One of the pleasant surprises of our Utah trip was this off the beaten path hike near Moab and Arches National Park. We had spent the day at Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park and decided to hit this trail on our way back to our lodging in Moab, at the suggestion of our son.

We arrived around 4:30p at the trailhead and headed up. There is a steep incline at the beginning and you do cross the railroad tracks before continuing your ascent up an old road bed through a gap that is a bit of a rock scramble. The trail is really well marked with blue blazes as you head on up from here. Just before you get to the top there is a rock with footholds in it and a safety chain to get you up, then an approximately 6 foot ladder that you climb. After that you can see the arches and it is a short walk from there. The arches are next to each other so you get two for the price of one climb. Something to keep in mind is that the hike is in the direct sun, so take plenty of water.

The trail was rather deserted, we saw 2 people coming down at the beginning of the trail and 3 people on our descent. But we had the Arches all to ourselves to enjoy and capture pictures. This trail really should be at the top of your list if you are in the Moab area.

The trail is 3 mile round trip and took us about 1.5 hours to complete, including resting and enjoying the Arches at the top. There is another Arch called Pinto Arch that is accessible from this trail, but we did not venture that direction. But, it would be very doable if you have plenty of time.

From Moab, take US 191 North for 4 miles, turn Left onto UT 279 (Potash Rd) driving for 10 miles following the Colorado River (You will pass several campgrounds and other trail heads, we also saw people rock climbing). Parking for the trailhead is located on the Right side of the road, parallel to the Colorado River.