Everything You Need to Know About Hiking the Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park, Utah

The Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park is a maze-like area of tightly concentrated fins, formations and canyons that offer up one of the most wild-feeling experiences you can have within Arches National Park. This area only sees a small number of people each day, thanks to the NPS, seriously – they limit numbers daily, and allows you to feel like you have an exciting portion of this park to explore carved out just for you.

Complete Gear List I Recommend for the Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park

Before I get to all the things to know, these are the things I recommend having before this hike. These items are all things I personally used while hiking the Fiery Furnace.

FOOTWEAR: I know specify footwear in a whole entire section below, but just to keep this a concise list, I highly recommend these Merrell mid-hiking boots. If you’re looking for socks, I love these Merrell socks. They’re not wool, which tends to be the most popular, but I found these blend socks prevented me from getting a lot of blisters. I do often bring a spare pair to change out if my feet get super sweaty.
HIKING TECH: I’m a big fan of my Garmin Instinct Watch. I upgraded from an apple watch this year and I’ll never, ever look back. I also love having my Garmin InReach Mini with me for hikes, especially solo ones. I feel extra safe and secure knowing Matt and my mom have my location and I can communicate with them. Plus, in case of emergency, I have that SOS situation right there.
WATER: It is so important that you bring at least 1 liter of water per person on this hike. I brought 2 liters just in case, and while I didn’t need it, I felt good that I had it with me. I am a huge fan of the wide mouth Nalgene bottles because they’re so easy to clean.
DAYPACK & WHAT’S IN IT: First off, a daypack is so important. I am so in love with my Osprey daypack. It’s super small, lightweight and it’s the absolute perfect size for adventures and prevents me from overpacking. Aside from my water bottles, I also have snacks in my daypack. These include granola, beef jerky, peanut m&ms and honey roasted cashews. I started carrying a WAG BAG on this hike too because it was recommended by the rangers for this hike just in case you have an unfortunate number two situation. Also, this pack has a really easy place to clip my Garmin InReach Mini.
SUN PROTECTION: While there are several sections of this hike that are shaded because of how narrow the canyons and large the fins and formations are. At least, not in the peak heat of day, but even still I recommend wearing a hat and bringing sunscreen with you. I love to throw a sunscreen stick into my pack so I can reapply with ease throughout a hike without getting my hands all gunky.
IF YOU TYPICALLY LIKE WALKING STICKS… Bring them with their rock caps on them. There are definitely spots that you have to push yourself up a lot and trekking poles would definitely be helpful with that.

First Thing to Know, This Does Require A Permit in Advance

The reason this area sees so few people is because this section does require a permit. There are two types of permit available. One is for self-exploration ($10) the other is for a guided ranger hike ($16). Both can be purchased up to 7 days in advance on Recreation.gov. I highly recommend booking yours as soon as you know what day you plan to do the hike because the permits sell out very quickly.

You Must Pick Up Your Permit in Person the Day Before or Day-Of Your Hike

You can pick up permits between 8:00am – 10:00am and 2pm – 4:30pm, according to Recreation.gov, but I will say, I was able to pick mine up right when the Visitor Center opened at 7:30am, so I don’t know how strictly they stick to that time period. While you’re hiking the Fiery Furnace, your permit will need to be displayed on your pack at all times and stick your sticky portion in your car window to be sure that you can be searched-for should something go wrong for you in the Fiery Furnace.

I recommend the day before because you have to watch an orientation video to familiarize yourself with the Fiery Furnace, and you have to wait until the ranger station is open. So, if you want an earlier start, you don’t want to have this be a delay, especially since it’s an almost hour drive to the Fiery Furnace from the Visitor Center.

Do You Need a Timed Entry to Do This?

If you have a permit, you actually aren’t required to have a timed entry, but if you’re getting your permit the day before, you need to have a timed entry pass to get in the park or get there before timed entry is required. Timed entry is also purchased on Recreation.gov, and they’re released 3 months in advance and they sell out quickly – especially the morning ones. They also release a handful more 24 hours before too.

There Isn’t An Official Trail Inside the Fiery Furnace

Part of what makes this trail so exciting and intriguing is that it’s just a wild area that is open for you to explore. There are tiny white arrows posted that give the suggested route that the ranger-led tours take. But they are on about 1 inch by 2 inch brown rectangles that are essentially the same color as the rock around you and they’re very, very easy to miss. Some of these arrows are also posted on metal poles, so they’re easier to see. There are also signs posted at the entrance of some of the canyons that will let you know if it’s a dead end or not. But, don’t take those signs as you shouldn’t explore them, there are some cool arches at the end of those canyons. Yes, there are arrows in both of the photos above this paragraph.

I Would Highly Recommend Downloading an Offline Map

I’ve never been a person who downloaded an offline map before. But I was a bit apprehensive of doing something that felt more wild and remote and, I’m not gonna lie, 127 Hours was playing in my mind a bit. So when the park ranger lightly suggested it during our orientation, I finally downloaded the AllTrails App and did the Plus plan where I could download and navigate in realtime and it was so worth it. I got “lost” several times on this hike, but I loved the feature that notified me when I got so far off route. I had it set and put it in my pocket so I could explore on my own, but I had that security to be able to know for certain I was on track. It also let me know which canyons had cool arches at the ends of them.

Take Photos of Landmarks as You Hike Too…

By doing this, it helps you mark where you turned or what you passed. This was a tip recommended by the park ranger who did my Fiery Furnace orientation, and especially if you don’t download an offline map, I think this would be a good method to keep tabs on yourself.

Remember that “Getting Lost” Is Part of the Adventure

Obviously, not lost in a search and rescue kind of way, but wander a bit. Don’t completely stare at your offline map, it’ll update and alert you if you get way too far off track – another thing I love about AllTrails. Let the Fiery Furnace work its wild, wild magic.

Wear Good, Sturdy, Closed-Toe Shoes

Even your best pair of Teva sandals or Chacos won’t be allowed on this trail. Good, grippy closed-toed shoes are required. I would personally recommend a hiking boot because the surfaces are easy to roll ankles on, but you know what works best for you and your outdoor activities. Just don’t go for fashion. Go for function. For me, these Merrell mid-hiking boots are my must. I also love to pair them with these Merrell hiking socks.

Speaking of Your Feet… Watch Where You’re Stepping

Biological soil crusts make up a large part of the soil around the park in general, and it’s important to watch your step and stay on trail all through the park, but it’s especially important in here where there isn’t a real trail. Be sure to watch where your feet are; stay in washes and on slick rock. This simple action means that animals, plants and the desert itself will last so much longer!

The Fiery Furnace is part of the park that took the longest for me to finally get to explore, but I cannot to explore it all over again. It’s such a fun adventure, a place that feels wild and the canyons, arches and formations that I got to explore were absolutely unforgettable. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to explore Arches National Park more deeply.

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