Hiking Jeep Arch in Moab: A Complete Trail Guide for 2024
THINKING ABOUT HIKING JEEP ARCH IN MOAB?
You’ve landed on the right article! We have spent months traveling around Southern Utah and have hiked to Jeep Arch ourselves. We’ll share all the logistical details and insights from our experience, like when to visit and what to expect on your hike. After reading this article, you’ll be prepped for your own Jeep Arch journey!
Jeep Arch in Moab, UT is one of the best arches to hike to if you are looking to avoid crowds and bring a dog. We hiked this arch towards the end of the busy season but it was still busy enough that the national parks were closing and we only saw one other person. The arch is also known by locals as the Gold Bar Arch.
The hike is super fun as you get to walk through a large culvert under the railroad tracks. It is challenging enough that you won’t get bored.
There are a few things you should know before you go. In this article, we have everything covered so you won’t get lost and get to experience a more hidden and secretive arch in the Moab area.
Jeep Arch in Moab Overview
- Length: 3.6 miles
- Elevation Gain: 944 feet
- Route Type: Loop
- Hiking Time: 2-3 hours
- Dog Friendly: Yes, on a leash
When getting to Jeep Arch from downtown Moab, you will head north on Moab’s Main Street, crossing the Colorado River. You will then turn left onto Potash Road. You will drive 10.2 miles along Hwy-279, which is also known as the Potash Road.
Once you are on Hwy 279, it will take you about 13 minutes to arrive at the Jeep Arch parking area. The small parking area is on the right side of the road, very close to the trailhead. There is no sign for the parking area so keep an eye out for the gravel area and culvert.
Trailhead Coordinates: 38.58086353890056, -109.6364754376566
Jeep Arch Coordinates: 38.59916780314693, -109.63953302696711
Jeep Arch in Utah is a less know arch that starts just a few minutes down the road from the popular and busy Corona Arch. The trail is marked reasonably well until you get about halfway through. Once you are halfway through, the trail is not as easy to follow.
Another important factor in going to jeep arch is if you GPS Jeep Arch, Google Maps may try to take you down a significant off-road trail. This off-road trail gets very close to the arch, but the trail is rated very difficult. You will want to start from the Jeep Arch Parking Area that is just a min or two past the Corona Arch parking, unless you have a significant 4×4 vehicle.
How long is the Jeep Arch hike?
The Jeep Arch Hike is about 4 miles long and took us about 3 hours to complete. We did it pretty late in the day and ended up walking a good chunk of it in the dark.
This is not recommended as the trail is not as easy to follow as some of the other hikes. It took us a little longer to get back because of this.
Getting to the Jeep Arch Trailhead
The Jeep Arch Trailhead is not hard to find, but sometimes if you search Jeep Arch in Google Maps, it will take you down a challenging off-road trail. In Google Maps, it is best to search Jeep Arch Parking Area, or you can use these GPS coordinates, and they will get you to the parking area – 38.58086353890056, -109.6364754376566.
After parking, the trailhead is right next to you. You will travel in a fun culvert that goes under the railroad tracks, and then you will soon go towards your left, starting up a little bit of a small hill.
What to Expect on the Jeep Arch in Moab Trail
While hiking on the Jeep Arch Trail in Moab, you should expect the first section of the trail to be a nice climb with a fairly easy trail to follow. The trail is marked with fluorescent lines on the rocks, making it easy to follow.
Once you have reached about halfway, you will need to do a little scrambling up some rocks. This is where the trail starts to be less notable.
The BLM has placed rock stacks in the area marking the trail. These are helpful but do die off and become hard to follow once you have gotten a little farther down the trail. You still won’t be able to see the arch, but if you follow these GPS coordinates (38.59916780314693, -109.63953302696711) and just keep going in the approximate direction, you will eventually be able to see the arch in the distance.
We found this to be an enjoyable hike that our entire family really enjoyed. Our seven-year-olds hiked the entire thing, and our three-year-old hiked about 40% of it. The canyon you hike through is absolutely stunning, and it is fun to reach Jeep Arch at the end.
Navigating the Jeep Arch Trail
As we explained above, the beginning of the hike is very easy to follow. However, once you get to a large rock formation, navigating the trail becomes a little more difficult. There are rock stacks you can follow at the beginning, along with some green dashes on the rocks. These green dashes disappear after the large rock formation.
The trail makes a loop around this large rock formation. You can either go out and back the way you came or loop around this formation. Here is a general idea of what to look for when getting to this large formation.
After that, it is easiest to navigate and stay on the trail using a GPS or Google Maps on your phone.
Jeep Arch VS Corona Arch
Jeep Arch and Corona Arch are very close together, but many people don’t know about Jeep Arch or miss going on the hike. Both trails are enjoyable, but there are some significant differences. Below are the main differences between the two arches.
