Moab UT, Canyonland National Park Needles District, Road Trip Day 3

June 1, 2021

Hiking - 12.16 miles, 5:52 total time and 4:30 of actual hiking time. (According to my Garmin Fenix 5x)

Needles District of Canyonland National Park entrance is about 1.5 hour drive south of Moab. So it will take a while to get there if you are staying in Moab.

I found this hike from AllTrails.com Druid Arch. The original plan was to do this trail Druid Arch to Chesler Park, which is a little bit longer, but we end up doing a out and back without taking the Chesler Park Trail.

You start the trip at the Elephant Hill Trail head, which is in the Canyonland National Park. It require park entry fee or use your National Park Pass It does not require permit to the trailhead unless you continue down Elephant Hill Road where it became an off road trail. The drive to the trailhead is pretty easy. The last mile or so is unpaved but hard packed and well maintained. There are bathroom and garbage disposal at the trailhead.

We got to the trailhead fairly late around 1200 and started our hike around 1215. It was a fairly cool day in the high 70s, but probably should have started early as AllTrails recommended. I suspect the trailhead would be pretty packed unless you get there very early or later in the day around noon.

The trail takes you through 3 to 4 valleys by threading you through the slot canyons in between them, then follow the wash up to Druid Arch with hiking in the dry creek bed, and scramble up the rock wall.

Nice steps cut into the rocks to start the hike.

Slot canyon to the next valley

Next Canyon

A lot of walking in the dry creek bed and sand.

Or trails along the creek.

Up another set of rock

greater than 45 degree of slick rocks

Looking down at where we came up from.

Someone put in the ladder to make life easier. Watch for sharp corners on the ladder.

Final up hill before the Arch. If you get to the loose rock, you are too far. Look left

Great shot from Jessica. I was too tired and just sucking down water and energy bars.

We finished the day at Sunset Grill in Moab, which has a very interesting story to the restaurant. It is perched on the hill over looking Moab with a great sunset picture.

Beautiful sunset from the deck of Sunset Grill.