Quick Hike to Mesa Arch
Moab, Utah
Details
Distance
0.74 miles
Elevation Gain
164 ft
Route Type
Loop
Description
Added by Lee Cuellar
The hike is a very easy 0.6 mile loop. Get great views and shots of historic Mesa Arch. After the quick hike, have enough time to go hit other spots in Arches NPDuration: 1 hour.
This is an easy 0.6 mile loop. The hike takes you out to Mesa Arch, which is one of the most famous structures of Canyonlands National Park.
If you're out with your camera, you can get amazing shots of the arch with the rugged canyon as your backdrop. Some of the best photos of the arch are at sunrise.
If you're lucky enough, you snagged a campsite Devil's Garden, making it easy for you to keep exploring Arches for a couple of days.
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Reviews
This short hike leads you to one of the best sunrise spots in the park. Be warned there will be crowds but if everyone cooperates there is plenty of space to view the sunrise through the Arch at a distance. Tip: take a stroll left or right of the arch for uninterrupted views away from the immediate crowd.
5.0
Look hard for pictures of the southwest and Mesa Arch will come up. The view through this oddity of nature is memorizing. Hold on to the kids though as this is a long drop to the canyon floor below. Easy half mile lop to and from the parking lot.
5.0
Great hike! Very photographic park, especially this spot! This hike leaves you plenty of time to explore other parts of the park too!
4.0
I must’ve gotten lucky because there was almost nobody there when I went in mid July around 10am on a Sunday. If you want sunrise pictures, it will most definitely be crowded. However, any pictures you get of this place will be awesome. This is a great little hike for families who want to see an incredible view. Watch your kids though- steep drop offs! Quick, easy, and the views are spectacular!
5.0
Very easy hike and definitely worth it. There are multiple spots to get photos of the arch so get creative. Just watch where you are standing since there is a major drop off. Crowded like the others have said but I suggest making the stop to take a look for yourself.
4.0
Dozens of people there to catch the sunrise. Still utterly beautiful, just missing the peace of desert solitude that you can get at other spots. Wished I could have gone in the winter season. Nevertheless, if you have a campsite at Island of the Sky (typically Willow Flat or Dead Horse State Park), spend one daybreak at Mesa Arch.
4.0
In my life, I have never seen a larger gaggle of photographers in my life. I mean I get it! The view is stunning and the arch pretty much create a perfect frame for the canyonlands below. If only the photographers knew what the views were like from the bottom, I think we'd be able to dilute their numbers across the park.
3.0
This is one of those places that pictures never will do the in-person experience justice. When I went, my partner and I were the only ones there and that made it even more magical. Sunrise at Mesa Arch is just a fantastic way to start the day. I went in April just before tourist season really kicks off. I would shoot for an off-season visit (late fall-early spring) for less people.
4.0
This is a definite if you are in the Island in the Sky section of the park. I did not realize that Canyonlands was split into separate entrances and so Mesa Arch is only accessible through the Island in in the Sky section. This is so easy, it is really not a hike. A short trail about .5 miles takes you to this iconic arch. Be sure to take photos from all angles of this arch. There is so much that you can capture through the arch itself and it is a beautiful place. It is very popular, so very crowded. I highly recommend going in the am or pm. This is one of the top sunrise photography spots in all of Arches, Canyonlands and Dead Horse State Park, so if you are going to do sunrise photos, get there early.
5.0
Iconic place for photographers. Crowded and easy to access in reality, but no less wonderful. The canyons below seem to stretch on forever.
4.0
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Nearby
Night Photography at Mesa Arch
Hike the Aztec Butte Trail
Catch a Sunset at Green River Overlook
Hike to Murphy Point
Hike The Syncline Trail in Canyonlands NP
Hike to Upheaval Dome Overlook
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