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Know of any good ~20-mile hikes in the Moab area? Or shorter, more difficult hikes?

Original Post
Tristan Higbee · · Pocatello, ID · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 2,970

I've done a lot of climbing in the Moab area but never really done much hiking beyond little things like Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch. I'll be climbing down there next week and will have a day or two to myself that I'd like to spend hiking. Anyone know of any good 15-25 mile trails that could be done in a long day by a fast hiker? Maybe something in Canyonlands? A loop would be ideal, but I could also stash a bike if necessary. I don't have a 4WD/high clearance vehicle.

If not, what are some good shorter but spectacular (and possibly more difficult) adventures that I could do by myself? I've done Elephant Butte and Parriott Mesa; other stuff in that vein could be great.

Thanks!

Austin Baird · · SLC, Utah · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 95

You been up to the Needles District in Canyonlands? Dead Horse Point?

Tristan Higbee · · Pocatello, ID · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 2,970

Nope, never been. Got any specific trails to recommend?

Anna Floyd · · Golden, CO · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 10

This is not a terribly long hike, but it's my favorite hike maybe of all time - Primitive Trail in Arches. It takes you through an area of Devil's Garden. If you've hiked to Landscape Arch you've been on part of it already.

John McNamee · · Littleton, CO · Joined Jul 2002 · Points: 1,690

From squaw flat campground and Elephant Hill in the Needles district you can do some great long day hikes. There is a really good loop that goes from Elephant hill, Devils Kitchen and back through Chesler Park.

From the Island in the Sky region the Syncline trail is a nice loop. It starts from Upheaval Dome/White Rock area.

Closer to Moab Negro Bill Canyon is a nice out and back walk, but much shorter than you are looking for. Hidden Valley is a good one as well.

BackCountry Sortor · · Ogden, UT · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 400

Considering the week you'll be there (Jeep Jamboree), you may want to drive to Zion.

Dobson · · Butte, MT · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 215

Check out the approach to the Mystery Towers. It's short milage-wise, but awesome. You can make a loop by traversing from Atlas, by Gothic and the Citadel, and back into the canyon below Doric. If you don't research the traverse very much, finding the proper path between the towers can be time consuming and interesting.

I'm not sure how a passenger car will do on the road. It's not particularly rough, but there are a ton of stream crossings (16?).

Alexander Nees · · Grand Junction, CO · Joined Apr 2007 · Points: 720

The Needles trails mentioned above are great, and you can loop around in almost endless combinations to match your time/distance desires.

One option to consider that is closer to Moab would be hiking Courthouse Wash all the way through Arches NP. You can do just the upper half, just the lower half, or the whole thing. You'll want either a bike or a second car to shuttle back to the start, although I suppose you could try hitching.

Drive North on Hwy 191 past Arches up to the Gemini Bridges area. It's pretty obvious where the highway crosses the head of Courthouse Wash, especially if you look at a map or google earth first. Park and hike downcanyon, entering the park shortly. Eventually (~8 miles?) you'll reach the bridge where the main Arches NP road crosses Courthouse Wash. You can either stop there, or keep going down canyon, reaching Hwy 191 near the Colorado River and Moab. Total of maybe ~16 miles?

This hike is beautiful, with lots of cottonwoods and water and some petroglyphs in the lower section. There's slickrock, but no real scrambling, just a ramble down the streambed. It won't be crowded, especially the upper portion. Probably won't see much of anybody, actually.

Ross Keller · · Parker, CO · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 190

Grand Gulch and Fish & Owl Canyons west of Blanding are quite nice. I think Fish & Owl is about 20 miles. Grand Gulch is an out & back that you can make as long as you want and has a drop-in point halfway down the canyon.

Doug Lintz · · Kearney, NE · Joined Apr 2004 · Points: 1,196

I'll second Ross' suggestions.

Fish and Owl Creek can be done in one long day or as an overnighter if you spend some time up the side canyons. There's some cliff ruins but you have to look hard for them. In Owl creek there's a couple nice pools for cooling off, one has a great ledge to jump from (make sure the water is high enough before jumping).

Although it's much shorter I recommend checking out the Great Gallery in Horseshoe Canyon. About 7 miles round trip but the pictographs are something to see.

There's some good options in Dark Canyon. The entry for the Sundance Trail involves a 1000+ foot drop into the drainage (rough scrambling in some spots) after a couple miles from trailhead to rim. Great hiking with swimming holes, waterfalls and side canyons for exploring.

Citsalp · · . . . CO · Joined Feb 2010 · Points: 371
Dobson wrote:Check out the approach to the Mystery Towers. It's short milage-wise, but awesome. You can make a loop by traversing from Atlas, by Gothic and the Citadel, and back into the canyon below Doric. If you don't research the traverse very much, finding the proper path between the towers can be time consuming and interesting. I'm not sure how a passenger car will do on the road. It's not particularly rough, but there are a ton of stream crossings (16?).
Yes. Through the Fisher's and Mystery's.

Stay away from Moab during Jeep Week (I'm sure you know this).
I would also rec the S. Swell: Crack, Chute, Horsethief Canyons for some good hiking and moderate canyoneering - a short drive from Moab, but well worth a visit if you haven't been.
Kristen Rowe · · Salt Lake CIty, UT · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 65

I loved the angel arch hike in the needles district of canyonlands. If you don't have a 4wd vehicle it's a little long for one day (almost 30 miles round trip) but probably possible if you go light and bring a headlamp (we camped one night near angel arch).
Start at the Squaw flat trailhead and hike along the Peekaboo trail to the Peekaboo campsite. From the Peekaboo campsite head through the notch in the canyon (marked by signs for petroglyphs) and follow the wash for many miles.... even if you don't make it all the way to angel arch it’s a beautiful hike on slickrock and through canyons and is highly recommended!

Tristan Higbee · · Pocatello, ID · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 2,970

Suh-weet. Come the great suggestions coming!

Regarding Jeep Week, I'll be there this Sunday (driving down during the day and camping that night), Monday, and Tuesday (and possibly Wednesday). Jeep week is this week (ie, going on now), so it shouldn't be too bad... Right?

And regarding the Onion Creek stream crossings... I've done them before in my car but not sure I want to subject my 1996 Plymouth Breeze to that again. I like the idea of a Mystery Towers loop, though, and I could just hike/bike through the canyon after I don't want to drive.

Christian "crisco" Burrell · · PG, Utah · Joined May 2007 · Points: 1,815

You could always bag those peaks that thwarted you last time. I don't imagine there is as much snow now.

BTW: YOU? A bike? What happened? I thought you had burned it in a massive blaze and danced on the ashes.

Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,665
Austin Baird wrote:You been up to the Needles District in Canyonlands? Dead Horse Point?
Austin,
Can you please send me back the BOTS stopper that you have misappropriated from the group.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Southern Utah Deserts
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