Route Details

Corona Arch Trail

by Nelu Goia
2 years ago
Near Thompson, US
4 views
0 comments
Corona Arch

The Corona Arch Trail is a great 3-mile hike to one of the largest and most spectacular arches near Moab. Corona Arch, also called Little Rainbow Bridge, is your final destination, but the trail also passes Pinto Arch and Bowtie Arch along the way.

The trail is easy to follow although it does cross some wide expanses of slickrock pavement. These sections, however, are well marked with cairns. A couple of slickrock sections also have metal cables to use as handrails as well as a ladder on one steep step. If you have a fear of heights or unsure footing, it’s best to stop after the first cable to view the arch.

During the warmer months, do this hike first thing in the morning since it gets sun all day. Carry plenty of water and wear a hat. Little shade is found along the trail, except beneath overhanging cliffs in the late afternoon. Watch children, as the trail skirts numerous drop-offs.

Start at the trailhead on the right side of the parking area. The trail quickly climbs a rocky talus slope and reaches a BLM register box just before railroad tracks at 0.1 mile. Sign in and cross the tracks. Trains use the tracks to haul potash from the Potash Mine and North America’s largest potash deposit. Potash, used as a water softener and fertilizer, is extracted by solution mining, and then processed and shipped by truck and railroad.

The sandy trail follows an old road north alongside a cliff, then bends right below the cliff. Look up left to the high canyon rim to see Pinto Arch, a pothole arch. The trail climbs up a shallow rocky canyon to a broad bench and heads northeast across sand and slickrock pavement until it’s below a tall slabby cliff. Hike across sloping slabs below the cliff to a long cable anchored to posts. Past the cable at 0.7 mile is your first view of Corona Arch, a dramatic span above Bootlegger Canyon. If you’re queasy about heights, this is the best turn-around point.

The trail, crossing slickrock pavement, bends left here along a wide stone bench and reaches another cable. Grab the cable and climb steps chopped into a sandstone slab. Climb a five-step metal ladder above to a small, twisted juniper tree and a higher bench. Follow the broad slickrock bench around the head of a cul-de-sac canyon and bend east toward Corona Arch.

Bowtie Arch towers above the trail to your left. This pothole arch formed when a pothole above, usually filled with water, eroded down into a cave below. Continue hiking along a sloping sandstone slab and reach Corona Arch after 1.5 miles.

Corona Arch is a spectacular span composed of Navajo sandstone. The arch opening measures 140 feet across by 105 feet high. Lie down beneath the arch in its long, narrow shadow on hot days to get a true measure of both its size and fragility. Since the arch is located outside of Arches National Park, it hasn’t received the same protections as its federally sheltered neighbors, and adventurers use it for fun and excitement. Although the practice is now banned, airplanes have flown through the opening, while climbers still ascend to the top and rappel off.

Finish the hike by following the trail back to the trailhead.

Hike Details
Overview: This excellent hike above the Colorado River Canyon leads to three arches, including Corona Arch, one of the largest arches in the Moab area. Superb hike for those who want to enjoy arches far from the crowds in Arches National Park.

Distance: 3 miles out and back

Approximate hiking time: 2 hours

Difficulty: Moderate; 250-foot elevation gain

Trail surface: Single-track dirt path and sandstone slabs

Best season: Year-round. Summers are hot.

Other trail users: None

Canine compatibility: Dogs allowed

Fees and permits: None

Maps: USGS Gold Bar, Moab Trails Illustrated Explorer

Trail contacts: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Moab Field Office, 82 E. Dogwood, Moab 84532; (435) 259-2100; website

Finding the trailhead: From Moab, drive northwest on US 191 to a left (south) turn on UT 279/Potash Road (1.3 miles west of the Colorado River Bridge). Drive south on UT 279 for 10 miles to the signed Corona Arch Trailhead on the right (east) side of the highway opposite the Gold Bar Campground.

Trailhead GPS: N 38 34.467', W 109 37.941'
(0)

Route Statistics
metric imperial

DISTANCE 2.385 miles
ASCENT / DESCENT (RAW)
SHOW FILTERED DATA
541 ft (45%)
501 ft (45%)
TERRAIN
Off-Road
TIME TO COMPLETE CALCULATE
CALORIES
CONFIGURE
 
X
CALORIE CALCULATOR
Corona Arch Trail

kg  
lb  
st lb  
 
CALCULATE CALORIES
Find out how we calculate Calories

About the Calorie Calculator

Our Calorie Calculator estimates how many Calories you will burn using Metabolic Equivalent (MET) values from Compendium of Physical Activities. The Compendium idenitifes the relative energy cost of undertaking various activities compared with doing nothing. We then combine this with your weight and the estimated duration of the activity, taking into account the length of the route and the hills involved, to estimate the total Calories burned.

When selecting an Activity setting, select the speed you would normally travel at on flat ground.

Please remember, the estimated number of Calories is just a guide and the actual number of Calories burned may vary depending on other factors such as weather and terrain.

Route Map

Corona Arch Trail
Route Map
Tapfor full size interactive map

Route Profile

Use our Route Profile tool to explore the elevation profile for this route. Find the highest point, the steepest secton and the longest climb!

Warnings

Please be careful to observe all signs for rights of way when following other people's routes, as we cannot guarantee that they do not cross private or hazardous land.

Please also be considerate and mindful of the interests of local residents when parking and following routes.

Local Weather

Get the latest weather forecast for the Thompson area...

Comments (0)

Do you have any feedback or information to share about this route? Post your comments here...

Your comment has been flagged for review due to possible spam.
Load more

Search for Accommodation

Do you need somewhere to stay near Thompson? Search over 1 million hotels, B&B's and other accomodation on Booking.com.

Booking.com
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: plotaroute.com participates in the Booking.com affiliate program and may receive a financial benefit from bookings.
plotaroute.com
Home
Plot a Route
Find a Route
My Routes
More