March in Arches National Park is a good month: highs around 64°F, lows around 35°F. Crowds: busy — #5 busiest of the park's 12 months. Visitation turns extremely high from March; Easter week is a peak. The editorial best window here is April–May & September–October. You get about 11h 56m of daylight. To finish Devils Garden Trail (full loop) (2h 45m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 4:38 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Good A solid visit with a caveat — usually crowds or heat. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 64° high / 35° low |
| Crowds | busy · #5 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What March is like | Visitation turns extremely high from March; Easter week is a peak |
| 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 MARCH 15 · LOCAL PARK TIME (MDT)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 MARCH 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 64°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT MARCH ASKS OF YOU HEREArches National Park in April — Best window, highs around 71°F, crowds: peak crowds (prime desert hiking weather — and full parking lots by mid-morning).
Our verdict for March is "Good". A solid visit with a caveat — usually crowds or heat. Expect highs around 64°F and lows around 35°F, with crowds at the "busy" 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. March itself we rate "Good".
April we rate "Best window" against "Good" for March, with highs around 71°F and crowds at the "peak crowds" level.
About 11h 56m on March 15: the sun rises around 7:29 AM and sets around 7:25 PM local park time (MDT). 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 March 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 4:38 PM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 7:25 PM local park time (MDT). 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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