Four Corners Hikes-Arches National Park

Dark Angel Trail-Devils Garden

2011-10-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-22T05:30:00.001-07:00

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.

Balcony Arch and Picture Frame Arch-Behind the Rocks

2011-06-21T06:35:00.000-07:00

Balcony Arch and Picture Frame Arch are in the Behind the Rocks area south of Moab in southeast Utah. The access is a west turn on the BLM Behind the Rocks road at mile post 112.9 on Highway 191.

It is 5 miles west on the BLM road then about 0.2 miles north where a large sandstone rock mass is visible. It is possible to park right below the east facing Balcony Arch. The Behind the Rocks road has some bumpy rocky spots and might be sandy after a long dry period. The sand was firm and easily drivable with a Subaru during my visit, but travel is slow.

There is a system of marked side trails in this area for off highway vehicles and mountain biking. There is also an effort to restrict vehicles and camping to designated areas to restore the desert vegetation. Looking back to the east, there are good views toward the LaSal Mountains, still with snow in mid June.

It is only 10 minutes of walking to the north side of the same rock mass where Picture Frame Arch can be found. The views to the north are toward the jumbled Behind the Rocks area. A few of the area designated camp sites are along the east side of the sandstone rock mass.

Picture Frame Arch is also in a vegetation damaged area and has signs asking for restricted travel in the area below the arch.

My total visit to Balcony Arch and Picture Frame Arch took 30 minutes including about 20 minutes of walking.

Hunter Canyon Rim Trail

2011-04-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

The Hunter Canyon Rim Trail begins at the east end of the Spring Campground, 6.9 miles west from Highway 191 along Kane Creek Road near Moab in southeast Utah. This is about 0.5 miles before the better known Hunter Canyon Trail.

The trailhead isn’t marked and the first segment is confusing, even the first steps are confusing. I started by walking up some steps and then through a campsite on the right side of the creek. The trail crosses the creek and heads up along the left side of a narrow canyon with a pour off point about 300 yards ahead. There is some rock scrambling up to the left to get above the pour off. The route is marked with rock cairns, but I had to look carefully to follow them.

I got confused at the pour off. The main trail circles the pour off and makes a 180 degree turn, then climbing with a view above the campground area. There are also side trails and rock cairns that continue up the canyon. I spent an hour looking for the trail up the canyon before deciding that I was off the track.

Once past the pour off, the trail is easy to follow. There are views of the trailhead area for Hunter Canyon as the trail climbs.

From above, the meanders of Hunter Canyon are visible as is the large Hunter Arch. The views of Hunter Arch continue for most of this segment. The closest views of Hunter Arch are an end on angle, without much of the opening visible. After about 1.5 miles, the single track trail becomes a 4WD trail.

A short distance along the 4WD segment, there is a junction with a side road leading up a side canyon toward an alcove. At the junction, there might also be a view of the top of the Halls Bridge Arch.

In the alcove, there is a small ruins site. The main structure still intact looks like a granary storage site. There is other rubble and a circular depression in the alcove, but not much else is intact. In the Arches and Canyonlands area, there is a lot of rock art, but not many ruins structures. It took about 0:15 minutes to walk the side trail to the ruins site and my total time on this segment was 0:40 minutes.

From the ruins trail junction, my return hike took 1:25 hours. Hiking the final descent was as confusing as the start. My total hike took 4:40 hours counting 1:00 hour off the track for about 4 miles. On a sunny mid April day it was 48 F degrees at 9:45 AM and 66 F degrees 2:25 PM. I carried 3 liters of water and drank most of it.

Sevenmile Rim and Uranium Arch

2011-03-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

The access for the Sevenmile Rim Trail can be found 0.6 miles north of Highway 313, north of Moab in southeast Utah. Highway 313 is the route to the Island of the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. From the large gravel area, I continued 2 miles north on the Cotter Mine gravel road to the trailhead sign and started hiking there.

The overall Sevenmile Rim Trail is about 20 miles for off road vehicles. Uranium Arch can be reached after about 3.5 miles of hiking. The first part of the route switchbacks up to the mesa top and the rim area. There are many side roads in this area and they are confusing. The main route is marked with small signs that say “7R”. After about 30 minutes of hiking I arrived on top at a 3 way junction, with both routes marked, and 7R stays to the left.

The terrain here is sandy and rocky with scattered Pinon Pines and Utah Junipers, Mormon Tea, Narrowleaf Yucca, Blackbrush, Cliff Rose, and Prickly Pear Cactus. There are views toward the LaSal Mountains to the east and the Merrimac and Monitor Buttes to the west. The walking is easy and there are obstacles for Jeeps and ATV riders. The route passes along the head of Corral Canyon and crosses a drainage and passes a mine site.

About 1 mile from Uranium Arch, BLM signs appear pointing the shortest easiest way to this large arch. Following the signs will be a detour off of the 7R trail but it is possible to loop back onto 7R. An interpretive sign at the arch site describes the geological processes that form the arch and mention that it is in the Kayenta Sandstone layer.

There is also a description of the Uranium mining history in the Sevenmile Rim area. Some fencing in the area is intended to protect the desert vegetation and Riding with Respect in emphasized. It took me about 1:30 hours to arrive at Uranium Arch.

A side branch from the 7R Trail is visible as painted white stripes that descend to the arch site from the right side of the formation. Uranium Arch can be viewed from both sides down below and can also be easily viewed from above.

It is worthwhile to follow striped route up and rejoin the 7R Trail for the spectacular views from the rim. The return hike continues to be confusing with the many side trails. My total hike took 3:20 hours for about 7 miles. I carried and drank 2 liters of water on a 56 F degree early March day. I saw one other hiker and 1 Jeep during my hike.

Willow Springs Trail and Leaping Arch

2011-02-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

The Willow Springs 4WD road begins on the west side of the Arches National Park main road across from the parking area for Balanced Rock. The first 0.8 miles passes a small picnic area and is easily drivable. Beyond the picnic area there is a junction with the 4WD road that leads to Klondike Bluffs and both roads become much rougher.

I started my hike at the junction and continued hiking west toward the Willow Springs area. The wide views straight ahead are toward the spectacular Moab Rim.

The views back toward the jumbled Balanced Rock area are also eye popping. To the north, there is a view of the south side of the Eye of the Whale Arch. The desert terrain here is mostly treeless with Mormon Tea, Blackbrush, Rabbitbrush, and grasses. The walking is easy on the dirt road. In mid February, there are small patches of snow.

It took me 1:15 hours to reach the park boundary sign. The sign where I started hiking said it was 4 miles to the boundary but it felt more like 3 miles. There is a large drainage near the park boundary that runs back to the northeast. I didn’t notice any flowing water or willows along the road, or any sign that identified the Willow Springs.

I turned and followed the drainage northeast back toward the large sandstone outcrops that include Eye of the Whale Arch and Leaping Arch. The hiking in the drainage was mostly easy on a wide swath of sand. There are a few pour over points that are easy to walk around. At the northwest corner of the rock formations I found a side drainage to follow east along the north of the rocks. There is a series of fins along here with Leaping Arch appearing in one of the fins.

It took me another 1:25 hours to find Leaping Arch, about 2 miles from the park boundary following the wide sandy drainage. Approaching from the west, Leaping Arch isn’t visible until you are nearly alongside it. It is possible to climb up closer and get a blue sky view from below.

Leaping Arch is only 0:15 minutes of hiking west of the Eye of the Whale Arch Trail, but it is not mentioned on the park map and there aren’t any signs pointing it out. Once you know to look for it, both arches are visible at the same time along the Klondike Bluffs 4WD road.

From Leaping Arch, it is about 2 miles along the Klondike Bluffs Road back to the junction. Near Leaping Arch, there are very good views of the snowy LaSal Mountains with the sandstone of Arches National Park in the foreground. My total hike following the loop route took 4:00 hours for about 7 miles. It was 38 F degrees when I started at about 11:00 AM and about 50 F at 3:00 when I finished on a mild mid February day.

Cameo Cliffs and One Eye Window

2010-12-14T05:57:00.000-08:00

The Cameo Cliffs is a special BLM management area 30 miles south of Moab and 18 miles north of Monticello in southeast Utah. The area has about 50 miles of trails usable by ATVs and others on 15 well marked routes. These trails are mostly old mining and ranching routes and pass through a very scenic area of sandstone cliffs, canyons, and rounded domes.

I started at the Hook and Ladder staging area, an east turn on Steen Road off of Highway 191. There is also a sign at the turnoff saying OHV Trailhead. There are good maps of the area available at the trailhead published by the San Juan Public Entry and Access Rights (SPEAR) organization. From the trailhead area, Trail 1 starts to the east and reaches a junction with Trail 2 after about 15 minutes of hiking.

I stayed on Trail 1 as it turned north toward the Cameo Cliffs. The trails I walked on are slightly sandy narrow roads. It took me 0:50 minutes of hiking to get to the Junction with Trail 3 that circles around the south and west side of the Cameo Cliffs.

The south side of the cliffs has a large cove that Trail 3 circles into and around. The habitat here is scattered Utah Juniper and Pinon Pines with grasses and sagebrush, Mormon Tea, Prickly Pear cactus and other desert shrubs.

On the west side of the Cameo Cliffs there is another cove area. Along the cliff face there are several alcoves that look like arches are forming. A short distance north of the cove area there is a large alcove where an arch has formed. I think this one is known as One Eye Window.

