucks
June 30, 2025

The family and I absolutely had a fabulous time. The folks at Red River Adventures are all friendly, witty, and fun. A big shout out to our guide Jena who made this a wonder morning float, very knowledgeable, professional and fun. we were in good hands. Would recommend Red River to anyone and would definitely do another adventure with them.

Trip Segars
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Trip Segars
June 29, 2025

A relaxing float down the river, with lots of in the water time. Our guide, Jon, made it really enjoyable.

Sean Miller
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Sean Miller
June 29, 2025

The guides were great, engaging, kind, and cute their presentations and directions. Loved our time with Genna, Savannah, Monarch Butterflies, and BIG HORN SHEEP!!

Kelly K
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Kelly K
June 29, 2025

Great staff! Fun, professional, informative. Safe transport. Great driver. Well maintained equipment. Fun experience!

Clare Ashford
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Clare Ashford
June 28, 2025

We had a wonderful time on the Colorado River! Our guides were knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Our 10 yr old loved it and said he can’t wait to go back. I would recommend this trip to any families visiting Moab!

Crystal Anderson
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Crystal Anderson
June 27, 2025

This trip was amazing and perfect for our first time river rafting! The guides and other staff were super helpful and pleasantly entertaining!! I would highly recommend Red River Adventures to all ages and am all-around super impressed!

Aris Burcham
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Aris Burcham
June 27, 2025

Sam is an amazing guide and I had a lovely time. Thanks so much for the great afternoon adventure!

Jeremy Lindgren
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Jeremy Lindgren
June 27, 2025

Emily was an amazing guide! Very knowledgeable and super fun! Would definitely recommend!!

Paul Larsen
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Paul Larsen
June 27, 2025

Great rafting trip! Guide was fantastic and knew a ton of interesting facts about the river, wildlife and things to see. Will be back for sure!

Jacque Lake
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Jacque Lake
June 26, 2025

Red river company was wonderful! Zero complaints and the guides were great but the actual route only hit level two and the rapids are far apart. Nothing the company could do to change that and all the team was excellent and respectful, kind, genuine and will make you laugh.