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Moab Hiking


Arches National Park
Canyonlands National Park
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Fish and Owl Creek Canyon
​Fisher Towers
​Road Canyon
​

Arches National Park

Delicate Arch in Moab
The highlight of Arches National Park is the short uphill hike to Delicate Arch
Double O Arch on the Devil's Garden hike in Utah
Double O Arch
The longest hike in Arches NP is through Devil's Garden (8 miles).  Not to be confused with Devil's Garden in Escalante or the nearby Devil's Kitchen.
Hiker walking up through the arch
Skull Rock on the Fiery Furnace hike
Skull Rock in Fiery Furnace
The other extended hike in Arches is through the Fiery Furnace, which is by permit or tour only.
First light on Balanced Rock
The roadside stop that caught my eye most was Balanced Rock

Canyonlands -- Needles District

Chesler Park hike in Canyonlands National Park
Chesler Park
The walk to Chesler Park was my first backpacking trip where I had to carry water. A good place to learn as the campgrounds are no too far from the trailhead.
Hikers in Chesler Park in the afternoon
I spent a night in Chesler Park and took side trips to the Joint Trail and Druid Arch. If I went back again I would spend a few nights, but the walk was more about gaining experience at the time.
Druid Arch hike in Canyonlands National Park Utah
Druid Arch

Salt Creek canyon trail in Utah
A longer backpacking trip is required for the Salt Creek Canyon section of the park in the Needles District
Overgrown section on the trail
The trail is a combination of overgrown sections and wide open meadows
First spring on the walk from Cathedral Butte
Arriving at the first spring a few miles into the walk from the trailhead at Cathedral Butte. There were good water sources near each campground
Salt Creek Canyon hike
I walked from Cathedral Butte to Angel Arch (40 miles return). It would be possible to do a one way hike of similar distance and exit to the north with a shuttle
Fall colors on the trail
The flowing streams make this canyon a unique home for wildlife in the desert. The howling coyotes at night and a bear encounter made for a memorable trip.
SC4 campsite in Salt Creek Canyon Utah
The area above SC4 is similar to Chesler Park
Sunrise on Angel Arch and Molar Rock in Salt Creek canyon hike in Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Angel Arch and Molar Rock
Angel Arch hike in Canyonlands, Utah
The nearest campground to the arch is SC4 which meant walking in the dark to see it at sunrise..
Kirk's cabin in Canyonlands National Park on the Salt Creek Canyon hike
Kirk's cabin near the SC1 campsite
Campground on the Salt Creek Canyon hike in Canyonlands Utah
Late evening at the final campground in early October

Canyonlands -- Island in the Sky

Bikers on the White Rim Road in Canyonlands National Park
My favorite walk in Canyonlands is the White Rim Trail. Although more commonly done with a jeep or mountain bike, the road can also be walked in 4-5 days
View of the Colorado River from near the Airport Camp
The slower pace allows for more time to explore and enjoy the scenery
Zone camp near Airport Tower on the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park
Zone camping is allowed for walkers, no need to compete for the limited car/bike permits. They allow 60 walkers per day- after booking my reservation there were 59 spots remaining. Advanced reservations recommended though as water drops require the head rangers signature
Map of the White Rim Trail walk
Overview map of the walk
Daily totals for the White Rim Trail
Elevation is level aside from the days where climbing up and down the canyon is required. A water cache was placed at the top of the mesa off the Murphy Point Trail. Weather is the main variable to how much distance can be covered per day. No drinkable water on the road
Mesa Arch at sunrise in Canyonlands
A possible side trip on the route to break up the road walk is the one mile walk to Mesa Arch
Airport Tower at sunrise on the White Rim Trial backpacking walk in Canyonlands
Sunrise near Airport Tower
Monument basin sunset on the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands Utah
Sunset near camp at Monument Basin
Picture
Beautiful sunrise at Monument Basin
Sunrise at Monument Basin on the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National park
Monument Basin Panorama
Cloudy morning at Monument Basin in Canyonlands White Rim Road
The clouds made the walking easier in the morning.  I found myself hiking before sunrise and stopping in the early afternoon each day to get out of the sun
Sunset with Candlestick in the distance on the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National park Utah
Sunset with Candlestick in the distance
Jeep driving on the White Rim Road in Canyonlands
The weather cooled from the storm which allowed the section around the Green River to be walked quickly.  A 30 mile day followed by the climb out of the canyon in the morning

Fish and Owl Creek Canyons

Fish Creek Canyon from above on the loop hike in Utah
I walked the Fish/Owl Creek Canyon loop clockwise, going down into Fish Creek on the first evening (18 mile loop)
The climb out of Fish Creek Canyon on the trail
There is one short drop on the descent, but with the tree branch and some footholds in the rock it's not too bad
Map route of Fish Owl Creek Canyon loop hike in Utah
A permit is required to walk in the canyons, so I chose to do the walk at a relaxing pace spending two nights camping.  Keep in mind that not every trail down there is for this loop - there are often cairns leading into side canyons.  Water is mostly on the western side closest to the official trailhead in both canyons, completely dry in the east when I visited in mid-March during the spring runoff.
Fish Creek at the bottom of the canyon on a backpacking hike in Utah
The leftover snow made the walking easier at times
Hikers in Fish Creek Canyon in Cedar Mesa Utah
Reservations were close to full when I booked the permit, but I only saw one group of hikers.  I think the cold nights in March keep the crowds away before the busier season in April
Nevills Arch campsite in Owl Creek Canyon in Cedar Mesa Utah
Nevills Arch - the gem of Owl Creek Canyon

Fisher Towers

Fisher Towers hike near Moab
The skyscraper-like Fisher Towers

Road Canyon

Fallen Roof Ruin hike in Road Canyon Utah
Road Canyon has several well preserved cliff dwellings, highlighted by Fallen Roof Ruin.

Resources:
Photographing the SW, Incredible Backcountry Trails​

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Contact: darnoldhiking@gmail.com

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