Sego Canyon Rock Art

The Sego Canyon Rock Art site is 4 miles north of Thompson Springs, along Interstate Highway 70 in southeast Utah. Thompson Springs is a few miles east of the junction of I-70 with Highway 191 that leads 30 miles south to Moab. Thompson Springs is a small town.

Follow the main road to the north edge where BLM signs point the rest of the way. The road is paved to the rock art site.

There are several interpretive signs at the site but in 2012 they are fading. The panel facing the parking area across a drainage is considered to have been done in historic times by the Utes. The figures include horses and riders, a white bison, large human figures, and large shields. 

The Utes practiced a hunting and gathering life style in western Colorado and eastern Utah until the 1880s when they were moved onto Reservations.

The next panel to the right is associated with the Fremont Culture that thrived from 600 to 1250 AD, the same time period as the Ancestral Pueblos of the Mesa Verde area. The red painted figures at the top are considered to be the oldest. The most eye catching are the larger pecked figures with trapezoidal bodies and heads and decorative collars. There are some mountain sheep and other animals and geometric images.

Standing back, the Fremont panel is at a right angle with a similar sized Barrier style panel. Comparing the two styles may be easier here than any other location that is easy to access. The Barrier style is attributed to the group known as Archaic. They were nomadic hunters and gatherers, living in this area from 8000 to 2000 years ago, until the introduction of corn agriculture.

This panel has at least 19 ghostly images. This panel is comparable to the Great Gallery in the Horseshoe Canyon Unit of Canyonlands National Park, the site that the Barrier style is named for.

The group in the middle is the most eye catching. They show the hollow eyes and antennae or horns that seem puzzling to us now.

They mostly seem to have their arms folded in front of their chests. This is probably the best rock art site in the Moab region that is easy to access.

Arch enthusiasts will notice the Sego Canyon Arch on the other side of the road directly across from the main rock art panels. It is a short walk up the drainage to get under the arch. Walking up the drainage, there are some old mining related bridge structures visible. There was mining activity in Sego Canyon and perhaps a ghost town to search for.

There are more rock art panels also across the road slightly north of the Sego Canyon Arch. 

These panels are somewhat less protected than the three main panels. I visited on an early May weekend day. There were three or four other vehicles present during my visit.

Devils Garden Trail to Double O Arch

The Devils Garden Trail is one of the most popular trails in Arches National Park, near Moab in southeast Utah.  The Devils Garden Trail Head is at the north end of the paved road, about 18 miles from the Visitor Center. It offers views of several large and well known arches without a lot of hiking.

A short distance along the smooth first segment of the Devil's Garden Trail leading to Landscape Arch is a side trail that splits with branches to Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch.

 The split to the right leads to Tunnel Arch which seems to actually be two arches, a smaller one forming, but with no light at the end of the smaller tunnel.

The left leading branch leads to Pine Tree Arch, one that you can go stand under if you dare.

 It is only 0.9 miles total along the flat and groomed trail to 306 feet long Landscape Arch, the one featured on the park brochure and one of the world's longest natural stone spans. The trail used to go up underneath until in 1991 a large section broke free and crashed to the ground. Now the views are from a distance. It is cited as an example that the arches are still developing and eroding, adding to the excitement of a visit.

 There is a fracture line in Landscape Arch running parallel to the underside of the arch. Cracks like this are part of the process of exfoliation, the peeling off of layers of rock. This process is responsible for nearly all the arches in the park.

Someone happened to catch the breaking section of Landscape Arch on film and it was part of the 15 minute orientation film shown in the Visitor Center. The crack was described as being like a bolt of lightning striking. The new Visitor Center opened in September 2005. After Landscape Arch the trail becomes more primitive.

 The next arch location is the now famous Wall Arch. On August 4, 2008 this large arch collapsed during the night. This is at least the third arch known to have changed when observers were around to notice. Beside Wall and Landscape, the nearby Skyline Arch lost a large section in 1940. After the Wall Arch collapse, the trail was re-routed slightly to avoid the area where it is feared that more collapse can occur. I noticed that the Wall Arch site has been deleted from the Devils Garden Trail Guide.

