February in Arches National Park is a shoulder month: highs around 52°F, lows around 28°F. Crowds: very quiet — #10 busiest of the park's 12 months. Cold, empty and clear — the park to yourself if you dress for it. The editorial best window here is April–May & September–October. You get about 10h 47m of daylight. To finish Devils Garden Trail (full loop) (2h 45m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 3:09 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Shoulder Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 52° high / 28° low |
| Crowds | very quiet · #10 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What February is like | Cold, empty and clear — the park to yourself if you dress for it |
| Best window (whole year) | April–May & September–October |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | Apr–May, Sep–Oct |
CROWDS: RELATIVE SEASONALITY FROM NPS VISITATION STATISTICS · TEMPS: APPROXIMATE NOAA NORMALS AT MAIN VISITOR ELEVATION — HIGH COUNTRY RUNS 10–20°F COLDER
DAYLIGHT ON FEBRUARY 15 · LOCAL PARK TIME (MST)COMPUTED FROM THE PARK'S OWN COORDINATES FOR THE 15TH — THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH STANDS FOR IT, AS IT DOES FOR CLIMATE NORMALS. WITHIN A MONTH THESE TIMES SHIFT BY UP TO AN HOUR
LEAVE THE TRAILHEAD BY — TO FINISH BEFORE DARK ON FEBRUARY 15WALKING TIMES ESTIMATED FROM EACH TRAIL'S MEASURED DISTANCE AND ELEVATION GAIN — A PLANNING FIGURE, NOT A PACE. ADD YOUR OWN MARGIN FOR PHOTOS, REST AND CROWDS. WATER AT THE COOL-WEATHER RATE, BECAUSE THIS MONTH AVERAGES 52°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT FEBRUARY ASKS OF YOU HEREArches National Park in March — Good, highs around 64°F, crowds: busy (visitation turns extremely high from march; easter week is a peak).
Our verdict for February is "Shoulder". Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. Expect highs around 52°F and lows around 28°F, with crowds at the "very quiet" level. Temperatures are approximate NOAA normals at the main visitor elevation; crowd levels follow published NPS visitation statistics.
Across the full 12-month review, the best window is April–May & September–October, and the peak-crowd months are Apr–May, Sep–Oct. February itself we rate "Shoulder".
March we rate "Good" against "Shoulder" for February, with highs around 64°F and crowds at the "busy" level.
About 10h 47m on February 15: the sun rises around 7:09 AM and sets around 5:56 PM local park time (MST). Computed from the park's own coordinates, so it is the light you actually get at the trailhead, not the nearest city's.
Devils Garden Trail (full loop) takes about 2h 45m of walking, so on February 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 3:09 PM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 5:56 PM local park time (MST). Walking times are estimated from each trail's measured distance and elevation gain, so treat them as a planning figure and add your own margin for photos, rest and crowds.
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