It took me 2:25 hours of hiking to arrive at the One Eye Window. There is another old road that is not part of the marked trail system visible to the west near the arch that would allow an alternate return route for a hiker. I decided to continue north to the next trail junction with Trail 9 and complete the loop around the Cameo Cliffs.

The Trail 9 segment is 2 miles east and west along an area called the Cameo Terrace. The views here are north across a very scenic valley of sandstone outcrops with the LaSal Mountains in the distance. I saw a very large monolith fin near the base of the cliffs in the distance. This spectacular area is also part of the trail system. The map shows routes going to the top of the distant cliffs and on to a view point of the roadside Wilson Arch.

Trail 9 makes a junction with Trail 1 that leads back to the Hook and Ladder Trailhead in 3 miles. My total hike took 4:50 hours for about 10 miles. I hiked on a very mild 54 F degree mid December day. On the day I hiked, I didn’t see any other visitors to the area.

Crystal Arch-Devils Garden Trail

2010-10-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

Crystal Arch is an easy to miss formation along the Devil’s Garden Primitive Loop in the north end of Arches National Park in southeast Utah. Look for it about 5 minutes of hiking northeast of Landscape Arch.

I didn’t see a trail leading to this fairly large arch, and wish there was one. The environment is a sandy field of Prickly Pear Cactus, Mormon Tea and another desert shrub that I think is Blackbrush.

The off trail distance is about 0.25 miles. There are small drainages to follow to avoid the biological soil crusts. The combination of fins, desert vegetation and the distant LaSal Mountains is striking.

Arches Windows Trail

2010-10-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

The Windows Trail is a short 1.1 mile loop but it provides close views to three large arches and several smaller ones. The Windows Section of Arches National Park in southeast Utah is one of the most popular attractions of this other worldly park.

The trail provides an access to walk directly under the North Window. Through the window there is a good view of the Salt Valley to the north, the area that includes Delicate Arch. The North Window sits up high and is visible from other high viewpoints around the area, even the Antilcline Overlook at the north end of the Canyon Rims Recreation area many miles away.

Just to the north of the North Window are Biceps Arch and Seagull Arch. There is a short unmarked trail to walk over and look closer. Directly under Biceps Arch a sliver of blue sky can be spotted.

Continuing around to the south is the South Window. This is also the start of the longer Windows Primitive Trail. From the Windows Primitive Trail the North and South Windows can be viewed from the opposite side. From here the trail leads back toward Turret Arch.

Turning back from Turret Arch, there is a good view of both Windows, a view called the Spectacles. Looking the other way, there are the large Double Arch and the Parade of Elephants. The 0.5 mile Double Arch Trail can be easily hiked to from the Windows Trail, but most visitors move their vehicles.

Steelbender Trail

2010-10-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

The Steelbender Trail is a multi-user trail following rocky and sandy old roads in the Mill Creek Canyon area on the southeast side of Moab in southeast Utah. The north trailhead is east on Spanish Trail Road, near the golf course and a short distance past the Golf Course petroglyph panel.

There is a small parking area about 100 yards before the east turn on the well marked rough road. The first ten minutes of walking descends into the Mill Creek Canyon and passes through some private property. Most of the north part of the 14 miles of trail here are along the edge of the Mill Creek Canyon Wilderness Study Area.

In the first 30 minutes of hiking there are three crossings of Mill Creek. In mid October there is a small flow and the crossings are easy. The area along the creek is lush with Cottonwood trees and willows. The canyon walls in the creek area looked like good locations for petroglyphs but I only saw a few very small figures. The trail turns left and climbs out of the canyon passing over a ledgy area that is one of the obstacles for motorized travelers.

It took me 1:05 hours and about 2.5 miles to reach the mesa top and the junction with the loop part of the trail. The view to the east includes a rock mass that might have an arch, but it appeared to be about a mile away without an obvious trail leading over to it. I stayed on the loop trail and turned north.

The next segment to the north has good views in all directions and there is a point where the trail splits. I stayed to the right, I think bypassing a difficult jeep obstacle. There is a small canyon crossing with more rocky ledges. The terrain here has a lot of sandstone domes and fins and the desert includes scattered Pinon Pines and Utah Junipers with Mormon Tea and Cliff Rose shrubs.

Approaching the northwest corner of the loop, there is another junction which appears to be a shortcut. I stayed to the left. A few minutes later the main trail turns east and south, but there is a hiker trail that continues a little further north. I followed the hiker trail for about five minutes to a view point and turned around there after 2:40 hours and about 5 miles.

My return hike took 2:25 hours for a total hike of 5:05 hours for about 10 miles. It was a perfect 65 F blue sky mid October day. I saw only 3 hikers and 1 mountain biker and no vehicles during my hike. I carried and drank 3 liters of water.

Lower Monitor & Merrimac Loop Trail

2010-09-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

The Monitor and Merrimac (M & M) buttes are rock formations that resemble the famous battle ships of the Civil War. Most visitors to the Moab area in southeast Utah might see them from the road side viewpoint on Utah Route 313, on the way to the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. There is a system of trails on the north side of the M & M buttes that can be accessed from Mill Canyon Road, a west turn just north of Mile Post 141 on Highway 191.

I started my hike at the parking area for the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail and hiked that short interpretive trail. At the historic Mill Canyon copper mill ruins, I continued south through the Mill Canyon riparian habitat area to the large slickrock outcrop. The Desolation Towers are visible in the distance.

The trail across the large slickrock area is well marked with painted white stripes. Part of the way across this gradually rising rocky surface, a trail junction branches to the right and leads toward the Desolation Towers. This option offers a closer approach to the Monitor and Merrimac buttes. I continued to follow the striped route of the lower loop.

The loop swings around the base of a rocky mesa with views toward M & M from about 1.5 miles away. The return leg passes by Courthouse Rock with wide views of some of the spectacular canyon country for which this area is famous. There is an option of cutting back west toward the Mill Canyon parking area or continuing north down another canyon toward the ruins of the Halfway Stage Station.

The Halfway Stage Station served travelers between Moab and the train at Thompson, Utah, 35 miles away. The normal travel time in the 1880s was 8 hours and the station was a place to have lunch, rest, and change horses. Slow moving freighters might spend the night here.

From the Halfway Stage hikers can follow about 1 mile of gravel roads back to the Dino Trail parking area. A hike could also start at the stage station and follow the M & M Loop in the clockwise direction. Not counting time on the Dino Trail, my hike took 2:15 hours for about 4.5 miles on an 82 F degree end of August day. The sky was a perfect blue and I carried 3 liters of water and drank it all.

Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail

2010-09-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

The Mill Canyon Road is a west turn off of Highway 191 just north of Mile Post 141, north of Moab in southeast Utah. After 0.6 miles there is a staging area and an information kiosk. Signs point the way another 1.1 miles to the parking area for the Dinosaur Trail. A shorter version of the Lower Monitor and Merrimac Loop bike and hiking trail can start from the same parking area. The Dino Trail is a 0.8 mile interpretive loop with many fossils visible.

The interpretive signs at the trail head mention that the deposits here are sandstones, clays and shales of the Morrison Formation from 155 to 144 million years ago. These rocks are a little younger than the Entrada Sandstone that forms most of the Arches that are famous in the area. The fossils found here include Camptosaurus, Allosaurus, Camarasaurus, and Stegosaurus.

Along the trail there are many small signs pointing out specific fossils. The directions are often very specific, such as “look four feet to your left at ground level.”

The fossils appear as purple veins in the otherwise tan and brown rocks. The fossil here is a leg bone of the 60 foot long plant eating Camarasaurus, a medium sized member of the Sauropod suborder. Further along the trail are some vertebrae from the same species.

A large petrified log is also visible along the trail. The trees in that era are described as conifers, sycamores, cypress, and yew trees.

At the far end of the loop are the ruins of the mill that Mill Canyon is named for. Copper Ore was processed here in the late 1800s. There is a black pile of smelting leftovers near the ruins. Hikers wanting to continue on the Monitor & Merrimac Loop can turn right and hike up the Mill Canyon riparian habitat area toward the Desolation Towers formation visible in the distance. Another Dinosaur trail close by is the Copper Ridge Track Way near Mile Post 148.

Copper Ridge Dinosaur Tracks

2010-09-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

The Copper Ridge Dinosaur Tracks are located east off of Highway 191, ¾ mile north of Mile Post 148, 23 miles north of Moab in southeast Utah. There isn’t a sign along the highway, but there are BLM signs saying Dinosaur Tracks-2 miles as soon as you make the turn. There is a parking area and the trail leads uphill 500 feet to the rocky small site.

The tracks preserved here are described as being from five meat eaters and one large plant eating sauropod. The tracks cross a 150 million year old river sandbar. The geologic layer is the Salt Wash member of the Morrison Formation. The interpretive information at the site says that making plaster casts of the tracks is illegal, but sweeping the sediment off the tracks is allowed, as is pouring some water in the depressions to make them more visible for photographs. I found a brochure for the site on line but didn’t find it along the trail. The brochure is helpful as it shows a map of the tracks. Looking around without a map, it is confusing what are tracks and what are natural depressions.

Some of the tracks have been surrounded with circles of stones, pointing them out. I added a liter of water to the first one. This line of four tracks, each with three toes and more than a foot long is from one of the large meat eating theropod species.

