en en it en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en nb en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en ca en ca en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en ca en ja en en en es es es es en en
Distance: 10.8 miles (roundtrip). Duration: 6 - 8 hours. Canyon climbing and scrambling. Amazing cliff and canyon views. Seclusion and privacy.
Important Note: Druid Arch is located on the eastern side of Canyonlands National Park in the Needles District. It is not located at the main entrance to the park. Stop by the Needles Visitor Center and pick up a map. Your starting point, Elephant Hill Trailhead is then located 6.3 miles west of the visitor center. (Elephant Hill, Monticello, UT 84535)
Drawing it's name from a resemblance to Stongehenge, Druid Arch is a 5.4 mile hike (one way) beginning from the Elephant Hill Trailhead. I highly recommend starting early (5:30-6:00AM), as the best time to view the arch is early to mid morning.
For the first 1.2 miles the trail zig zags across beautiful rock formations, leading you through stone spires on the east side of Elephant Canyon. After approximately 45 minutes you will arrive at a junction where you turn right, from there, the trail drops down into Elephant Canyon.
As you reach the canyon floor, you follow it through Elephant Canyon where you are surrounded by the amazing Cedar Mesa Sandstone pinnacles on both sides of the ravine. Along the way you will pass two more junctions where trails from Chesler Park and Squaw Canyon join the Elephant Canyon Trail. In each case, continue to follow the trail along the riverbed. You tramp along the desert wash floor for another 3.7 miles until the trail leads you up above the ravine. This section marks the last .5 miles to reach Druid Arch as you elevate about 600 feet to reach the lookout point. At the top it provides you with a spectacular view of not only Druid Arch, but the whole canyon that you hiked through.
Download the Outbound mobile app
Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.
Long trail into a cool and remote arch. The view from Druid Arch, looking back through the valley, is stunning. The hike is challenging for the length, but not too much climbing until the very end.
A crew of 7 people from Sierra Club's Military Outdoors program set off on a backpacking trip to see Druid Arch and the Needles region. We stayed in one of the backcountry campsites in Chesler Park, which was absolutely gorgeous. Be sure to reserve your spot ahead of time at the Visitor's Center. After dropping packs in the mid-afternoon, we meandered to Druid Arch and night hiked out of the canyon with headlamps. It was a gorgeous trip and we caught the Arch right at sunset. On your way out, make sure to hit up Newspaper rock.
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
Hike Chesler Park and Joint Trails, Canyonlands NP
This world class hiking route circumnavigates Chesler Park by way of open meadows, slots, subterranean alcoves, stairways and slick rock.Begin at the Elephant Hill Trailhead and head south following signage for the Joint Trail / Chesler Park along the way. Once you arrive at Chesler Park turn left to loop the park clockwise, eventually meeting the legendary Joint Trail and then returning the wa...
Joint Trail in the Canyonlands Needles District
A large part of the grandeur of Canyonlands National Park is the vast barren vista at Island in the Sky, but no visit to Canyonlands would be complete without the intimate and immersive desert experience that the Needles District offers. Drive two hours southwest of Moab away from cell phone reception and into ranch lands to the Needles District Visitor Centre to pick up your permit and human w...
Hike Peekaboo Trail to Salt Creek Canyon
Trail Description This adventure starts at Squaw Flat Trailhead A in the Needles District of the Canyonlands. Get there early to claim a parking spot, as there are several trails in the area, and you will want to see the colors change in the rock formations as the sun rises in front of you on your way to Salt Creek Canyon. While there is no change in total elevation, there are abundant elevatio...
Backpack to Chesler Park, Canyonlands NP
The first draw of this adventure is the roadtrip to the trailhead itself. Set out pre-dawn from Moab, UT and head 77 miles south and west to the Needles District Visitors Centre on Utah 211. En route you'll pass Newspaper Rock, a treasured collection of pictographs well worth the detour if you're making good time.At the visitors centre pick up your backcountry permit and gather details on water...
Camp at Squaw Flat Campground
Squaw Flat campground is an easily-accessed area full of picturesque campsites in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. It is located in the Needles District, which is well known for its colorful spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone that cover the region. Campsite reservations must be made in advance at recreation.gov. This is a great area for large groups because the campsites can be specious and there i...
Hike Needle's Slickrock Foot Trail
The trail weaves away from the highway following cairns. I did the loop counter-clockwise to hit all the viewpoints first. The first part of the trail offers stellar views of the Needles behind you.All the viewpoints are well marked by trail signs. The first viewpoint veers off to the right and takes you to a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and mesas.After returning to the trail, th...