Back on the main trail and continuing on past the Landscape Arch, there is an 0.8 mile side trail to Navajo Arch and Partition Arch. Approaching Landscape Arch, the Partition Arch is visible above and to the right.

After the turn onto the side trail, there is a junction with Partition Arch to the left and Navajo Arch to the right. The Partition Arch is a double arch with views back over the area where you hiked. You can pass through the opening and find a shady alcove to relax in with a spectacular view.

 The Navajo Arch is in the wall of rocks behind Partition Arch and doesn't have as good a view. It is easy to walk under with a smooth sand surface below, but there is only a narrow enclosed area on the back side. Returning to the main trail it is another 0.9 miles to the Double O Arch. The round trip to Double O Arch and back is about 4.2 miles. Add 0.8 miles with the side trip to Partition and Navajo and 0.5 miles with the side trail to Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch.

There is a long section where the trail is more like those found in nearby Canyonlands National Park with some scrambling over and between rock fins with some spectacular views. The nearby La Sal Mountains form a back drop for many of the famous views in Arches Park.

 As the trail approaches the Double O Arch, there is an overlook for Black Arch. Black Arch is always in shadows.

The one way distance to Double O Arch is about 2.1 miles without the side trails. Many hikers turn around here and follow the same route back.  There is also a side trail at Double O Arch to the pinnacle called Dark Angel. The trail also continues on the Primitive Loop for a total tour of 5.9 miles.

(There are separate posts for the Dark Angel side trail and the Primitive Loop trail.)

Poison Spider Trail to Longbow Arch

The Poison Spider Trail is a popular mountain bike and off road vehicle trail. The trailhead parking area is 6.2 miles west along Highway 279, or Potash Road, on the north side of Moab in southeast Utah. Highway 279 begins across from the entrance to Arches National Park.

The popular destination on the Poison Spider Trail is Little Arch after 5.7 miles of spectacular desert country. There is also a shorter hike to the lesser known Longbow Arch.

The first segment of trail climbs by switchbacks on a rough cobbled road. There are good views of the slow flowing Colorado River as the trail climbs. At the Poison Spider Trailhead there is a short trail leading to a dinosaur track. Look above the dinosaur track for another interesting feature.

After about 0:30 minutes of hiking the trail levels out and there is a vague trail marked to the right. Vehicles and bikes are prohibited on this side trail that leads up a north leading side canyon but hikers can continue.

 There isn’t a marked route. The first segment is over large sandstone outcrops. Further on there is a sandy drainage to follow with more large outcrops of sandstone. It is about 0.5 miles to the head of this small canyon. The footing on the loose sand was somewhat tiring.

Longbow Arch is in a narrow chute on the right at the upper end of the side canyon. You can’t see the arch until you are abreast of the side chute. The chute is narrow and rocky but can be climbed and there is a ledge to stand on below the arch. There are some hiker made paths in the vegetation to look for when climbing, but much of the climb is on jumbled rocks.

The trail up enters the ledge from the right side and there is a blue sky angle. It took me about 1:00 hour to arrive below Longbow Arch.

My total hike to Longbow Arch took 2:15 hours on a 68 F degree late March day. There was a lot of activity on the Poison Spider Trail on a perfect spring day but no other hikers on this scenic side trip.

Delicate Arch Trail

The Delicate Arch Trail is a 3.0 mile round trip to the most famous arch in the world. This is one of the most popular attractions in Arches National Park in southeast Utah. This is an moderately strenuous hike and not an easy stroll.

Near the trail head is the remains of the Wolfe Ranch, a National Historic Site. John Wesley Wolfe was an early rancher, moving here in search of a dry climate, and living here under primitive conditions in the early 1900s. The Wolfe's had a 100 acre tract here along Salt Wash and raised a few cattle, under very primitive conditions.

Most of the route is uphill, with an elevation gain of 480 feet, across bare sandstone marked by rock cairns, with a somewhat exposed final section along a ledge. This climb over bare rock is a memorable part of this hike.