I noticed some very large depressions, but they weren’t pointed out with stone circles. The online brochure says that these are the sauropod tracks, and the huge animal was making a turn to the right. The rear feet were larger than the front feet. It looked like the depressions are about a foot deep.

Mixed in with the very large depressions are some smaller ones with more stone circle markers. These are hard to tell from natural depressions, but are thought to be from smaller meat eaters. The Copper Ridge site is in the same vicinity as the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail, where some fossils are visible. The other visible dinosaur track in the Moab area is at the trail head of the Poison Spider Trail along Potash Road.

Poison Spider Trail to Little Arch

2010-04-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

The Poison Spider Trail is a popular 4WD and mountain bike trail. For hikers, the 5.7 mile one way route to Little Arch is a good choice. The trailhead area is 6.2 miles west along Highway 279, or Potash Road on the north side of Moab in southeast Utah. The junction of Highway 279 with Highway 191 is across from the entrance to Arches National Park.

The first mile climbs with switchbacks along a road with rounded rocks. There are a couple of obstacles for vehicles that make a hiker’s progress as swift as the vehicles. In this first section there are good views across the broad slow flowing Colorado River. The total elevation gain for the trail is about 1000 feet.

On the mesa top there are domes of Navajo sandstone and desert vegetation. The walking is relatively easy on the road though there are sandy sections. Several of the desert plants are in flower in late April. There are scattered Utah Junipers and Pinon Pines, a lot of Prickly Pear Cactus, Indian Rice Grass and Pepper Grass, and Mormon Tea. I saw a few of the bright red Indian Paint Brush in bloom.

There were about a dozen 4WD vehicles on the trail the day I hiked. There were about 15 dirt bikes mostly in 3 groups, and I saw 4 mountain bikes. I was the only hiker that I saw.

The approach toward the Little Arch area has a series of sandstone domes. The trail climbs over and around the domes. It is easy to follow the burned rubber and oil spots along the rock surfaces. This area is the high cliffs that are above the Colorado River in the vicinity of the Moab Rim Trail. The upper part of the Moab Rim Trail and the Hidden Valley Trail can be sighted along here. Views closer to the cliffs reveal the tortured Rim Trail a very extreme route for vehicles. Watch for the junction with the Golden Spike Trail and stay to the right. There is also a loop route for vehicles that hikers would probably skip by again staying to the right.

The side route to Little Arch is well marked. For the benefit of vehicles directions are painted right on the rocks. The Little Arch is at the bottom of a deep pit and the views are from the edges. The trail head area for the Moab Rim Trail can be viewed through the arch as well as a section of river.

Among the spectacular views along the Poison Spider Trail is the many rock fins of the Behind the Rock wilderness area with the snow capped La Sal Mountains peeking above. This view is better in the afternoon as the light shifts to the west. At the trail head area there is a short trail toward a dinosaur track and petroglyphs. My hike for the 11.4 miles took 5:40 hours total on a 65 F degree blue sky late April day. I carried and drank 3 liters of water.

Poison Spider Petroglyph Trail

2010-04-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

The Poison Spider Petroglyphs are on the cliff face above the Poison Spider Trailhead and above the publicized Dinosaur Track. The trailhead is 6.2 miles west along Potash Road, Highway 279, and west of the entrance to Arches National Park in southeast Utah.

There are good views of the Colorado River from the cliffs. This site is just to the west of the extensive Indian Writing petroglyph panels that are on the Wingate Sandstone cliffs along Potash Road. The same cliff area is also very popular for rock climbing. Across the parking lot the main Poison Spider Trail begins.

The Dinosaur Track is on a flat slab of rock to the right, below the petroglyphs. The Moab Museum on Center Street has a display on fossils found in the Moab, including some reconstructed skeletons. Continue up the short marked trail to the cliffs above.

The most eye catching images to me were the line of six horned humanoids that appeared to be holding hands. There also appears to be a two headed mountain sheep and a ghostly Barrier style figure among the images.

Hunter Canyon Trail

2010-04-05T05:11:00.000-07:00

The Hunter Canyon Trail is located 7.5 miles west along Kane Creek Road, west of Highway 191 in Moab in southeast Utah. It is a 4 mile round trip up a canyon with a flowing stream and visits two arches. The Hunter Canyon Trail is similar to the Negro Bill Canyon Trail in length and habitat.

Hunter Canyon is narrow with steep sandstone walls. In spring there is a modest flow of water with frequent small pools. The somewhat braided trail crosses the stream many times. There are some rock cairn trail markers but mostly hikers follow the footprints of previous hikers. In some places the footprints lead to dead ends and some short backtracking is needed. There are some large alcoves along the way but there isn’t any apparent sign of ruins. Although there is water in this canyon, there isn’t much floor space for farming and most of the alcoves don’t catch the sun for winter warmth, Information at the trail head mentions that beavers are active in Hunter Canyon.

About 0.5 miles down the trail, the large Hunter Arch appears high on the right. A little blue sky can be seen from both down canyon and up canyon without any climbing. The creek bottom has some Cottonwood Trees and Tamarisks. I saw some of the evergreen Fremont Barberry in the middle part of the trail. Many of the trail segments are sandy and there is a lot of Prickly Pear Cactus along the way.

About 2 miles down the trail there is a side canyon on the right with Curious Arch visible high on the right. The trail only goes a short distance past the Curious Arch side canyon. My hike took 2:30 hours on a 60 F early April day and I carried and drank 2 liters of water. There were only a few hikers on the trail when I hiked. Otherwise, it was a busy weekend with many campers at the trail head area and many 4WD vehicles seeking the trails and following the Kane Creek Road toward Hurrah Pass.

Amasa Petroglyph Trail

2010-04-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

The Amasa Petroglyph Trail starts across from the parking area that is about 0.5 miles east of the Amasa Back Trailhead. This area is along Kane Creek Road about 5 miles west of the junction with Highway 191 in Moab, Utah.

There are two unmarked trails nearly side by side. The trail to follow is the one that heads uphill toward the cliffs above. The other trail leads down into a short canyon that has several alcoves. The trail leading up is short and levels out at the base of the cliffs with a good view west toward the Amasa Back area. There are several panels of petroglyphs extending for a few hundred yards. There is also a ring of stones set against the cliff face that makes a somewhat dramatic picture.

One of the panels has a figure that is usually described as Barrier style, similar to one at the Moonflower Canyon site. There is also a relatively large flute player image nearby. There are many mountain sheep images, at least one large spiral and a few humanoid figures.

One of the panels has a line of mountain sheep where it appears that someone has been trying to cut one of the figures out. I explored the lower trail toward the views of several alcoves also, but I didn’t notice anything that resembled ruins. I spent about 1:00 hour in this area on a 55 F degree early April Saturday morning. It was a busy Jeeping day in Moab, hundreds of 4 wheelers out enjoying the wonderful rocky terrain in the area.

Gemini Bridges Trail

2010-03-18T14:46:00.001-07:00

The Gemini Bridges Trail is a popular mountain bike and 4WD route north and west of Moab, in southeast Utah. The Bridges are two side by side large openings in Wingate Sandstone with wide level tops that can be walked across.

The best access for hikers is from Utah Route 313, the road leading to the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands. At mile post 9.4, the Gemini Bridges Road is a well marked turn to the east. After 3.7 miles on a normally smooth dirt road, there is a major junction of three rougher roads. Following wet weather, the road might be rutted or have muddy spots. I started my hike at this junction. From the junction, it is about 1.5 miles to the start of the short Gemini Bridges Trail. Most of the visitors will be arriving on a vehicle or a bike. One of the other roads at the junction is the Metal Masher Jeep Trail, marked with small MM signs. In spring there are good views toward the snow capped La Sal Mountains.

This hiking route arrives at the top of the Gemini Bridges. Some areas around the parking area have been closed off for vegetation restoration. There is a long 4WD route that arrives in the bottom of Bull Canyon below the Gemini Bridges. The hike from the parking area to the top of the bridges is about 0.2 miles.

The two side by side bridges are 89 and 70 feet long, 10 feet apart, and both are 26 feet wide. It is about 250 feet to the bottom and there aren’t any safety fences here. There is a large cavern further inside the rock formation behind the bridges that has a thin layer of rock covering it.

About half way to Gemini Bridges there is a side road leading into Four Arches Canyon that makes a good combination hike with the Gemini Bridges hike. About 1.7 miles down this road are four arches that are close together. My hike to Gemini Bridges and the Four Arches took 4:00 hours for about 7.5 miles on a 55 F mid March blue sky day. I carried 3 liters of water and drank two.

Four Arches Canyon Trail

2010-03-18T06:37:00.001-07:00

The Four Arches Canyon Trail is a side trail off of the Gemini Bridges Trail near Moab in southeast Utah. This is a popular mountain bike and 4WD drive route.

Hikers can start at the major junction that is 3.7 miles east of Utah Route 313 along Gemini Bridges Road. The turn off for Four Arches is about 0.7 miles east of the junction and 0.8 miles west of Gemini Bridges.

The trail descends down into a grassy area and crosses a wash. There appears to be some private lodge and camp development in the level area down below, but I didn’t see any activity. There are some good views of the La Sal Mountains looming over some of the sandstone outcrops around the rim above the grassy areas. After crossing the grassy area, the trail heads up a canyon.

About 1.7 miles from the trail head, Bullwhip Arch and Mosquito Arch are visible on the right. From an angle in front and slightly to the left, the resemblance to a mosquito is laughably clear. Hike past the two arches a little and blue sky can be seen through both at the same time.

