There are so many options of hikes to choose from when you are in the Moab area. Most people beeline for Arches National Park, but you don’t have to go into Arches National Park to see beautiful Arches or find awesome hiking trails. Fighting the crowds was something that we didn’t want to do every day and so we decided to check out an arch and trail that Moab had to offer. Plus, being out of the national park it was dog friendly! We decided to hike Corona Arch Trail to Corona Arch and it was definitely less crowded and equally as beautiful. I was mesmerized by this one.

Hike 21/52 in our challenge!

Hiking Corona Arch Trail

Miles: 2.5 ♦ Elevation Change: 547 ♦ Trail Type: Out & Back ♦ Trail: easy to Moderate ♦ Hike Elevation: 4,000′

The hike on Corona Arch Trail was beautiful and fun. Being so short there was a lot to see in such a short amount of time. Because of that this trail is family friendly and dog friendly, but there are a couple parts that you may need to help them out. There is a steep climb with little foot holds and a wire to help you up. This trail does get quite hot so make sure to get an early start if you are with your pups. We left around 9:00 a.m. and it was borderline too hot.

The trails in the south west are like none other. We love coming here specifically for these trails and views. The beautiful colors from the sandstone rock walls transcend you.

The trail does cross an active railroad, so make sure to listen for a second and then cross quickly, but take a moment to look at how cool it looks!

It doesn’t matter which way you are looking, you will have incredible views. Our camera doesn’t provide the best capture to see the depth of some of the views, but on a clear day they go on forever.

Around 3/4 of a mile you come to the first obstacle. You can walk around it if you have dogs but a short ladder to the next part of the trail. It seems like the small things captivate me. I stood here for awhile just appreciating the beauty of a ladder and a tree. I then started to think that I hope that my ability to see these amazing things isn’t actually hurting it. With all the people coming and going are we potentially hurting the area? The rocks, the vegetation, nature. I certainly hope not because experiencing places like this is so fulfilling.

A short while after this you will get your first glimpses of the arch along a short stretch of potentially scary walking. It’s not a huge drop off, but just a part of a potentially slippery rock.

Just around the corner is the next area that might be tough for some. We had to carry our both of our dogs (small and medium sized), because the foot holds were too far apart. It was a fun spot on the trail and you are so close!

I really enjoyed this hike. A lot of people brush off 2.5 miles, or think that a short hike like this can only mean the destination is worth thinking about. It doesn’t need to be a challenge of a 14er or the grind of a 15+ miler. I appreciate all hikes for they are all unique and have their own shining moment. Some say it’s about the journey and not the destination, but I don’t believe that either should be put above the other.

When you finally get to Corona Arch it is awesome! After seeing multiple arches, I never got bored. They are all so different and beautiful. It’s crazy to think how they were created and continue to stand so many years later. Corona Arch was definitely my favorite.

It was not nearly as busy as the national park and it still had everything. The other rock formations in the area will have you jaw dropped. There is also another arch right there. Bowtie Arch, while not as defined as Corona, it’s still something to see.

Then if you turn around the view goes on forever. Again, I wish I had a better camera to capture this.

I hope you get to enjoy this trail and the area as much as we did. We had been wanting to get here for years and when we finally got here it held up to our expectations.

Getting to Corona Arch Trail Head

The turn off to 279 is just north of the city of Moab and south of Arches National Park entrance. The drive goes along the Colorado River. You will pass campgrounds, trail heads and rock climbers. There is a parking lot for the trail head but if it is full you can park across the street at the Gold Bar campground. There is river access here as well if you have any fun water equipment with you. It’s definitely nice on a hot day and hot it was!

Coordinates to the trail head parking lot: 38.574373, -109.632728

Remember to bring:

Water (especially if you have dogs), snacks, sun screen, hat and bug spray. In certain areas the no see ums/sand fleas were terrible. I would also suggest window coverings for your car. There is no shade to hide from the sun.

As always, PACK OUT WHAT YOU PACK IN and let’s keep these natural wonders clean!

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