#ARCHES AT HIDDEN CREEK HOW TO#

Starting high on a pinon and juniper-studded mesa, the trail drops 1,000 feet in two miles to the canyon floor.

To Kirk’s Cabin and backcountry campsites 1 & 2

#ARCHES AT HIDDEN CREEK HOW TO#

Find out how to navigate the permit system › Backcountry camping requires a backcountry permit. The following description starts at the southern Cathedral Butte Trailhead and ends at the Squaw Flat Campground in the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. It’s best hiked as a one-way point-to-point route that requires a long vehicle shuttle. The hike through Salt Creek combines southern Utah’s best - arches, slickrock, springs, solitude, and plenty of archaeological sites.

White Mesa Cultural and Conservation Areaįrom granaries and grinding stones to petroglyphs and cliff dwellings, Salt Creek is teeming with Ancestral Puebloan culture.

Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon.

Just past the sign for Weaver’s Needle Vista, look for the large Willow Canyon Trailhead parking area on the left. From Idaho Road, turn right onto State Route 88 toward Canyon Lake. Take the US60 to Idaho Road and go north. Location Goldfield Mountains, Tonto National Forest, Apache Junction, Arizona Just know this is the more adventurous choice and will require some scrambling, crab walking, and maybe stemming (okay, only if you’re me.) Oh yeah, did I mention watch for snakes? Cuz no wildflower picture is worth playing around with a snake, even if it’s not a rattler. I like the loop because the canyon has some interesting formations, including a tight squeeze to pass through. That was my first time finding that one!Īt this point, you can turn back and retrace your steps, or if you’re up for a little more adventure, you can explore the neighboring canyons by making a loop. Next to it and down lower is another small arch, and a little farther back is the third arch. Woohoo! Almost there! Now I have no idea what Hillary and Heather were doing in the arch, but let’s just go with it.

On the other side, you’ll reach another wash, and if you look up, you’ll see the big arch sitting perfectly atop a rocky outcropping. This part has a poorly defined trail, but it does have cairns, so keep a sharp eye for them lest you suffer the same fate as Heather and me. You’ll follow a wash for a while, then turn to go up and over a saddle. If you’re lucky enough to navigate the first section of the trail successfully, congratulations! Now comes the fun part. So look at your GPS frequently, and when you get off trail, remember I told you so. All the navigation you can possibly get your hands on! There are about a zillion use trails out there and some 4WD roads, too, so you have close to 100% chance of getting off of it at some point.

But you know what’s even more important to look for on the way? those arches are kinda far out there, and it’s nice to have something to look for on the way. It’s nothing too special, but let’s face it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t very photogenic, but I saved the photo with a little Photoshop magic. And sure enough, there was a rocky spire made out of gray rock that didn’t match the surrounding rock, and it kinda looked like a tin man sitting up there. Now I don’t know if these people just made this up as we passed them or if it’s really a thing, but they told us to look up and to our right to see a rock that looks like a tin man. Once in a while, we find something we truly weren’t expecting on a hike. But at least you’ll probably have it to yourself! The trail starts on an OHV road, but don’t write it off just yet! After about a quarter mile, it leaves the road and starts on a trail through some beautiful scenery. There are a lot of use trails out there, so definitely bring your GPS! The Triple Arches Loop travels more than nine miles through a scenic OHV area to a set of three arches with the option to go back the way you came or make a loop out of it to explore nearby canyons. Often overlooked due to their famous neighbor, the Superstitions, the Goldfield Mountains have some hidden surprises of their own.

Arches at hidden creek