The 3rd arch is directly across the canyon from Bullwhip and Mosquito Arch. This might be called Crips Arch. The canyon on that side is mostly a solid wall, but there is an indented area with a narrow fin in the middle. The arch is in the fin. I could only see it from a slightly up canyon angle, and no blue sky angle from the trail. Too far up canyon and it disappears from sight. I had trouble finding this one.

The 4th arch is about 0.25 further up the canyon on the opposite side from Mosquito Arch.This one might be known as Shadow Arch. There are two narrow fins side by side up high. The arch is in the fin that is further up canyon and can only be seen from the up canyon side.

After visiting these arches, I realized that Bullwhip and Mosquito Arch are visible from near the trail head area, more than 1.5 miles away. Only one group of four ATVs passed me on a nearly perfect day. My hike to Gemini Bridges and the Four Arch Canyon was about 7.5 miles and took about 4:00 hours on a 55 F degree day. I drank 2 of the 3 liters of water I carried.

Favorite Arch Trails

2010-01-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

The Double Arch is one of the most spectacular formations in Arches National Park and is one of the essential arches to see in this area of unusual carved sandstone formations.

Others arch trails not to miss include the Broken Arch Trail, Devils Garden, Tower Arch, Corona Arch and the famous Delicate Arch.

The Windows Section has several large arches with broad views and short trails. The Double Arch was featured in the opening scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The walk to Double Arch is only 0.8 miles but while in the area you’ll also want to visit the North and South Windows, Turret Arch, and a number of the smaller arches that are in the area. If you only have time for a short visit to Arches, the Windows Section is a good sample of what the area offers.

The Broken Arch Trail is an overlooked 1.3 mile loop route that often gets bypassed for the more popular Devils Garden. There are three good arches along this mostly level with Broken Arch easily visible from the trail head. Not mentioned at the trail head or on the park map is the large Tapestry Arch. Between the campground area and Broken Arch there is a side trail over to this hidden surprise.

Most visitors on the Devils Garden Trail stop at the long and slender Landscape Arch, the one featured on the front of the park brochure. After Landscape, the trail becomes more primitive and leads 2.1 miles to Double O Arch. There are side trails leading to several more large arches such as Pine Tree and Partition. Also this trail passes the site of the recently collapsed Wall Arch. After Double O Arch there is the option of returning the way you came or making a loop on the slightly trickier primitive loop.

The Tower Arch Trail is an overlooked hike as it is well off the main park road along the gravel Salt Valley Road. The route to Tower Arch passes through beautiful canyon country and there are several smaller arches to spot along the way. Next to Tower Arch is the small double arch called Parallel Arch.

While Arches Park has a high concentration of arches, there are many more in the surrounding area. One of the most graceful of all arches is Corona Arch at the end of a 1.5 mile trail that is west of Arches NP along Potash Road. There are two other arches to find on this moderate trail.

The most famous of arches is Delicate Arch. Besides the 3 mile round trip and spectacular views, the historic Wolff Ranch can be viewed near the trail head and there is a petroglyph panel along a side trail. Just before Delicate Arch comes into view, look for Frame Arch on the right and scramble up to view Delicate Arch framed by Frame.

Frame Arch Trail

2009-12-02T06:17:00.000-08:00

The Frame Arch Trail is actually the famous Delicate Arch Trail in Arches National Park in southeast Utah. Most hikers on the 3 mile round trip to the Delicate Arch notice Frame Arch, but don’t climb up the short slope for the special view through it.

The Delicate Arch Trail starts near the historic Wolfe Ranch, the small cabin site of cattle ranchers here in the early 1900s. There is a new bridge crossing Salt Wash and a small petroglyph panel near the trail head. In early December there was flowing water in Salt Wash and a pair of Mallards. Most hikers remember the long stretch uphill over bare sandstone, the route marked with rock cairns.

The final section of trail runs along a ledge with the view toward Delicate Arch blocked. There is an arch down below across the canyon to the left, called Echo Arch and Frame Arch is on the right just before the view opens up.

I didn't catch the light very well, but Echo Arch is in the shadow area to the left of the trail.

After viewing Delicate Arch through Frame Arch I looked to see if it was possible to do the reverse, to view Frame Arch framed through Delicate Arch. It’s possible to stand under Delicate Arch, but the sandstone drops off steeply behind it.

There is a Viewpoint Trail for Delicate Arch, 1.1 miles past the trail head area. The parking area at the view point is much larger than the hiking parking area, with room for several busses. There is a view point that doesn’t require any walking and another view point at the end of a 0.5 mile trail. From the view point, Delicate Arch appears to be one of a row of several eroded fins, rather than an isolated formation.

The hike to Delicate Arch took me about 1:30 hours. I hiked on a 45 F degree blue sky early December day. I carried 1 liter of water but didn’t drink until the end under these comfortable conditions. The View Point hike takes about 0:30 minutes.

Pritchett Canyon Trail

2009-10-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

The Pritchett Canyon Trail is an extreme 4WD trail a little west of Moab in southeast Utah. The Trail Head area is at the private Kane Creek Campground about 4.5 miles west of Highway 191 along Kane Creek Road. There is a $2 per hiker fee to pass through the private campground.

The route passes roughly between deep canyon walls with sparse vegetation. This canyon doesn’t appear to have very much water or riparian habitat, at least in the fall. A good destination for a hiker is the large Window Arch about 3.5 miles down the trail.

The road loops around the fin with Window Arch so it is visible from the north and the south. One of the major 4WD obstacles is on the north side of the loop with the Window looming overhead. At the 2.5 mile mark there is an east side canyon with short unmarked trail to the Troll Bridge Arch.

Past Window Arch the road climbs to a pass where I turned around. The climb up to the pass is the last of the major 4WD obstacles. These obstacles have colorful names like Rocker Knocker, The Rock Pile, and the last one is Yellow Hill. The overall route goes about 5 miles and connects to the Behind the Rocks Jeep Trail.

Looking back toward the area below Window Arch, the reptile looking formation that contains the Halls Bridge arch is visible. This formation is not very clear from below. There is a 0.5 mile trail leading to a good view point of the large Halls Bridge.

Pritchett Arch is clearly visible from the area below Window Arch on the rim to the south. There is also a formation in this area that resembles the head and neck of an ostrich.

The hiking along the Pritchett Canyon Trail is fairly easy, the grade is gradually uphill and the footing is slightly sandy. There are rocky points that are easy to hike past that look impossible for vehicles. The trail head information advises that vehicles should have 2 locking differentials, 33” or larger tires and winches. There is a warning of high possibility of roll over, breakdown and body damage. I hiked the side trail to the Troll Bridge and arrived at the Window Arch after about 2:15 hours. I continued up to the pass and then returned below and hiked the side trail to large Halls Bridge.

The return hike from the Window Arch area without any stops took about 1:45 hours for the 3.5 miles. My total hike took 5:45 hours for the 9 miles that I hiked. It was an 80 F degree day in mid October and I carried 3 liters of water.

Troll Bridge Trail

2009-10-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Troll Bridge Trail is a short side trail off of the Pritchett Canyon Trail near Moab in southeast Utah. About 2.5 miles along the difficult 4WD trail, a vague side road heads east up a side canyon on the left side of the canyon drainage.

The Pritchett Canyon Trail is mostly easy walking, slightly uphill, with sandy footing. There are several major obstacles for vehicles. The side road toward Troll Bridge is closed to vehicles.

The Troll Bridge forms a bridge over the drainage and is visible along the road, but not until you’ve walked past it a few feet. About 0.3 miles up the road there is a canyon junction, with the Bridge a little before the junction. The cliffs are steep in the vicinity of the Bridge and the easy views are from above. I didn’t look for a way to get closer, though it looks like an approach up the wash is feasible.

I looked for a second arch a few hundred yards past the Troll Bridge called Dead End Arch but didn’t see it. Dead End Arch is mentioned in the Chris Moore guide to arches in the Moab area but doesn’t appear on the Bob’s Arches web site. I saw a formation that looked like it might have been an arch but has collapsed. This short tour took about 0:40 minutes out of a total hike of 5:45 hours.

Halls Bridge Arch Trail

2009-10-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

The Halls Bridge Arch Trail is a 0.5 mile side trail off of the Pritchett Canyon Trail west of Moab in southeast Utah. At about 3.5 miles up the very difficult 4WD route a closed side road leads to the west past a rock formation that resembles the head and long neck of an ostrich.

Halls Bridge is a large arch but it is not facing the area where the Pritchett Canyon Trail circles around the very large Window Arch and then continues east up to a pass. The west leading side road comes to an end and a trail continues along the rim of a canyon drainage.

The trail seems to end at a rock wall but there is a notch that allows an easy climb up through about 12 feet of cliff. The notch isn’t exactly at the end of the trail but about 20 feet before it. I had to look for a few seconds before seeing it.

The Halls Bridge is a few hundred feet past the short climb. From a distance, the formation that includes Halls Bridge looks like a prehistoric reptile with a spike in the back of its head and a big eye.

The viewing area for Halls Bridge is somewhat narrow between the rock fins, only a few angles available. I didn’t try to get up closer. This side trip took me about 1:00 hour out of a total hike of 5:45 hours.

Behind the Rocks to Rim Arch

2009-10-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

The Behind the Rocks Trail is a 4WD route in the rocky wilderness area about 10 miles south of Moab in southeast Utah. The turnoff is at mile post 112.9 on the west side of Highway 191.

