Both Grand Canyon and Arches National Parks offer unique experiences, with the Grand Canyon providing more lodging and shuttle options, while Arches has stricter pet policies and requires timed-entry reservations during peak season. Both parks have excellent accessibility and stargazing opportunities, making them attractive destinations for a variety of visitors.
| Attribute | Grand Canyon National Park | Arches National Park |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility for visitors with disabilities | Grand Canyon National Park offers many accessible areas, including wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, gift shops, service stations, and lodging. A Scenic Drive Accessibility Permit grants access to restricted areas. All park shuttle buses are wheelchair accessible, but wheelchairs larger than 30x48 inches cannot be accommodated. The Rim Trail is partially wheelchair accessible, and the Trail of Time is fully accessible. The North Rim is less accessible than the South Rim. Assistance may be needed on rugged trails. Many Ranger Programs are wheelchair accessible. The Interagency Access Pass provides free lifetime access for individuals with disabilities. | Arches National Park has many areas accessible to people with physical or mobility concerns. The visitor center is fully accessible with accessible parking, restrooms, a lowered information desk, tactile exhibits, and captioned audiovisual materials. Accessible trails and viewpoints include Park Avenue Viewpoint, Balanced Rock Viewpoint, Delicate Arch Viewpoint, Wolfe Ranch Cabin/Rock Art Panel, Double Arch, and The Windows Section. Devils Garden Campground has two accessible campsites and accessible toilets. The amphitheater at Devils Garden Campground has a designated parking area and a paved sidewalk. The visitor center offers publications, exhibits, and captioned video programs for those who are deaf or have hearing loss. Audio recordings, tactile models, maps, and rock samples are available for people who are blind or have low vision. Large print and braille publications, as well as an audio version of the park brochure, are also available. Service animals are allowed on trails. |
| Availability of lodging inside the park | All hotels offer wheelchair-accessible rooms, bookable through the Grand Canyon National Park Lodges website. Yavapai Lodge has pet-friendly rooms for an added fee. Phantom Ranch reservations need to be made 15+ months in advance. | There is no lodging available inside Arches National Park. |
| Camping facilities and amenities | Mather Campground (South Rim) is open year-round with 327 sites, campfire rings, picnic tables, parking, flush toilets, and drinking water. Desert View Campground (South Rim) is open seasonally with picnic tables, campfire rings, flushing toilets, and sinks. North Rim Campground is open seasonally with required reservations. Trailer Village RV Park (South Rim) is open year-round with full hookups. Other options include Ten-X Campground, Grand Canyon Camper Village, DeMotte Campground, and Jacob Lake Campground. Mather and North Rim Campgrounds offer wheelchair-accessible sites but no hookups. | Devils Garden Campground is the only campground in Arches National Park. Campsites can be reserved between March 1 and October 31, up to 6 months in advance. From November to February, sites are first-come, first-served. Amenities include drinking water, picnic tables, grills, flush and pit-style toilets, campfire rings, paved roads and parking pads, a campground host on-site, and an amphitheater. Two ADA-accessible campsites are available. No RV hookups, dump station, or shower facilities are available. |
| Crowd levels during peak season | Peak season is between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with the longest wait times between 10 AM and 4 PM. Strategies to avoid crowds include visiting in spring, fall, or winter, heading to the North Rim, hiking, arriving early or late, enjoying the stars, packing a picnic, and visiting on weekdays. Parking lots near the visitor center may reach capacity by noon. | Arches National Park is very popular, leading to crowding, especially during peak season (March through October). From April 1 to July 6 and August 28 to October 31, timed-entry reservations are required for vehicles entering the park between 7 am and 4 pm. The park is most crowded between 10 am and 2 pm. Parking lots at popular trailheads like Devils Garden, Delicate Arch, and The Windows are usually full during the day. Strategies to avoid crowds include visiting early or late, visiting during the off-season, going during midweek, hiking more than 2 miles from any trailhead, and avoiding the busiest trails. |
| Hiking trail difficulty and variety | The Grand Canyon offers a variety of hiking trails with varying difficulty levels. The Rim Trail is relatively easy and wheelchair accessible. Bright Angel Trail is a popular trail to the Colorado River. South Kaibab Trail is steep and challenging. Grandview Trail is strenuous. North Kaibab Trail is the only maintained trail from the North Rim. Hermit Trail is less maintained. Trails range from easy to extremely strenuous, with elevation gains from 0 to 11,443 feet. | Arches National Park offers a range of hiking trails, from easy walks to more challenging treks. Popular trails include Delicate Arch Trail and Landscape Arch Trail. Less crowded trails include Sand Dune Arch Trail, Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint Trail, and Tower Arch Trail. |
