A Hiking Trail is Awaiting

The sandstone landscape of the Moab area cannot be properly described without some pause. It also cannot be truly experienced without putting your feet directly on the rock. The best way to see geology as art – a fantasyland of arches and fins – is to hike through it.

Many hiking trails around Moab are gentle well-established paths while others are moderate hikes or trails for serious hikers.

Choose your trails carefully according to your fitness level. As you start out, remember that hiking to your destination is only half the journey. You still have to get back to your starting point.

Never take a trail because it looks like a trail. Many trails exist because animals use them, not because humans created them.

Before heading out, stop by the Moab Information Center or national park visitor centers for specific information on trails.

Just Good Advice

• Do not hike or climb alone. Most fatalities happen to those going solo.
• No flip-flops. Tennis shoes will do. Hiking boots are best.
• Take water, at least a gallon a day per person. Yes, a gallon. The air is so dry it will suck out all your juices.
• Ditch the earphones. Your senses need to be on alert. Nature demands your respect.
• Follow the cairns that mark many trails. Cairns are small piles of two, three or more rocks stacked on top of each other. (Never add to or remove the rocks.) Follow the cairns and you are on the trail.

  

• Stay on designated trails. The cryptobiotic soil is very fragile and takes decades to establish. One footstep will damage it for years.

There are many, many hikes in the area. These are just a few suggestions.

Portal Overlook Trail

Trailhead location is the JayCee Park recreation site on Utah Scenic Byway 279, 4.2 miles west of the Utah Hwy 279/US Hwy 191 junction. The hike is two miles to Portal Overlook on constructed trail and slickrock. Allow three hours roundtrip. From JayCee Park, follow the hiking trail up the Colorado towards the river portal. (Please register at the visitor box.) From the visitor box, the trail begins its climb to the viewpoint. After several switchbacks, the trail follows a cairned route up ramps of sandstone to the overlook. From here you have a panoramic view of the valley, La Sal Mountains and Colorado River, but be cautious around the overlook as there are no safety fences. This trail is frequently used by mountain bikers. Watch for other users.

Corona Arch Trail

Trailhead on Utah Scenic Byway 279, ten miles west of the Utah Hwy 279/US Hwy 191 junction. Three-mile roundtrip. Constructed trail and slickrock. A hiking-only trail. The trail includes some moderately technical hiking. From the parking lot, cross the railroad track and follow an old roadbed up through a gap in the rim. The majority of this trail is on slickrock and is well marked with rock cairns. Follow the cairns up the wash and over a low sandy pass down to the base of large cliffs. Follow the base of the cliff to the cables then climb the short ladder. You will get your first view of the arch. The smooth design of the arch, which has a sculpted appearance, is breathtaking. From this point, it is an easy walk to the base of Corona Arch. Corona is one of the most magnificent arches in the area.

Fisher Towers
They look familiar because they have served as a scenic backdrop for movies and commercials. Fisher Towers offers a fun family hike that includes bizarre geologic creations right out of science fiction. Located northeast of Moab on Utah Scenic Byway 128, mile 21, Fisher Towers Recreation Site is at the end of a 2.2-mile-long, graded, dirt access road. The hiking trail along the base of the towers is 2.2 miles long. It
takes most people three to four hours to make a leisurely round trip. This is a great spot for sunset.

Negro Bill Canyon Trail

Trailhead on Utah Scenic Byway 128, three miles east of the junction with US Hwy 191. Two miles to Morning Glory Bridge. A hiking-only moderate trail with several stream crossings. Be sure to wear proper footwear. This hike follows a stream through an oasis of cottonwood and willow trees and towering sandstone cliffs. There are several side canyons. Take the second canyon on your right, two miles from the trailhead. This leads to Morning Glory Natural Bridge, a stunning natural rock span of 243ft. This is a good hike for families.

Negro Bill Canyon is named for William Granstaff, an African-American cattleman who ran his cattle in the canyon in the late 1870s. Although some have sought to rename the canyon because of a perceived derogatory stigma associated with the name, Ronald Coleman, an African-American professor of history at the University of Utah, urges the name be kept since it clearly recognizes the contributions of Utah’s African-American pioneers.