About 0.4 miles along the dirt road there is a turn off to the right that is the beginning of the route. It is easy to drive any vehicle to this point and the route gets rougher beyond.

The route is well marked for about 1.2 miles as it approaches an area with many conehead sandstone formations and arrives at a fenced vegetation restoration area where the main trail turns left. There is an old trail that continues north to the right toward Moab Rim Arch and Tukuhnikivista Arch.

About 0.5 miles along the side trail the Moab Rim Arch comes into view. I didn’t see any other hikers on this trail but met one couple exploring on an ATV.

There is a blue sky angle for Moab Rim Arch along the west side. This area has the typical canyon area vegetation of Pinon Pines and Utah Junipers with scattered small shrubs.

This trail also has many rim views toward the LaSal Mountains and the Spanish Valley south of Moab. About 0.4 miles past the Rim Arch, the rough road ends at a turnaround point with elevated good views to the east.

Back to the west the Tukuhnikivista Arch is visible high above on the upper rim. The climb up to the arch looked steep. I climbed part of the way to get a better view and saw some rock cairns along the way, so there may be a trail going up. I’ve seen pictures of this arch framing the mountains to the east so it is possible to make the climb.

After getting closer view I returned to the trail head. My hike was about 4.2 miles and took 2:15 hours on a warm 85 F day in late September. I carried 2 liters of water and drank it all.

Hidden Valley Trail

2009-09-29T08:39:00.001-07:00

The Hidden Valley Trail is about a 5 mile round trip that passes through a narrow elevated valley in the rocky terrain near Moab in southeast Utah. The trail head is about 3 miles south of the center of Moab off of Angel Rock Road on the opposite side of Highway 191 from the Moab golf course.

The first part of the trail climbs with switchbacks 680 feet up through the jumbled sandstone cliff. From below the notch into the Hidden Valley isn’t visible. There are good views back toward the south part of Moab as the trail rises.

In Hidden Valley the trail is flat and smooth and surrounded on both sides by towering walls of rock. The valley floor is grassy with scattered Utah Junipers and scattered desert shrubs. This trail connects to the Moab Rim 4WD trail that starts along the Colorado River and the Kane Creek Road. It is about 2.4 miles to the marked junction of the two trails. Vehicles aren’t able to continue past the end of the Moab Rim Trail.

On the right or north side of the Hidden Valley Trail at the junction with the Moab Rim Trail there is a long cliff face that has several unpublicized rock art petroglyph panels. About 200 yards past the junction there is an unmarked side trail that climbs up to the base of the cliffs. The side trail runs both up and down the cliff face. Most of the five or six art panels are to the right and uphill spread out over about 200 yards.

There are a variety of images including many mountain sheep, human figures, geometric designs and at least two flute players.

The side trail also goes to the left, around a corner and up a short side canyon that is behind the main canyon wall. In the side canyon there is at least one more rock art panel that sits high above the floor and takes a little climbing to get up to. It is an interesting panel that includes a line of marchers wearing backpacks and led by flute players. It is somewhat similar to the Procession Panel in the Comb Ridge area of southeast Utah near the town of Bluff. There may be as many as six flute players in this panel.

The return hike has views of the LaSal Mountains to the east. It took me about 30 minutes to climb to the entrance to Hidden Valley and a total time of 1:15 to arrive at the junction of the Hidden Valley and Moab Rim Trails. I spent about 1:15 hours to view the petroglyphs and then 1:00 hour to return to the trail head. My total hike took 3:30 hours for about 5 miles. I carried 2 liters of water on an 85 F day in late September and drank it all.

Devils Garden Primitive Loop Trail

2009-09-10T05:47:00.000-07:00

The Devils Garden Primitive Loop is an alternate return route after arriving at the Double O Arch in Arches National Park in southeast Utah. It is about 2.1 miles along the trail to the start of the Primitive Loop with several large and famous arches to see along the way.

The upper opening of Double O Arch is about 66 feet wide. The area below the arch is very sandy and the walking is a little difficult. The lower opening is large enough for several people to stand in. While viewing Double O, there is also a good view of the pinnacle called Dark Angel. Just before arriving at Double O arch there is a sign pointing out the view point for Black Arch. It is hard to see the opening of Black Arch as it is always in shadows.

I skipped the side trail to Dark Angel and continued along the Primitive Loop. The first obvious arch is called Top Story Arch. There is a sign at the start of the Primitive Loop cautioning hikers that the hiking is difficult. Along this first section the trail is fairly easy walking and up ahead is a side trail to Private Arch.

The walk to Private Arch is a few hundred yards and about 5 minutes. There are some tricky spots along the trail past Private Arch. But if you made it this far you can probably continue.

Two Blocks Arch is another small arch high on the canyon wall to the right about 80% of the way to Private Arch.

After the Private Arch side trail, the Primitive Trail turns south through an area of fins and descends towards a wash. Before arriving at the wash Box Arch is on the right. There isn’t a sign pointing out Box Arch so keep an eye out for the footprints of other hikers in the sand.

Just below Box Arch is the one really tricky part of the trail. There is a slanted narrow ledge above a drop off that was a nervous area to get across. I leaned far to the uphill side and stepped very carefully to the point where I could slide down to the bottom. It looked like this would be a slippery and hard spot to climb up if you were hiking the loop counter clock wise.

The trail continues in the wash for a ways and then a sign directs you out of the wash and back onto an easy to follow trail. The sand is loose in the last stretch making the walking a workout. The views along this section are back towards the many towering rock fins. There may be some arches to find hidden in the fins but there aren’t any more signs or obvious side trails. Keep an eye out for Crystal Arch to the east, about 5 minutes northeast of the junction of the Primitive Loop and Landscape Arch.

The Primitive Loop rejoins the main trail at Landscape Arch and there is a different view of it as you approach the trail junction. My total hike was about 7 miles and took 3:20 hours. I carried 2 liters of water on an 85 F degree early September day and drank it all and needed a big drink when I finished.

Partition Arch & Navajo Arch

2009-09-09T09:03:00.001-07:00

Partition Arch and Navajo Arch are along an 0.8 mile side trail off of the Devils Garden Trail in Arches National Park in southeast Utah. The side trail is a little past the spectacular Landscape Arch. Approaching Landscape Arch, the Partition Arch is visible above and to the right.

The Devils Garden Trail Head is at the north end of the paved road, about 18 miles from the visitor center. The first 0.9 miles to Landscape Arch is a smooth easy trail. After that the trail becomes more primitive, with some rocky scrambling. Between Landscape Arch and the Partition Arch side trail is the site of the collapsed Wall Arch. I noticed that Wall Arch has been deleted from the Devils Garden Trail Guide.

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. An alternate return route is the Primitive Loop that leads to several more arches but is a somewhat more difficult hiking route.

Birthing Scene Petroglyphs

2009-04-18T04:05:00.000-07:00

The Birthing Scene Petroglyph site is a large boulder located only 75 feet from Kane Creek Road in the rocky wilderness area west of Moab in southeast Utah.

The site is 5.3 miles west of the junction with Road 500 West.There are petroglyphs on all four sides of the boulder with the birthing scene being the art work that captures the most attention. This site is a little unusual as the many of these sites are on cliff faces rather than boulders.

The road leading to the site runs along the south bank of the Colorado River, and then follows Kane Creek through a very rocky dry area.

This BLM managed area is popular for off highway vehicles and mountain bikes. There are also many stone arches in the area for hikers to find and there is the cultural history of use by American Indians.

There are at least seven easy to visit rock art sites in the Moab area and probably more in the remote areas.

Along the same road to the Birthing Scene is the Moonflower Canyon site. On the north side of the Colorado River, there are extensive petroglyphs on the steep cliffs along the Potash Road.

Moab Rim Trail

2009-04-16T04:26:00.000-07:00

The Moab Rim Trail is a multi user trail route that climbs to the cliffs overlooking the west side of Moab in southeast Utah. It offers 3.5 miles of road before connecting with the Hidden Valley hiking trail which approaches from the south.

The Trailhead is well marked and is located on Kane Creek Road about 2.5 miles west of the junction with Highway 191.The trail climbs steeply in the first mile, gaining about 1000 feet. There are increasing spectacular views of the Colorado River as it winds toward the Canyonlands National Park. The trail is easy to follow as there are tire marks and oil spots on the Kayenta Sandstone.

The arch known as Little Arch is visible in the top of the cliffs on the opposite side of the Colorado River. Little Arch can be viewed from above along the Poison Spider Trail.

It took me about 30 minutes to get to the top where there are wide views overlooking Moab with some of the arches in Arches National Park visible and the La Sal Mountains to the east. There are some short trails to explore in the overlook area.

The trail cuts away from the rim and splits forming a loop. The left loop follows a sandy wash between large Navajo Sandstone domes and there is a small arch to the left. I think this one is called Buttress Arch. I spent a few minutes getting up under the arch for the blue sky angle, and then followed the right side of the loop.

The route is a two track road for a while then climbs a dome that looked unbelievable to try to drive over. There are good views in all directions from the top of the rocky knob. After descending from the top, the sandy wash part of the loop connects and then the road splits again and ends.

I turned back and followed the sandy part of the loop down a steep slope to explore a side canyon that had several alcoves. This looked like a likely place to find Indian Ruins. This was a scenic and narrow rocky area with some seep springs and lush vegetation but I didn’t see any ruins in the several alcoves.

