Can you do this?
The Fiery Furnace — what it takes
The Fiery Furnace is a knot of narrow fin passages where the way through is never obvious and old footprints mislead. There is no marked route inside — you read the rock, squeeze through gaps, and back out the way you came if the way forward closes. It suits confident route-finders comfortable with scrambling and a little exposure; it is a poor fit for anyone wanting a clear path or hiking with small kids.
- Distance 2 mi
- Time 2–3 hr inside
- Permit Required (tour or permit)
- Season Spring & fall best; summer brutal
You can't just walk in. Entry requires either a ranger-led tour ticket or a self-guided exploration permit — both released through recreation.gov on a timed window, both capped daily, and both gone days ahead in peak season. First-timers are steered to the ranger tour. Settle the entry before anything else, then plan around the heat: the fins trap it.
The route, in order
How the route runs
Each stop below is a real place on the park's map — walked in sequence, with how long you spend at each.
- Fiery Furnace 2–3 hr
The labyrinth
There is no marked route inside — you navigate the fins by sight, squeezing through gaps and reading the rock. Go slow, keep your group together, and turn back the way you came in if the way forward closes out.
Before you can go
Permit & logistics
Entry requires a ranger-tour ticket or a self-guided exploration permit (both via recreation.gov, daily limited). [VERIFY: current release window, daily quotas, the ranger-tour schedule, and fees against NPS Arches before publishing.]
Plan B
If conditions turn
A multi-day route has more ways to go wrong than a dayhike. Here is what forecloses it — and your move when it does.
- Summer heat
The fins trap heat; midday from June through August is dangerous, with little shade and no water inside.
Instead: Book the earliest morning entry, or shift the trip to spring or fall.
- No permit available
Self-guided permits and tour tickets sell out days ahead in peak season.
Instead: Take the ranger-led tour if the self-guided permit is gone, or hike the open Devils Garden fins instead — no permit there.
Make it happen
Reserve your spot
The route is decided. The only thing between you and the trail is the permit — settle it now, while it's fresh.
Save on Entry
One pass covers Arches — and every other US national park.
The America the Beautiful annual pass pays for itself in two or three park visits. Free entry, free passenger fees, and no more fumbling for a credit card at the kiosk.
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