News Release

The Windows Section to Reopen, La Sal Mountain Viewpoint, Balanced Rock, Courthouse Towers Viewpoint, and Park Avenue Viewpoint and Trailhead to Close for Construction

Date: August 21, 2017
Contact: John Lewis, 435-719-2150

Note: Dates have changed. View updated news release.

The Windows Section of Arches National Park is scheduled to reopen at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, September 1. It has been closed several weeks due to construction work.

La Sal Mountains Viewpoint is scheduled to close for construction at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 27.

The Balanced Rock area, Courthouse Towers Viewpoint and Park Avenue Viewpoint and Trailhead in Arches National Park are scheduled to close at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 5.

Areas will be closed to all access and use to ensure visitors and worker safety.

La Sal Mountains Overlook is scheduled to reopen at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 12.

Balanced Rock, Courthouse Towers, and Park Avenue areas of the park are scheduled to reopen at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, September 29.

Work to replace the park’s main road is now scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday September 5.

Asphalt hauling in support of repaving the park’s main road in scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 10. During this phase of the construction project, as many as 10 to 12 asphalt haul trucks per hour will be travelling through Moab into the park between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights.

Given the many variables that can impact road projects of this type and scope, construction work dates are subject to change.

Devils Garden Campground remains closed through November 30, 2017.

The park’s visitor center hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through August 26, and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. starting August 27. Park rangers are presenting nightly evening programs at the visitor center at 7:00 p.m. through Saturday, August 26. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Evening program topic information can be obtained at the visitor center.

A reminder: Sunday through Thursday visitors must arrive at the park before 6:30 p.m. Visitors arriving after 6:30 p.m. on those days will not be able to travel past the visitor center.

All vehicles must be out of the closure area no later than 7:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday nights.

The park reopens at 7:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, and is open weekends from 7:00 a.m. Friday until 7:00 p.m. Sunday during this road construction project.

The park will be open with no road construction work on the following holiday weekends as well:

Labor Day: 7:00 a.m. Friday, September 1 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 5

Utah Education Association Weekend: 7:00 a.m. Thursday, October 19 to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, October 22 (NOTE: this is a change from the previous schedule).

Road work is resurfacing, restoring, and rehabilitating approximately 23 miles of roads and pullouts in Arches National Park along the entrance road (from US Highway 191 to the visitor center), main park road, the campground road, and other spur roads and loops. Road work is scheduled to last through November.

Limited daytime road closures may still occur even with nighttime work. Construction crews will use pilot cars and flaggers to control traffic during the day. When partial daytime road closures are in effect, crews will limit traffic delays to 30 minutes or less per work zone.

While construction crews will make every effort to minimize disruption to visitor daytime travel and activities during this project, visitors should expect frequent delays and closures.

The park will post road construction updates on its official website at as they become available. However, construction work schedules are subject to change.

Visitors to the Moab area can find a wide variety of spectacular scenery and hikes in other public lands around the region. Information about these other travel and hiking options can be found on the Moab Travel Council’s website: http://www.discovermoab.com/.

General information about Arches National Park can be found at www.nps.gov/arch or by calling 435-719-2299. Information about the other three national parks of the Southeast Utah Group may be obtained from each of their websites at:

Canyonlands National Park
Hovenweep National Monument
Natural Bridges National Monument