The Delicate Arch is the best known arch in the world. It is an unofficial symbol of Utah and an image of it appears on one version of the license plate. The snowy mountains visible to the east are the LaSals.

The Delicate Arch sits along the edge of a steeply sloping sandstone bowl. It seems a little treacherous, but one can stay along the rim of the bowl and view Delicate Arch from different angles and get views back towards the west. Many viewers tend to relax along the rim of the bowl and enjoy the view without trying to get closer.

There are at least two other arches to notice along the trail, both just before arriving at Delicate Arch. Frame Arch is high on the right and one can view or photograph Delicate Arch through Frame Arch. Echo Arch is in the canyon low on the left along the final approach. (There is a separate post titled Frame Arch Trail with pictures of these arches.)

A side trail near the trail head leads to a petroglyph panel. This one appears to be somewhat recent as some of the figures appear to be horses with riders. Rock Art enthusiasts should visit the Courthouse Wash Panel that is just south of the main park entrance along highway 191. There are also extensive rock art panels along Potash Road and several other places in the Moab, Utah area.

Dark Angel Trail-Devils Garden

The Dark Angel Trail is a side trail on the Devils Garden Trail in Arches National Park in southeast Utah. The Devils Garden Trail is at the north end of the paved road, about 15 miles past the Visitor Center.

The Dark Angel side trail begins at Double O Arch, about 2.1 miles from the trailhead. Most visitors to the Devils Garden Trail turn around at Landscape Arch after 0.9 miles. The trail becomes more primitive after Landscape Arch with slickrock sections and minor scrambling. More hikers turn around at Double O Arch with only a few continuing on the Primitive Loop or to Dark Angel.

It is about another 0.4 miles to the Dark Angel pinnacle. It took me about 1:00 hour of hiking to arrive at Double O Arch without any stops or traveling down the two other side trails. The route to Dark Angel crosses a drainage toward an area of fins.

Near the beginning of the side trail there are some good views of the backside of the Double O Arch.

The view to the west from the Dark Angel is across the Salt Valley and toward the Klondike Bluffs. The Klondike Bluffs area has the good hike to Tower Arch.

I hiked about 0.5 miles past Dark Angel along the cliffs on the east side. I was looking to see if any petroglyphs were along here.

I didn’t find any rock art but there is a small arch here. I think this one is called Cat Eye Arch.

My return hike from Dark Angel took 1:15 hours for 2.5 miles. My total hike took 3:45 hours for about 6 miles. I carried and drank 3 liters of water on a sunny 65 F late October day.

Fisher Towers Trail

The Fisher Towers Trail is a 4.6 mile round trip along the base of some very tall eroded pinnacles east of Moab in southeast Utah. The trail head is 22 miles east along Utah Route 128, then 2.3 miles south on a marked BLM road. Utah 128 travels along the south bank of the Colorado River and there are many campgrounds and river access points.

Trailhead information says that the towers are composed of the Organ Rock Tongue of the Cutler Formation and capped by the Moenkoepi Formation. These layers are below and older than the sandstone formations that form the cliffs and arches around the Moab area. There is also trailhead information on the history of this area known as the Richardson Amphitheater.

The first segment of trail descends and crosses the first of several short side canyons. There are constant views of the towers on the west side of the trail. Climbers are active in this area. Parts of the trail are at the base of these towers and you can throw your head back and look straight up.

The rest of the route winds around the heads of the side canyons and some segments are somewhat ledgy with long drop-offs. When hiking in the morning, the trail goes in and out of shade. There is a warning at the trailhead that on summer afternoons the sun exposure can be extremely hot.

There is a ladder at one of the canyon heads positioned to get down a tricky spot. Steps are constructed in places to make the walking easier and less slippery.

The formation called The Titan is the only one that seems to have a name. There is a trailhead sign saying that the Titan is 1.5 miles along the way. There is a climber visible in this view inching his way up the face of the Titan.

Toward the end of the trail, there are views back to the north with a view up the Colorado River. The trailhead parking area is in this view with the trail winding along the base of these cliffs.

