Hiking Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park, Utah

This has been on our list for years and we finally made the time, got the permit and with high expectations, we experienced this one of a kind hike! What we loved about this hike was that it was a create your own experience. No experience is the same. You are not here to hike from point A to point B, but explore a labyrinth of towering rock walls.

Getting a Permit for the Fiery Furnace Hike

The first step in being able to experience this hike is getting a permit. Only 75 people are allowed on the trail each day. During the peak season, this is a hard permit to get but by November it is a bit easier, even on the weekends. Do not be the person that doesn’t respect the process and thinks they can just do it without. There is a reason that this trail is permitted, especially in the summer.

You can get a permit up to 7 days before your desired date. For more information on the permit and to get it: CLICK HERE

Once you get your online confirmation, you have to go to the visitor center the day before or the day of to get the actual permit. You are also required to watch a video beforehand.

The main points of the video are 3 things:

Know where you can and cannot hike. Only hike along washes and on rock. Do not hike on the crust, sand dunes or vegetation. The crust seen throughout is vital to the vegetation and what little wildlife they have there. It can take decades for crust to heal itself.
Leave no Trace. This includes food scraps, trash and your poo. If you brought it in you bring it out.
Groups cannot combine during the hike and do not yell through the canyons. Not everyone wants to hear your voice and it is meant to be explored like you are the only ones there.

Getting to the Trailhead for the Fiery Furnace Hike

You still have to either pay at the entrance or show your America the Beautiful pass. Then after the visitor center, you head where everyone else does, up and into the park. It is about a 15-20 minute drive depending on how traffic is.

Parking at the Trailhead for the Fiery Furnace Hike

The Fiery Furnace has its own parking lot but there are people that still go to it to hike the lookout point. So if there are not spots just circle a couple times and someone is bound to leave.

Hiking Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park

There are two trailheads, so make sure you head to the one that is at the upper parking area. The lower is only to the observation deck.

It doesn’t look like much at first, but rest assured you are about to explore the best part of the park. You can go either clockwise or counter clockwise, which you kind of just end up going whichever way you can find. We thought we were going clockwise and ended up going counterclockwise. This is foreshadowing the rest of the hike as there is a lot of trail finding, which makes it quite fun!

This hike is labeled as a 2.3 mile loop that you can follow by finding arrows along the way. This is for the ranger guided tour, but some need it to keep on the loop. You still will do some trail finding even with the arrows, but it is almost like an easter egg hunt. It is also suggested to download the GPS from alltrails but I can tell you that it is good but not always helpful. Multiple people had downloaded it and still went off trail.

Sometimes the trail may be a little unconventional. So dont always look for footsteps or a single track trail. It could be between rocks!

We would be making our own trail and not entirely following the loop, but using it as a guide as to which way to go. If you decide to do this you will be experiencing everything this national park has to offer in one hike. On alltrails there are view points and places to take pictures but you will waste more of your time trying to keep up with it. This isn’t a hike where I can provide landmarks throughout the loop. You will miss something and see something that someone else didn’t get to. Like I said earlier it is a different hike for everyone!

The following is what you will be able to see and explore while hiking Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park!

Arches

Some of the most incredible arches that you will see. Some are too far to get to. Believe me, you are always looking for a way and some are low enough where you can crawl around them. In the video you watch at before heading to the hike will remind you to not walk on any arch.

This one might be a bit silly to post but it is all over the reviews and we didn’t even notice until after the picture! Can you see it?

Slot Canyons

We LOVE exploring slot canyons and this labyrinth has them everywhere and it is even part of the trail at some points. You will have to be comfortable in tight spaces and towering walls, with one way in and one way out.

They were everywhere, so if you need short ones to make you feel more comfortable if it is your first time experiencing a slot canyon, it has it.

I personally love when the rock walls almost seem endless and the colors are at their finest!

Rock Scrambling

To get some of the areas we explored you had to crawl under rocks. None of the areas were too long, so I didn’t get too nervous but it still was a bit nervy!

I am not great at rock climbing, especially when you have to come back down. So I try and find the path of least resistance.

Rock Formations

No matter where you are, you will have amazing landscapes and picture perfects spots. Deadends are beautiful. Again, you might try and find a way to get a little more adventurous but know your limits on the way back down! The craziest thing about this hike was hearing the birds fly through the canyons.

This was our absolute favorite hike in Arches National Park and even when the park is incredibly busy, this hike felt quiet and it definitely was not crowded. Throughout the hike you will probably encounter the same hikers, which is fun! They may point you towards something new or just help you find the exit!

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