UT · Southwest · 2026 exact answer
Main paved park road open at Arches: what applies in 2026?
Direct answer
Main paved park road open; unpaved roads may need 4WD
Exact conditions
- Status
- Not required; the stated access rule still applies
- Applies to
- vehicles
- Place or corridor
- Arches Scenic Drive (main paved park road) and the park's unpaved roads including Salt Valley Road
- Effective dates
- January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026
- Release model
- first come
Release detail: No permit or reservation is required to drive any park road.
Fee detail: No fee beyond the entrance pass.
Exceptions and limits
- Unpaved roads may require 4WD or be impassable following summer storms.
- If trailhead parking lots are full, visitors are asked not to park on vegetation or block roadways.
Official source
National Park Service · reviewed August 27, 2026
The main (paved) park road is open. Unpaved roads may require 4WD or even be impassable following summer storms.
Alerts & Conditions - Arches National Park