Hiking Skyline Arch - Arches

Overview

Fri

68° | 40°

Sat

72° | 41°

Sun

77° | 46°

Mon

75° | 52°

Tue

69° | 49°

( Rated 3.0 / 1 Ratings )

5 Todo Lists / 1 Ticks

RATING: Easy Hiking

LENGTH: Less than 1 hour (0.5 mile)

MAPS: MOLLIE HOGANS, UT;

SEASON: Any

WATER: None

Fri

68° | 40°

Sat

72° | 41°

Sun

77° | 46°

Mon

75° | 52°

Tue

69° | 49°

Skyline Arch from near the trailhead on a winter day.

A short leg stretcher, Skyline Arch makes a nice family outing. The arch is a good example of seeing geological events happened fairly recently. Skyline Arch was about 1/2 the size it currently is until rockfall in 1940 doubled the size of the arch. Boulders from the rockfall in 1940 are visible at the bottom of the arch. The collapse must have been quite dramatic.

The current arch size is about 33 feet high by 77 feet across, at least until the next geological event. The freeze-thaw cycle is one of the biggest contributors to rockfall and collapses in Arches, and will eventually be the demise of many arches over a long enough time span.

Skyline Arch informational sign.

Getting There

From the Arches National Park visitor center, follow the Arches Scenic drive 16.7 miles from the visitor center. The trailhead is signed on the right, and the arch visible from the trailhead. This is about a mile before the end of the scenic drive and campground.

Skyline Arch

Route Description

The arch is visible from the trailhead and a short amble. It is possible to scramble up and under the arch directly, but there is a steep cliff on the other side, keep an eye on children!