From here I followed the sandy wash back toward the trail head. There may be ruins or petroglyphs on the road further along the road on the right fork.

There was quite a bit of 4WD drive activity on the trail in this mild April afternoon, with traffic jams forming as the vehicles labored past the tricky spots on this difficult route. With my side trips, it took me 3:00 hours to get to my turn around point, but only 1:15 to return to the bottom for a total hike of 4:15.

Moab Golf Course Petroglyphs

2009-04-15T04:39:00.000-07:00

The Moab Golf Course Petroglyphs are one of about seven easy to visit rock art sites in the area. The site is one mile east on Spanish Trail Road, leading toward the golf course, and then 0.5 miles on Westwater drive past a small traffic circle. This site has some large figures that are sometimes referred to as Moab Man. This site is somewhat suburban compared to other rock art sites, with a nice housing area and the lush green golf course nearby.

I saw several groups of dirt bikes gearing up for a ride in the beautiful rock wilderness in the area. If you drive past the site, the road ends after a short distance at a 4WD road.

The golf course site is on the southeast side of Moab away from the Colorado River area where several of the other rock art sites are located. Across the valley to the west is the Moab Rims area, where there are rough trails and fabulous rock formations.

The panel is about 30 feet high and 90 feet long. Toward the right end is a group of figures that resembles a team of reindeer pulling a sleigh.

Tower Arch Trail

2009-03-06T05:27:00.000-08:00

The Tower Arch Trail is a 3.4 mile out and back route to the large Tower Arch in the Klondike Bluffs area of Arches National Park in southeast Utah.

The Trail Head is along the Salt Valley gravel road that connects with the main park road near the Sand Dune Arch Trail in the north end of the park.

The trail climbs away from the trail head and overlooks the Salt Valley. It then descends toward a drainage with towering cliffs on both sides and scattered Pinon Pines and Utah Juniper trees on the canyon floor. Along the cliff sides there are several small arches to watch for, some of the 2000 that are in Arches Park.

Climbing away from the drainage the route passes through an area of loose sand. I thought the formation to the south resembled football goal posts, but it is named the Marching Men. There are numerous pinnacles and fins along this scenic trail.

Coming down the final fin before Tower Arch, there is a small arch to the right. This might be a double arch, but I didn't see any light shining through the back arch. This arch is more noticeable on the return hike and is easy to get under for the blue sky angle. I think this is called Parallel Arch-Inner and Outer.

The large Tower Arch has a span of 92 feet, height of 43 feet, and is 50 feet thick.

Just before arriving at Tower Arch, there is a trail junction with the route leading from the 4WD road that leads from the Balanced Rock area. The 4WD road provides an alternate but longer route to return to the trail head. Using this loop route the total hike is 6.1 miles. I spent 1:30 hours on the 3.4 miles that I hiked.

Moonflower Canyon Petroglyphs

2009-03-05T05:10:00.001-08:00

The Moonflower Canyon Petroglyph site is an easy to visit small site on Kane Creek Road about 2.3 miles west of the 500 West junction in Moab in southeast Utah.

Kane Creek Road runs along the south side of the Colorado River and leads to several 4WD trails in a very rocky and scenic area.

It is one of about seven publicized and easy to find Rock Art sites in the Moab area. There are many more rock art sites that are not publicized. There is a campground at the same site. The site is marred by recent graffiti but features Mountain Sheep and Deer figures and one Barrier style elongated humanoid figure.
Another Moab area site that has the interesting Barrier style is the Courthouse Wash site just south of the entrance to Arches National Park
Just to the left of the main petroglyph panel is a crack in the rock with logs arranged to aid climbing. This is explained as a technique used in ancient times to aid access to higher areas.

There is another smaller petroglyph site about 1.2 miles further west along Kane Creek Road that is easily missed traveling west but noticeable when returning east.

Eye of the Whale Arch Trail

2009-03-04T05:01:00.000-08:00

The Eye of the Whale Arch Trail is located along the 4WD road that runs from the Balanced Rock Trail area north toward Klondike Bluffs. A gravel road starts directly across from the Balanced Rock Trail in Arches National Park in southeast Utah and leads to a picnic area, then at 0.8 miles, to a junction with the 4WD road to Willow Springs.

I started my hike at the junction of the 4WD roads and followed for about 1.9 miles to the trail head, then another 0.25 miles to the arch. The road provides easy walking and the terrain seems to be dominated by Mormon Tea, another small shrub that I think is Blackbrush with a few scattered Utah Junipers and patches of Prickly Pear cactus.The Eye of the Whale Arch has a span of 37 feet, is 12 feet high, and 25 feet thick. Standing under the arch there is a slope going down the back side that looked easy enough to slide down, but might be tricky to climb back up.

Checking around the south side of the formation, there is a wash that leads to the back side. The Eye is more impressive from the back side and I thought looked more like the eye of a gator than a whale.

I didn't attempt to climb up the steep ramp from the back side. It took me about 50 minutes to arrive at the arch, 20 minutes to look around and 50 minutes back for a total of about 2:00 hours for about 4.4 miles of hiking.

Only 15 minutes of hiking pas the Eye of the Whale is the large Leaping Arch. There isn't a marked trail or a sign pointing it out, but it is visible from the Klondike Bluffs 4WD road. A 7 mile loop hike is possible by following the drainage beyond the sandstone fins southwest to the Willow Springs Road and then returning to the junction

Balanced Rock Trail

2009-01-14T09:40:00.000-08:00

The Balanced Rock Trail is a short 0.3 mile loop trail near the Windows Section of Arches National Park in southeast Utah. It is a popular trail as the Rock is visible from the main road and is one of the first attractions visitors come across.Arches National Park is just north of the Colorado River and the Mountain Bike Mecca, Moab, Utah. It is desert country and is famous for the high concentration of natural stone arches that have formed there. The arches are all in a specific sandstone layer that is exposed on the surface here and are the product of thousands of years of erosion.

The Balanced Rock often appears in western movie scenes and this type of formation is not unusual in the region. The different layers of rock and the differential erosion can be observed in the sculpted formation.

The top rounded and balanced rock is a fragment of Entrada Sandstone, the layers that most of the famous arches are formed from. It sits on the Dewey Bridge member of Carmel Formation, a layer that is darker brown and not as smooth as it erodes. Below that is the Navajo Sandstone, a thick layer that forms massive cliffs where it is exposed.

At the far end of the trail there are views toward the Windows Section and the La Sal Mountains. A few of the large arches in the Windows area are visible from the distance. The Windows Section is also popular as an area where these large features can be viewed without much walking.

Devils Garden Trail

2009-01-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

The Devils Garden Trail is one of the most popular trails in Arches National Park in southeast Utah, and is located at the far north end of the paved road. It offers views of several large and well known arches without a lot of hiking.

It is only 0.9 miles to along a 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 it until in 1991 a big section broke free and crashed to the ground. Now you view 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 new visitor center. The crack was described as being like a bolt of lightning striking. The new center has been in development since 2001 and opened in September 2005.

Don't skip the side trail to near the trail head to Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch. Tunnel Arch appears to be a double arch but without any light at the end of the upper tunnel.

Back to the north on the side trail is Pine Tree Arch. There are Pinon Pine trees in the area along with Utah Junipers. 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. Back on the main trail and continuing on past the Landscape Arch, there are side trails to Navajo Arch and Partition Arch. 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.

There is a long section where the trail is more like those found in nearby Canyonlands 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. This arch is always in shadow.

On this hike I went as far as Double O Arch, about 2.1 miles down the trail. Here I turned around and followed the same route back. The trail continues on in a primitive loop for a total tour of 5.9 miles. There is also a side trail at Double O Arch to the pinnacle called Dark Angel.

Ring Arch Trail

2008-12-24T05:38:00.000-08:00

The Ring Arch is visible from the main Arches National Park Road, with binoculars, from the pull over area on the north side of the Courthouse Wash bridge. The arch is to the west and slightly south about 1.5 miles away.The trail going that way is in the sandy Courthouse Wash. Down in the wash the banks are deep and steep and the view to where you are headed is obscured.

A side wash comes in from the left after about a mile and the trail to Ring Arch goes that way, but there isn't a sign so you have to watch for it. The trail up Court House Wash continues past the unmarked Ring Arch turnoff.

It is possible to climb up and get under the arch but look carefully for the right spot to climb. I only saw one feasible place to scramble up.

Looking up at the blue sky angle, it looks like during heavy rain this arch would get a spectacular flow of water funneled through it.

The view from the arch back toward the main road shows some of the panorama that is Arches. I spent about 1:45 on this 3 mile round trip. It was somewhat exhausting hiking due to all the sand.

Christmas Tree Arch Trail

2008-12-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas Tree Arch is located in the Windows Section of Arches National Park in southeast Utah. It is vaguely visible along the short trail to Double Arch to the right, past the formation that looks like the Sphinx. The Park has a sign at that point telling visitors that there isn't a trail going over to it from Double Arch.From the west side of the North and South Windows parking area there is a route along a small wash and between some rock fins that leads to the back side of Christmas Tree Arch.

From the Windows Primitive trail you can see between these fins. The path I walked is connected to the Windows Primitive Trail by an obscure trail junction. Going this way I didn't see any "This is not a trail signs."

There is a little climbing but it's not too hard to get between the fins, and then get up under the arch and look through back toward the Double Arch area. From there, the Sphinx like formation is visible and there is a minor arch up to the right looking through the opening.