| Junior Ranger program quality | The Junior Ranger program is engaging and educational for children, with awards for different age groups: Raven Award (ages 4-7), Coyote Award (ages 8-10), and Scorpion Award (ages 11 and up). Activities include drawing, observation, and ranger program attendance. Programs are available at both rims. The Grand Canyon Explorer Junior Ranger patch is earned by hiking or riding mules into the backcountry. | The Junior Ranger Program is designed to be fun and educational for children. Free activity booklets are available at the visitor center or online. By completing activities in the booklet, children can earn a Junior Ranger badge and signed certificate. |
| Permit requirements for backpacking | A backcountry permit is required for overnight camping outside designated campgrounds and on the North Rim between Oct 16 - May 14. The cost is $10 per permit plus a nightly charge of $15 per person for below rim areas and $4 per person for above rim areas. Permits can be purchased online up to four months in advance. The early access lottery system offers the best chance of securing a permit. | A permit is required for overnight backpacking in Arches National Park. Camping is allowed only in the four designated backpacking campsites. Backpacking permits are available in person only at the Backcountry Permit Office two miles south of Moab. Visitors can reserve a permit up to seven days before the trip start date. Permits cost $7 per person. Each permit is limited to seven people, three nights per campsite, for a total of seven nights. |
| Pet-friendliness and allowed areas | Leashed pets are allowed on trails above the rim, in Mather Campground, Desert View Campground, Trailer Village, and throughout developed areas. On the North Rim, pets are only allowed on the bridle trail and a portion of the Arizona Trail. Pets are not allowed below the rim, on park buses, or in most lodging. Yavapai Lodge has pet-friendly rooms. A kennel is available at the South Rim. Pets must be leashed and cleaned up after, and should not be left unattended. | Activities with pets are very limited in Arches National Park. Pets are allowed along established roads and in parking areas, and in established campgrounds and picnic areas. Pets are prohibited on any hiking trails or anywhere off-trail, at any overlooks, and in the visitor center or any building. Pets must be leashed at all times (leash no longer than 6 feet). Pet excrement must be collected and disposed of properly. Pets may not be left unattended, except in a paid-for campsite in the Devils Garden Campground. Service animals are allowed everywhere. |
| Ranger-led program offerings | Ranger programs cover geology, fossils, Native American cultures, and the park's flora and fauna. Programs are conducted throughout the park, including indoor presentations, guided hikes, and walks. Junior Ranger programs are offered in the summer. Night sky talks and geology talks/walks are also available. | Arches National Park rangers and volunteers offer a variety of interpretive programs, especially from spring through fall. Programs include the Junior Ranger Program, guided walks, evening programs at the Devils Garden Campground amphitheater, and Fiery Furnace hikes (reservations required). |
| Shuttle service availability and routes | Free shuttle buses operate on four routes on the South Rim: Hermits Rest Route, Village Route, Kaibab Rim Route, and Tusayan Route. A shuttle to the North Kaibab Trailhead is available from the Grand Canyon Lodge. All park shuttle buses are wheelchair accessible. Buses run frequently. The Trans-Canyon Shuttle runs between the North and South rims. Restrictions include no eating or open drink containers, but water bottles are permitted. No pets but service animals permitted. | There is no reliable and convenient shuttle service and routes. |
| Stargazing opportunities and dark sky rating | Grand Canyon National Park is designated as an International Dark Sky Park with minimal light pollution. The park has a Bortle class of 2-3. The Milky Way is visible on clear nights, along with meteors and the zodiacal light. Favorite stargazing spots include Mather Point, Moran Point, Lipan Point, Yavapai Point, and Cape Royal. | Arches National Park is a designated International Dark Sky Park, offering excellent stargazing opportunities. Many overlooks with open views of the sky offer great stargazing. Panorama Point or The Windows are recommended. Check at the visitor center for possible stargazing programs in summer. |
| Visitor center exhibits and information quality | The South Rim Visitor Center is fully wheelchair accessible. Visitor centers provide information on park ranger programs. Yavapai Geology Museum has a tactile map of the canyon. | The visitor center provides a range of information and exhibits about the park. Exhibits are structured to be accessible from a wheelchair. Rangers are available to answer questions and provide information. |