Corona Arch and Bowtie Arch are two impressive arches located in Moab. They are not found in Arches National Park, but are found just a short drive away.
Corona Arch Hike Details
Distance – 3 miles roundtrip
Approximate hiking time – 1.5 to 2.5 hours
Elevation at the trailhead – 3995 feet
Elevation at Corona Arch – 4395 feet
Elevation gain – 400 feet
Difficulty – Moderate
Trail – first part is well-marked, look for rock cairns along the slick rock, once you reach the first set of metal railings, you can see Corona Arch.
Amount of water recommended – 2 liters
Bathrooms – Yes, located at the Gold Bar Campground and Recreation site which is on the other side of Potash Road from the Corona Arch trailhead.
Seasons to hike – Best from early Spring through late Fall. Parts may be hazardous in the winter. Very hot in the summer, no shade on trail.
Permits needed – None
Pets allowed – Not recommended
How to get there:
If coming from north of Moab, take US-191 south. At 0.5 miles south of the turn to enter Arches National Park, turn right from US-191 onto UT-279, also called Potash Road. Follow this road for 9.9 miles. The road will go along the banks of the Colorado River. It’s a beautiful drive. The trailhead is on the right side of the road. If coming from south of Moab, take US-191 north through the Moab, and after going over the Colorado River, go 1.4 miles. Turn left onto UT-279, also called Potash Road. Follow this road for 9.9 miles. The road will go along the banks of the Colorado River. The trailhead is on the right side of the road.
Hitting the Trail!
The trail starts at the south end of the parking area, near the Corona Arch Trailhead signage.
A clear trail starts from the south end of the parking area. You’ll most likely see it as you pull in. The trail climbs up quickly to get your blood flowing, but is just for the five minutes of the hike until you reach the railraod tracks. These tracks are active, so use caution when crossing. Look and listen, and then quickly cross the tracks, as the trail to Corona Arch continues on the other side of the railroad tracks. You’ll go through a cattle maze gate and continue north on the trail. From here, you’ll have nice views up and down the Colorado River and the sheer rock faces on the far side of the river.
You continue up the trail as it curves to the east and head toward a rocky notch that will allow you to access the next mesa top. There are a couple of trails that go up past the rocks and boulders, just pick the one that’s best for you. Since it pretty narrow, it’s easy to find your way up.
Once you make it up past the notch and you’re on top of the “mesa” you’ll continue the follow the trail in a northeast direction. The trail here cross sand and slickrock, so stay alert and look for little piles of rocks called cairns that will help guide you along the trail. During this part of the hike, if look to straight ahead up along the canyon wall, you’ll be able to see Pinto Arch, which is about a half a mile a way. It can be hard to spot in the early morning, but is pretty easy to spot in the afternoon. After about 10 minutes of leisurely walking, the trail will curve to the east.
Pinto Arch can be seen along the trail to Corona Arch.
Here is the one part where it may be hard to find the trail, but just continue to look for cairns along the slickrock. Look ahead and to the left to spot a metal railing that has been placed in the slickrock. That helps to point the way. Follow the railing as it will direct you to head north. If you look north from this spot, it will be the first time one can see Corona Arch and also Bowtie Arch.
As you follow the metal railing, you’ll get your first glimpse of Corona Arch.
Continue north along the slickrock, and you’ll see the part of the hike that requires the most concentration. You’ll see another metal railing that goes up a fairly steep stretch of slickrock. It’s about 30 feet long, and has moki steps carved into the sandstone to help ascend. It may look a little intimidating from the bottom, but grip the railing and take one step at a time. This part of the hike is why I don’t feel like it is kid-friendly.
Moki steps have been carved into the sandstone, and the metal railing assists hikers in getting past this steep part of the trail.
Right after ascending the metal handrail up some steep sandstone, this ladder will be the last hurdle to get over.
Right after you ascend the steep slickrock with the railing you’ll see a small metal ladder. It’s only about five feet high. Carefully ascend the five rungs. From there, it’s easy to see how to get to first Bowtie Arch and then to Corona Arch. There are dropoffs to the right into a canyon below, but one can walk along the slickrock 20-30 away from the edge.
As you walk around the “bowl” to get to Corona Arch, you’ll first pass by Bowtie Arch. Bowtie Arch is a pothole arch. A pothole arch occurs when water collects in a “pothole” above an undercut, and it gradually dissolves the minerals and sandstone until the sandstone underneath was weathered away, creating a pothole arch. Pinto Arch which can be seen along the trail to Corona Arch is also a pothole arch that is nearly identical to Bowtie Arch.
You’ll pass Bowtie Arch right before you get to Corona Arch.
Photography Tips – This spot is great for pictures of Corona Arch in the afternoon, as the sun will not be in front of you. If you are at Corona Arch in the morning, I encourage you to walk under and through to the other side of the arch and take pictures of the arch from that direction since the sun will be behind you. You’ll also have a picturesque landscape behind Corona Arch when shoot at this spot.
In the early to mid morning hours, Corona Arch is best shot at this point, as the sun is behind you.
This photo of Corona Arch was taken in the afternoon.
Corona Arch is also called Little Rainbow Bridge due to it’s striking resemblance to Rainbow Bridge, which is located near Lake Powell. Back around 2011, YouTube videos of people rope swinging off the top of Corona Arch went viral, prompting several thrill seekers to try it. Here is a link to one of those videos. World’s Largest Rope Swing. There were commercial outfitters that would take people out there to rope swing Corona Arch, but unfortunately, private groups wanted to do it as well. In March of 2013, a Utah man accidentally jumped to his death from the top of Corona Arch because his rope was too long. On January 6, 2015, the Bureau of Land Management banned rope swinging off of Corona Arch.
This is the author on top of Corona Arch back in 2009.
This is a very popular hike during the Spring, especially during Spring Break. I always recommend going in the morning on a weekday. More than likely, you’ll only see a handful of people. The hike to Corona Arch is only 1.5 miles, making it a 3.0 mile roundtrip hike. If done early in the day, you should have plenty of time to do other hikes in the area. When you’re ready to return to your car, just return the way you came!