Jeep Arch is on the backside of the Corona Arch Canyon. The nice thing about this is that later in the day, this hike provides a good amount of shade provided from the canyon walls. The Corona Arch, at the same time, has little shade and can be very hot.
The two arches look vastly different. If you look at the Jeep Arch, it looks like a huge jeep that was cut out into the middle of a large rock. The surrounding area for both arches is very similar.
The Jeep arch trail is not as easy to follow, partially because it is a much less frequented trail but also because you won’t be climbing on the well-known slickrock the entire time like you will when hiking the Corona Arch.
Both arches, along with other arches in the area, should be hiked with plenty of water. Even if the weather is not overly hot, the dry climate can cause your body to lose a lot of water quickly.
The majority of issues that hikers run into while in the Moab area pertain to not having enough water to keep their bodies hydrated. Even if you do not think you will need water, you should bring water. It is better to have water and not need it than to need water and not have it.
The Corona Arch trailhead and the Jeep Arch trailhead are similar distances from their respective arches. The Jeep Arch hike is a little farther, but not by a lot if you are hiking Corona Arch and Pinto Arch.
Other Fun Things to Do in the Area
When exploring Moab, make sure to stay on trails as much as possible. The biological soil crust that is in Moab is important to the desert environments in the area and is easily disturbed when walked on. Moab is full of fun things to see and do and many are in the same direction or very close to each other.
Here are some great activities that you will pass on your way to Jeep Arch. Some of them are easier and take less time than others, but you should definitely add them to your itinerary when headed to Jeep Arch.
Poison Spider Mesa 4×4 Trail
The Poison Spider Mesa is one of the famous Moab off-road trails that you pass on your way to Jeep Arch. It is in the same parking lot as the Potash Road Dinosaur Track and Petroglyphs. The Poison Spider Mesa Trail is a challenging but fun trail, and you can read more about the trail here.
Poison Spider Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs
The Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs are in the same parking area as the Poison Spider trailhead. The tracks are a short hike from the parking lot and make for a fun, quick stop on your way to Jeep Arch. Most of the tracks and petroglyphs are at the beginning, so you don’t have to hike very far.
Potash Road Petroglyphs
The Potash Raod Petroglyphs should not be confused with the Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs. The Potash Road Petroglyphs are right along Hwy 279 in Moab, Utah, and can be seen right from the road. It is best to pull over on the side of the road, but it can be seen if you slowly drive by.
There are lots of really cool petroglyphs to see here, so stopping is definitely recommended. You will know you are getting close to the petroglyphs when you start to see cars parked along the road. This area is a highly used rock climbing area, but the climbers are not allowed to climb on the petroglyphs.
Corona Arch, Pinto Arch, and Bowtie Arch
Corona Arch, Pinto Arch, and Bowtie Arches are very close to Jeep Arch. The parking areas are only 0.5 miles apart and a 1-minute drive from each other. Corona Arch and Pinto Arch start from the same parking area but eventually split off in different directions. Bowtie Arch is on the same trail as the Corona Arch.
Corona Arch is a more popular arch than the Pinto Arch. However, many people hike to both arches on the same day. We didn’t hike to Pinto Arch, but many people we talked to said they enjoyed the hike but said they liked the Corona Arch better.
Potash Raod to Shafer Trail
If you continue to follow the Potash Road, you will run into the highly enjoyable Shafer Trail. This is also the back way to get into the Canyonlands. The Shafer Trail will come out just inside the park by the park entrance. The Shafer Trail will also take you to the beginning of the well-known White Rim Road. If you don’t have your own jeep, you can go on a Moab Jeep tour.
The Shafer Trail is a moderate to easy trail but does require four-wheel drive and high clearance.
If you take the Potash Road to Shafer Trail all the way through, you will end by going up the Shafer Switchback and into the Canyonlands National Park. You can see these famous switchbacks shortly after entering the Canyonlands National Park at the Shafter Canyon Overlook.
We would highly recommend taking the Shafer Trail if possible. You can take your own off-road vehicle, or you can rent a jeep at Adventure Moab in Moab, Utah. You can read more and view pictures of the Shafter trail here.
Conclusion: Jeep Arch in Moab
The Jeep Arch trail offers excellent views of the canyon behind Corona Arch. Jeep Arch is a great hike for later in the day. This is because the cliff wall will shade you for most of the hike. You can climb into the opening of the arch, but you should do so with caution. This is because the base of the arch does have a steep climb, and you will need to climb up to get into the arch.
Jeep Arch is a fantastic hike that is not inside Arches National Park. We hope you have a great time exploring the exciting Jeep Arch.
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