The Windows Trail
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The sandstone around the window openings is uneven and drops off steeply on the back side — watch children closely near the edges, especially if they climb up into the arches.
Summer temperatures regularly push past 100 degrees with zero shade on the trail. Even on a one-mile hike, heat exhaustion is a real risk if you linger — carry water and wear a hat.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
Walk the primitive loop trail behind the Windows instead of backtracking the paved path — it adds maybe ten minutes, thins the crowd dramatically, and gives you the rear view of both arches that most visitors never see.
The parking lot fills by mid-morning in spring and fall, sometimes by 9 AM on peak weekends. Arrive before 8 AM or after 4 PM to avoid circling for a spot and sharing the arches with fifty other people.
For the signature photograph, shoot North Window from outside with someone standing in the opening for scale — it turns an arch into a portal. Late afternoon light paints the sandstone deep orange, but sunrise from the primitive loop side is the real secret, with the eastern light pouring straight through both windows.
