All the way out in Southeastern Utah you'll find the Needles, a district of Canyonlands National Park. This is a gorgeous area to explore, and I specifically recommend
the Druid Arch hike.
This hike is about 10-15 miles depending on your starting point (Elephant hill is the closest, Needles Campground is the farthest), and guides you through colorful sandstone spires and canyons to a massive, jaw-dropping, stonehenge-esque arch.
This hike involves strenuous scrambling over sandstone, and can get deadly hot in the summer. Remember to be prepared, and bring plenty of water. Do note that in the last 1/4 mile towards Druid Arch, there's a tough scramble up a steep wash. It's doable, but difficult - We ended up using a backpack strap as a pseudo-rope to hoist up.
The canyon leading up to Druid arch is truly spectacular. I was astounded by the beauty of the sandstone pinnacles, and the wavy floes of red rock
The final section of the out-and-back is the best, and you'll be rewarded with the towering 450' Druid Arch.
The Druid Arch hike was one of the highlights of visiting Utah, it's worth exploring the Needles (and Canyonlands) further if you have the time, as you could easily spend multiple days on different hikes here.
There's camping nearby both within and just outside Canyonlands National park, or you could try backcountry camping (this might be difficult, as there's no damn water).
This hike is about 10-15 miles depending on your starting point (Elephant hill is the closest, Needles Campground is the farthest), and guides you through colorful sandstone spires and canyons to a massive, jaw-dropping, stonehenge-esque arch.
This hike involves strenuous scrambling over sandstone, and can get deadly hot in the summer. Remember to be prepared, and bring plenty of water. Do note that in the last 1/4 mile towards Druid Arch, there's a tough scramble up a steep wash. It's doable, but difficult - We ended up using a backpack strap as a pseudo-rope to hoist up.
The canyon leading up to Druid arch is truly spectacular. I was astounded by the beauty of the sandstone pinnacles, and the wavy floes of red rock
The final section of the out-and-back is the best, and you'll be rewarded with the towering 450' Druid Arch.
The Druid Arch hike was one of the highlights of visiting Utah, it's worth exploring the Needles (and Canyonlands) further if you have the time, as you could easily spend multiple days on different hikes here.
There's camping nearby both within and just outside Canyonlands National park, or you could try backcountry camping (this might be difficult, as there's no damn water).