The trail ends at a lookout point over the Onion Creek area with the Castle Valley area in the distance. It took me 1:40 hours to arrive at the lookout point. After 0:15 minute break, the return hike is mostly downhill and took me 1:15 hours for a total hike of 3:10 hours.

It was 75 F degrees at my 10:45 AM start and 86 F degrees at my 1:55 PM finish. I carried and drank 2 liters of water on a sunny late September day. I saw 14 other hikers and there were 4 climbers visible during my hike.

About 8 miles further east on Utah 128 is the historic Dewey Bridge site. The historic bridge has experienced a recent fire and is somewhat in ruins. The Dewey Bridge site is also a trailhead for the long Kokopelli Trail.

Mill Creek South Fork Trail

The Mill Creek Trail is a popular hot weather hike in the Moab area in southeast Utah. The trail head is at the east end of Power House Lane, an east turn off of Mill Creek Drive. This area is on the southeast side of central Moab.

At the trail head area there is a map of the Mill Creek Trails. After 0.75 miles the trail splits into the North Fork and South Fork trails. The North Fork is the most popular as there are two swimming holes fed by the year round flow of Mill Creek. The first swimming hole at about 1.0 miles has a waterfall and low cliffs for jumping.

There are also examples of ancient rock art along the North Fork. I had thought I was going to hike the North Fork, but somehow missed trail junction and hiked the longer South Fork Trail. There is also a Mill Creek Rim Trail that starts at the same trail head.

The early part of the trail passes the historic Mill Creek Dam, The dam was build in late 1919 to replace an earlier wooden dam that was destroyed in the August 2 flood in 1919. The dam generated power for the Moab area until 1945.

Beavers are continuing the dam tradition by building their structures just upstream of the concrete dam. Sections of wire fence have been installed to protect large cottonwood trees from becoming part of the beaver dam project. The beaver works have flooded a short section of the trail, causing hikers to step carefully along a rocky cliff. But expect your feet to get wet on this hike even if you are not here for swimming.

The Mill Creek was very full during my mid June hike. I crossed four times in a short stretch. The water was up to my calves and the current was enough warrant careful stepping. I found a long stick to use to test the depth and help with balance. After the four crossings and 1:00 hour of hiking I arrived at a rocky gorge that I thought was a swimming hole, but this was on the South Fork trail.

The creek bottom area is very lush with Cottonwood Trees and Willows and other riparian vegetation. In some places the trail cuts through a thicket of dense growth. The canyon sides have Pinon Pines and Utah Junipers.

About 10 minutes past the rocky gorge there is a petroglyph panel with mountain sheep very close to the trail. Above the mountain sheep is a larger panel with many figures. The trail passes below this panel and you have to look back to see it. Many sheep and horned human figures are here.

After 2:00 hours of hiking the South Fork Trail starts to climb out of the Mill Creek Canyon. I could see a house near the canyon rim. It looks like a hiker could loop back to the trail head using trails along the rim. I noticed other side trails along the way that climbed to the rim.

Some joggers passed me while hiking up the South Fork and they didn’t return, so perhaps they were doing a loop. At the point where the trail was leaving the Mill Creek Canyon, there is a large alcove further up canyon. In other areas, such a large alcove would be a good place to look for ruins.

The main South Fork Trail is on the south side of Mill Creek. Across, I could see a minor trail along the cliffs. Scanning with binoculars I noticed a large petroglyph panel. On the return hike I crossed the creek to look closer.

The minor trail continued back downstream so I followed it and was surprised by how many petroglyph panels were along here. Some are large and some small.

I spent about 0:40 minutes on the petroglyph segment of the South Fork Trail. There are more images here than I can talk about. I recrossed the Mill Creek slightly upstream of the rocky gorge that I thought was the swimming hole. From the gorge it was about 1:00 hour back to the trail head.

When I started at 10:00 AM it was 62 F degrees and there were two other vehicles in the parking area. At my 2:00 PM finish it was 78 F degrees and there were about 30 vehicles. Large groups were starting as I was finishing. I didn’t realize that I had hiked the South Fork until I reviewed the map at the end of my hike. My total hike was 4:00 hours for 7 or 8 miles. I carried and drank 2 liters of water.