CORONA ARCH, UTAH
April 2, 2006
By Tim Briese
Corona Arch is a magnificent arch in the Moab, Utah area that should not be missed on a visit to this area. The arch is easily accessed from Highway 279 southwest of town via a short, scenic trail involving three miles of roundtrip hiking and 400 feet of elevation gain.
My wife Teresa and I were on a long weekend canyon country hiking trip in early April with our friends Hal and Linda. On the first two days we hiked to Fischer Towers and up Hunter Canyon, and on this, our third and final day, we decided to hike to Corona Arch before heading back home to Colorado.
We drove down Highway 279 ten miles from its junction with U.S. 191 and arrived at the trailhead on the right side of the road just before noon. This drive itself is quite scenic because the road runs beside the Colorado River as it winds through a canyon with towering orange slickrock walls on each side. It was a clear and beautiful day, with a deep blue sky. There were numerous other vehicles parked at the trailhead, for this easily-accessed hike is a popular one.
From the trailhead the trail climbed up a few hundred yards to a flat area and then proceeded across an area of slickrock and sand. The route was well-cairned and obviously well-traveled. After a mile or so we rounded a sweeping corner at the end of a ridge and were greeted by our first view of the arch, about a half mile away. From here the route climbed up onto a wide slickrock shelf via a short metal ladder and some steps cut into the rock. From here the broad, gently-sloping shelf, perhaps 100 to 200 feet wide, curved all the way around the canyon to the arch. Along the way we passed Bowtie Arch, eroded into a recess in the canyon wall above to the left.
As we approached Corona Arch we saw numerous hikers milling about, admiring the surrounding scenery, snapping pictures, or simply resting. Several dogs, including ours, mingled among the people. The atmosphere was almost festive.
The arch is quite spectacular when viewed up close. Spanning about 150 feet, it is large enough that airplanes have flown under it. It has been called the Little Rainbow Bridge, because of its resemblance to the famous Rainbow Bridge.
We were afforded a special treat while we were at the arch, because two young couples with rockclimbing gear hiked up to the top of the arch from its north end and proceeded to rappel off of it, one at a time. This was indeed quite a show to watch.
Corona Arch, unlike the neighboring assortment of arches in nearby Arches National Park, lies on BLM land where few restrictions apply. Thus almost anything goes, like dogs, airplanes, and rappelling. Corona Arch is probably as scenic and spectacular as almost anything the park has to offer, too.
After resting for a half hour or so and snapping numerous pictures we left and headed back down the trail. Upon returning to the trailhead we had lunch at a picnic site across the road on the bank of the Colorado River, before loading up and heading for home.