Looking the other way from Christmas Tree Arch, a drainage allows the hike to continue and the view to the north is toward the Delicate Arch area. There is another arch, Ribbon Arch, down the drainage and to the left around the corner.

I thought that I scanned carefully but somehow missed Ribbon Arch, unless it is here and I'm not seeing it. I see some alcoves and almost arches, but I didn't go up closer. Ribbon Arch is supposed to be a thin strip near the top of the cliffs. I hiked in this area for about 1:30 hours.

Jug Handle Arch and Desert Big Horn Sheep

2008-11-19T09:46:00.000-08:00

Jug Handle Arch is an easy to view large arch located 13 miles west along Potash Road, Highway 279, near Arches National Park in southeast Utah. It is visible from the road, positioned up in the sandstone cliffs overlooking the Colorado River.

There is a parking area just to the west of the arch and it is a short walk along the road or the railroad tracks to view the formation from either side. At the same level as the base of the arch and about 100 feet to the left there is a petroglyph panel. It is hard to spot from a distance. There is a rough trail going up that doesn’t look like it gets used very often.

It is possible to find an angle where both Jug Handle Arch and the petroglyph panel are in the same picture. Many petroglyph panels have spirals, this one appears to have three sets of concentric circles that look like targets and have drawn some shots. There is also a Moab Man like image.

While hiking up closer for pictures I had the good luck of startling a group of Desert Big Horn Sheep who spotted me with their keen eyesight and dashed up the cliff side and under the arch for safety.

From the safety of the cliffs they looked down on me with what appeared to be calm curiosity. There were at least six in the group, I think, one with large full ram horns, three females with smaller horns and two yearlings.

The Desert Bighorn Sheep are adapted to go longer periods without water, though this group has easy access to the Colorado River. They have unique padded hooves that aid them in bounding along these cliffs with ease. These sheep are able to lose of to 30 per cent of their body weight from dehydration and recover easily when they finally drink.

This ability gives them an advantage in evading their predators who can't take the heat. They are able to obtain sufficient water from the grasses and other vegetation that they eat. They particularly like Prickly Pear Cactus and other succulents.

In moving away from the arch, up the canyon, it appeared that the ram and one ewe were leading and a group of two ewes and the two yearlings were following, staying close together. The normal breeding season is July to December though breeding can vary due to environmental conditions. Lambs are usually born in late winter after six months gestation. This group was sighted on November 18, 2008.

The 1993 population estimate for Utah was 2200 to 2250 individuals with the trends increasing due to conservation efforts. Arizona, Nevada, and California have the highest populations and the total in the U.S. was estimated at about 19,000.

Morning Glory Bridge in Negro Bill Canyon

2008-10-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

The Negro Bill Trail to Morning Glory Bridge is about a 4 mile round trip to one of the largest natural rock spans in the world. The trail head is about 3 miles east of Moab along Highway 128 in southeast Utah. This area is near the south end of Arches National Park.The well marked trail follows along a year round clear stream and crosses it several times. The crossings usually have stepping stones and the water is shallow in fall. The walls of the canyon are very high and steep and the canyon bottom is lush with riparian vegetation.

The Morning Glory Bridge is at the end of the second side canyon to the right. The main canyon continues for several more miles. There is a little bit of elevation change upwards in the last section of the hike. Though the trail is well marked, keep an eye open for the route toward the bridge.

The interpretive information at the trail head says that the span of Morning Glory Bridge is 243 feet, making it the sixth largest in the United States.

There isn't much of a gap between the span and the back wall, but it is easy to get below and see blue sky in between.

There were a lot of fins and alcoves along the route, but I didn't spot any other arches or any signs of Indian Ruins. This trail has a lot of poison ivy growing in the moist areas near the stream. Negro Bill was William Granstaff, an early settler who arrived in 1877.

I took about 2:00 hours to make the about 4 mile round trip. There were at least 20 other hikers on this trail on a late October day.

Courthouse Wash Rock Art

2008-10-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

At the south end of the Court House Wash Trail in Arches National Park in southeast Utah there is a Rock Art Panel that overlooks the junction of the wash with the Colorado River. There is a side trail climbing up to view the panel. The south end of the Court House Wash Trail can be accessed with out actually entering the Park. The Courthouse Wash Trail is the only true canyon habitat trail in Arches Park and is about 6 miles long.

There is a parking area about two miles south of the main entrance along Highway 191. The Rock Art Panel faces the highway.

The trail up to the Rock Art is about 0.5 miles and is marked by rock cairns but there is not a sign pointing it out, so you have to know you are looking for it. There is an interpretive sign below the panel that is visible before the panel is.

There is something of a jarring contrast in viewing ancient works of art, then turning to overlook a busy highway and the tourist and industrial activity of Moab.

The interpretive sign indicates that the long tapered figures are the work of archaic Indians and is known as the Barrier style. The Barrier style is the oldest style in the region and is associated with the Archaic Culture. The work may be 1500 to 4000 years old. Unfortunately, the panel was vandalized in 1980 and much of the color has been destroyed.

On the rock slabs that are in front of the pictographs, there are some petroglyphs appearing to be mostly of sheep. These are thought to be the work of the historic Utes. Sites that are near geographic crossroads, such as this stream junction are often used for Rock Art.

Updraft Arch

2008-10-24T05:09:00.000-07:00

Updraft Arch is about 1.0 miles east of Moab along Highway 128, near Arches National Park in southeast Utah. The arch overlooks the Colorado River from high sandstone cliffs on the south side of the highway. The Goose Island information and interpretive site provides easy parking and a route for easy viewing.

There are numerous campgrounds and river access points along this section of the Colorado River.

From the east side of the information pullout, a gravel road descends down to a paved bike trail. There are good views of the Colorado River and the spectacular cliffs.
To see the arch hike back to the west along the bike trail for a few hundred yards, looking at the cliffs to the south.

Updraft Arch appears to be a pothole type of arch. Looking at the opening to the right of the arch , the two formations look like a pair of droopy eyes. It may be possible to view the top of Updraft Arch from the Moab Slickrock bike trail.

There isn't a sign pointing out Updraft Arch in the information pullout or along the bike trail. The interpretive information points out that this area is good for watchable wildlife.

The water and lush vegetation provide habitat for numerous birds and mammals such as beaver and otters. The high cliffs and talus slopes attract desert Bighorn Sheep and Peregrine Falcons.

Looking Glass Arch

2008-10-24T04:48:00.000-07:00

Looking Glass Rock is a large arch about 2.0 miles west off of Highway 191, south of Moab in southeast Utah. The road is well marked as Looking Glass Road and is a little north of the large Wilson Arch that is visible along the highway.There is a dirt road that leads right to the base of Looking Glass Rock, or you can stop at the junction and hike a little bit. There is a small BLM sign pointing out the formation. Moving to the right and back along a fence, it looks like this is a double arch.

The climb up closer on the sandstone is fairly easy, but to get under the arch looked steep with a dangerous drop off.
There is another dirt road that allows easy access around to the other side of Looking Glass Rock. From this opposite angle the formation is more hollowed out and I thought resembled an elephant's head.

Looking Glass Arch is one of three arches that offer short hikes along this section of Highway 191. The others are the obvious Wilson Arch and the less noticed Lopez Arch.

Lopez Arch Trail

2008-10-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

Lopez Arch is one of 50 large arches that are south of Moab in southeast Utah and outside of Arches National Park. It is visible from Highway 191 at mile post 98, about 2.5 miles south of the more visible Wilson Arch.There is a large pull over place on the east side of Highway 191 but there is no sign calling attention to Lopez Arch. It is in a fin about 0.25 miles away but may be hard to see from the highway depending on the light.

There is a path leading to the fence and an eroded spot where you can crouch down and slip under. There isn't an official trail but there are some hiker made paths that lead down to a wash. Along the bank of the wash, without crossing it is possible to see blue sky through the opening.

It isn't hard to cross the wash and scramble up the sandstone on the other side to get a closer look. I only went far enough to get a good view and didn't try to get under the opening. There are also good views from this area back to the south toward the Blue Mountains.

This area is part of the Cameo Cliffs BLM area. There is an extensive system of ATV Trails in the area. Good maps are available at the staging area. Look for the highway sign for Steen Road and ATV trailhead.

Double Arch Trail

2008-09-02T05:33:00.000-07:00

The Double Arches Trail is a 0.5 mile route in the Windows Section of Arches National Park in southeast Utah leading to one of the more spectacular Arches in the park.

Besides the large Double Arch there are several minor arches to keep an eye out for. There are more than 2000 arches within the park. From the start of the trail, the formations to the left are the Parade of Elephants. Two minor arches are visible. The larger one could be imagined as an eye for one of the elephants.
Looking back to the left, I thought this view, toward the Parade of Elephants, looked like a skull with two flaming eyes. The eye to the left is an arch but to the right is just a notch. There is another minor arch to the left of the left eye but it is hard to see from this point as there is rock behind it. A little further forward and blue sky is visible through it.

Looking to the right, it looks like there is a large arch, Christmas Tree Arch, there. There is also a Sphinx like formation. The Park is very militant about staying on the trail in the highly visited areas, and there is no trail from the Double Arch going over there to look closer.

Closer to the Double Arch and looking up to the left there is a minor arch. The park brochure says that the opening has to be about 3 feet to qualify for the official catalog.

