Fiery Furnace Permits

Permits help ensure Fiery Furnace hikers can experience solitude and wilderness.

NPS photo / Neal Herbert

 

Currently, the Fiery Furnace area is open to self-guided exploration permits only. Self-guided Fiery Furnace Exploration Permits are offered on Recreation.gov (read below).

 

A different kind of hiking

The Fiery Furnace is a natural labyrinth of narrow passages between towering sandstone walls. To enter the Fiery Furnace, you must accompany a ranger-guided hike or obtain a Self-Guided Exploration permit before your visit.

Hiking in the Fiery Furnace is a different experience from other trails in the park. There are few trail markers, you may encounter dead ends, and it can be easy to get lost. There are small markers for one counter-clockwise route in the Fiery Furnace, but there are many other possible paths, and getting lost is a real possibility. GPS units do not work well due to the towering sandstone walls. Navigating its complex passages requires physical agility and careful observation. To protect the wildlife and plants that inhabit sand dunes and drainages between the rock walls, you will need to choose your steps wisely. We recommend first-time visitors to the Fiery Furnace join a ranger-guided tour or go with someone who has been before.

Read about other hiking opportunities in the park.

 

Fiery Furnace Permits

If you want to enter the Fiery Furnace on your own, you must obtain the permit in advance.

• You must reserve a Self-Guided Fiery Furnace Exploration Permit online from Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.
• Permits may be reserved up to seven days in advance and must be reserved at least two days prior to the trip date.
• Group size is limited to six people and children under age five are not allowed. Pets are prohibited.
• Fiery Furnace permits are valid for a specified date and for day-use only (sunrise to sunset).
• Permits reserved in advance must be picked up in person at Arches Visitor Center, ideally the afternoon before your hike. You can also pick up permits from 8:00am to 4:30pm on the day of your hike. All members of the hiking party must be present to watch a required educational video. Permits will not be issued within 30 minutes of visitor center closing.
• Self-Guided Fiery Furnace Exploration Permits are for private use only; commercial groups are not permitted in the Fiery Furnace. You can find trails approved for commercial use in the guided interpretive day hike conditions document: Read more about commercial use.

Permits frequently sell out quickly during the busy season.

Fiery Furnace Permit Fees

The cost of Self-Guided Fiery Furnace Exploration Permits are:

• $6 for hikers aged 13 and over
• $3 for hikers aged 5-12
• $3 for hikers with an Interagency Senior Pass or Interagency Access Pass

 

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  Fiery Furnace Permit Video

  Every visit to the Fiery Furnace is an opportunity to protect it. This video will show you how you can help. If you are getting a permit to visit the Fiery Furnace, you must watch this video at Arches Visitor Center.

  Duration:

  7 minutes, 47 seconds