Top Story Window
About
Top Story Window is an arch in Arches National Park in Utah, managed by the National Park Service. The nearest town is Thompson Springs, about 12 miles away. The arch sits at roughly 5,300 feet. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show April highs around 67°F and October highs around 68°F, with July peaking near 96°F. Several trails start close by. Primitive Loop is just 0.1 mile away, and Dark Angel Trail is half a mile off. Devils Garden Trail is about 2 miles away, and Devils Garden Campground is about 2.6 miles away.
Arch Facts
Elevation
5,310 ft
Land manager
National Park Service
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Top Story Window
Utah
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Apr–May. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 67–78°F and lows of 39–48°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Moab Canyonland Ap, UT weather station, 8 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan39° high17° low
- Feb47° high25° low
- Mar59° high32° low
- Apr67° high39° low
- May78° high48° low
- Jun90° high58° low
- Jul96° high66° low
- Aug92° high63° low
- Sep83° high53° low
- Oct68° high40° low
- Nov52° high27° low
- Dec39° high17° low
Where it is
- Arches National Park · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- Thompson Springs, Utah · 12 mi
- Managed by
- National Park Service
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Arches National Park as of Oct 9, 2026:
Trip-planning tips for 2026
Information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: NPS Alerts API
Nearby
- Primitive LoopHiking0.1 mi
- Dark Angel TrailHiking0.5 mi
Devils Garden TrailHikingPhoto: NPS/Veronica Verdin2 mi- Devils Garden CampgroundCamping2.6 mi
The Marching MenRock climbingPhoto: James St. John, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)3.8 mi
Sunshine WallRock climbingPhoto: Sandy Horvath-Dori from Grand Junction, CO, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)6.9 mi
Sunshine Wall RoutesRock climbingPhoto: Sandy Horvath-Dori from Grand Junction, CO, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)7.6 mi- North Klondike CampgroundCamping8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is Top Story Window open right now?
No closures listed
The National Park Service lists no closures for Arches National Park.
As of · Source: NPS · Arches National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Top Story Window
Best months: March–May and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
39° / 17°
5 wet
Feb
47° / 25°
5 wet
Mar
59° / 32°
4 wet
Apr
67° / 39°
4 wet
May
78° / 48°
4 wet
Jun
90° / 58°
3 wet
Jul
96° / 66°
4 wet
Aug
92° / 63°
5 wet
Sep
83° / 53°
5 wet
Oct
68° / 40°
5 wet
Nov
52° / 27°
4 wet
Dec
39° / 17°
5 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Moab Canyonland Ap, UT, 8 mi away at 4,561 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