Close up to the massive Double Arch. The major span has a horizontal gap that also appears to be a minor arch, though this angle doesn't show it.

It is possible to continue under the Double Arch and climb up on the rocks behind. The view through the smaller of the Double Arches is toward the approaching road and overlooks the Cove of Caves area. There is an arch in the Cove of Caves but it is hard to pick out from the viewpoint.

Garden of Eden

2008-09-01T05:30:00.001-07:00

The Garden of Eden is an overlook area in the vicinity of Balanced Rock and is on the road to the Windows Section of Arches National Park in southeast Utah. There is no official trail here but there is room to wander in the garden and hunt for some of the 2000 arches.

From the parking area the view to the east is a jumble of the carved formations that are among the highlights of this sandstone area.
Moving a little east and north into the garden, one fairly large arch comes into view. This is Serpentine Arch, the name in keeping with the Garden of Eden theme.

Pick your own route over the exposed sandstone. There doesn't seem to be any of the slow growing dark biotic soil in this area that they worry about.
A few steps further and looking all around, there is another small opening. It doesn't look like much but probably meets the three foot opening size to qualify as an arch.
A little further and I saw these two small eyes, glancing at me. These might be too small. I only went about a quarter mile along the north side of the Garden and found several minor arches. I can see how there can be thousands, but it would take a lot of wandering around to find them.

Windows Primitive Trail

2008-08-31T05:42:00.000-07:00

The Windows Primitive Trail is a short loop that goes around the Windows formations in Arches National Park in southeast Utah. I followed the trail in a counter clockwise direction.The Windows Section is one of the most popular stops in the park, with a lot of large arches in one place. The first part of the trail goes behind the South Window. The Primitive Trail is not lined with easy steps like the main Windows Trail.

Continuing around there are views of both the North and South Windows, "The Spectacles" from behind. This view is lacking the large nose like formation that you see from the other side.

There are more than 2000 arches inside the park, a surprising number at first, but they are counting a lot of small ones. Keeping an eye out there appears to be a very small one high above as the trail winds back to the front of the Windows.
The Parade of Elephants formation near Double Arch comes into view toward the end of the trail and gives a clear view of the medium sized arch there.
To the left of the two main Windows there is an arch that is hard to see as there is a rock wall behind it, but sunlight from above gives it away. This arch lines up with "The Spectacles" and looks like a third eye, but a blind one. I think the official name for the third eye is Biceps Arch.

Turret Arch Trail

2008-08-30T05:41:00.000-07:00

The Turret Arch Trail is a side loop of the Windows Loop Trail in Arches National Park in southeast Utah. The Windows Section is a popular stop and is a place with wide views of a number of large arches in a compact area.

The short trail offers easy steps up to the large opening with the turret like formation to the left. As this is a side trail there may be a tendency to view the arch from a distance and go to the North and South Windows, but there are some good views of the surrounding area in addition to the arch itself.
The Turret Arch appears to also be a double arch with a smaller opening to the left. There is a short primitive trail that allows you to get up under the span of the large arch. From the Turret Arch the North and South Window appear as "The Spectacles" with a large nose formation in between.

The back side of Turret Arch is accessible and from here you can view The Spectacles framed through the Turret Arch.

Corona Arch Trail

2008-08-29T05:16:00.000-07:00

The Corona Arch Trail is a 3.0 mile round trip that passes within sight of three arches including the spectacular Corona Arch.

This trail starts about 9 miles west along Potash Road which is near the entrance to Arches National Park, north of Moab, in southeast Utah.

The first part of the trail climbs giving a view of the Colorado River as it snakes toward Canyonlands National Park. There is a train track, built in 1964, from the potash mining site that crosses the trail and is visible again toward the end of the trail.
As the 440 feet of elevation gain continues, Pinto Arch is visible across the canyon. It is not easy to see as there is a rock background through the arch. There are also alcoves, and perhaps future arches forming high along the cliffs.

There are three climbing aids along the trail. This one has some foot holds carved into the rock besides the cable to grab on to. There is also a small ladder further on.

The spectacular Corona Arch comes into view. The trail head information says that the opening is 140 feet long by 105 feet high. It also mentions that Corona Arch is also sometimes called Little Rainbow Bridge.

Just to the left of Corona Arch is Bowtie Arch, which appears to be a pothole type of arch, or one that eroded from the top down.
It is possible to pass under the span and cross to the other side. I walked this trail in late August 2008 in the morning with the temperature about 85 F. It was warm but there was some breeze and it wasn't too bad.

It took me 1:20 hours to make the round trip. There were only two others hiking at the time I did.

Potash Road Petroglyphs

2008-08-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

Potash Road is a scenic byway that runs along the north side of the Colorado River just west of the entrance to Arches National Park in southeast Utah. There are several campgrounds and trail heads along the way and one of the attractions is a large set of petroglyph panels or Indian Writing as the sign says.

This doesn't appear to have been an area where there is room for any dwellings or room for farming, yet there is a lot of rock art. The setting is spectacular with massive sandstone cliffs right against the road and the Colorado River only a few feet away. The Colorado River here is just upstream of where it enters Canyonlands National Park.

It is thought that these drawing were done by the Northern San Rafael Fremont Culture which flourished in this area from 600 AD to 1300 AD. These drawings are mostly high above the roadway and have a mix of animals, human figures, and geometric designs.
There are quite a few panels to see in one place and the figures seem larger in scale than others in the region. Some of the human figures appear to have animal heads, or they are wearing horns.
There is only a narrow strip of land between the sandstone cliffs and the Colorado River. On the opposite bank are some of the rough carved sandstone formations that are typical in this area.

Wilson Arch Trail

2008-08-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

Wilson Arch is one of about 50 large arches south of Moab and outside of Arches National Park in southeast Utah. It is probably the easiest to find, being along Highway 191 about 25 miles south of Moab.This large span was named for a local pioneer Joe Wilson. There is a short trail that climbs up to the span. This arch is in the widespread Entrada Sandstone layer. These arches are formed as ice water seeps into cracks and freezes, breaking loose particles that are cleaned out by winds. Fins form, which are attacked by wind and water until the cementing material breaks down and chunks of rock break free.
The backside of Wilson Arch slopes down steeply to the desert floor. Visitors are usually drawn up and want to stand under the span but these are often precarious spots. The beauty of this arch has attracted some real estate development down below.

Sand Dune & Broken Arch Trail

2008-03-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

The Sand Dune & Broken Arch Trail is a 2.4 mile loop that has a trailhead along the main road and also in the Devil's Garden Campground in Arches National Park.I started at the trailhead that is along the main road. Only a few steps along the trail is a side trail to Sand Dune Arch. The trail passes between some rock fins and goes up a narrow canyon with a loose sand floor.
The Sand Dune Arch is a small one, close to the ground and hidden from view by all the surrounding rock.
The trail continues across a brushy flat area for about 0.5 miles to Broken Arch. This arch is visible in the distance

The trail continues under and through Broken arch. The notch at the top gives the rock the appearance of being broken. Quite a few people from the campground were lounging here, enjoying the mild spring weather
A little further on there is a side trail to Tapestry Arch. This one surprised me, as it's not mentioned on the park map or on the sign at the trail head.
Back on the main trail, the route enters the Devils Garden Campground and then loops back to the main road trail head. passing over a slickrock area and between more rock fins.

It took me about 1:30 to cover this trail. Part of the way you have to walk in loose sand, making the going a little harder.

Skyline Arch Trail

2008-03-27T06:02:00.001-07:00

The Skyline Arch Trail is a short 0.4 mile trail near the Devils Garden Campground in Arches National Park.Skyline Arch towers over the area below. The interpretive information says that in 1940, this arch suddenly doubled its size, a large chunk falling forward and crashing below. Arches are normally thought to form slowly, but this one grow with a leap.
As I stood below the arch and looked at the pile of stone still resting where it fell in 1940, I heard children's voices coming from the arch above. Somehow, two youngsters managed to climb up there and sit under the arch way.
This is a short and easy hike but is one that most skip on the way to the popular Devil's Garden.

Park Avenue Trail to Baby Arch

2008-03-26T06:37:00.000-07:00

The Park Avenue Trail is a 2.0 mile round trip trail near the entrance to Arches National Park. This is the first opportunity for a hike at Arches after entering the park. The route is a moderate walk along a mostly primitive trail on the canyon floor, offering close up views of huge sandstone fins, balanced rocks and tall spires.

At the trail head, look to the right and up for Park Avenue Arch. It's hard to tell that this is a true arch but apparantly there is a one foot space between the arch shaped rock and the back wall.

The trail can be accessed from either end and you can have someone pick you up if you only want to go one way. The south trail head looks down the canyon.

The Park Avenue name comes from the tall sky scraper appearance of the sandstone rock fins. The sandstone layer here is mostly the Entrada layer.
At the north end of the trail there are rock formations that have local names. This is the "Three Gossips."
The parking area at the north trail head offers a view of the Courthouse Towers, or maybe this is the Tower of Babel.

At the lower end of the Park Avenue Trail there is a view point that includes Baby Arch. From the view point it is hard to spot Baby Arch due to the rock surface that appears behind it. If you move about 100 yards further north, some blue sky appears through the opening. I took about an hour to walk down the canyon and back up.

Delicate Arch Trail

2007-11-14T17:28:00.001-08:00

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.

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. It took me 45 minutes to get to the Arch.

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.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.
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.

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.