A path forks west, up the far side of the canyon towards Chesler Park, while the Druid Arch route continues south, mostly right along the stream bed, for 0.8 miles to a third junction, signed Squaw Flat 5.9 miles. Druid Arch is undoubtedly the most famous landmark in the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. Chesler Park, Druid Arch, 4x4 roads, best hikes and viewpoints. About 2/3 of the way from Chesler Park, the trail will drop about 300 feet in between two sandstone fins. At this point, you will reach a junction for the Joint Trail and Druid Arch. I have a passion for writing, hiking, and camping and hope to share my experiences and adventures with our readers. A Sconnie born and raised, after graduating with my Master's Degree in Recreation Management, I left the river valleys of Wisconsin to hike the Colorado Rockies. Right before you reach the arch, there will be a steep and rocky scramble before you get to see the impressive Druid Arch looming above you. A short and narrow slot between two rocks is encountered about 1.5 miles into the hike and 2 miles in you will reach the wash that travels into Elephant Canyon or Chesler Park. Tall, circular spire on the north side of Chesler Park. There are facilities at most of the popular trailheads. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. In the summertime, this offers relief from the relentless heat of the desert sun. Hike One (or More) of the Short Trails in Island in the Sky. The trail eventually got a … You are required to pack out your poop! Connector Trail; Connector Trail; Meeting up with the Druid Arch Trail was like … This trail has narrow sections of trail with steep drop offs. Loop length: 14 miles. At this point, you are only 0.3 miles from Chesler Park. Drop steeply to the floor of Elephant Canyon at 2.1 miles. Did this hike on a Saturday in late September. This is where I split off from the Chesler Park/Joint Trail and went on the Chesler Park/Druid Arch Trail. However, this hike took more time as it required frequent wading/crossing of the river and loads of time looking for those tiny cairns. Just past the turnoff for the Chesler Park campsites, you’re given one of two choices: complete the loop, or head straight and join up with Elephant Canyon. The connector trail was really cool, as it provided some awesome views of the surrounding spires, and as a bonus we had the entire trail to ourselves. Though, if the weather is agreeable and you have the energy, you can make the hike about 4 miles longer by adding the loop around Chesler Park if you wanted to see more of the Needles on your way back to the car. Then scramble up a pile of rocks to arrive at Druid Arch. Following the trail to the right leads toward Druid Arch, Chesler Park and the Joint trail with other connecting trails along the way. From here, you will walk through a wash in Elephant Canyon before climbing up another steep, rocky section rising up to see your first views of the incredible Needles this district gets its name from. Location: Island in the Sky. Just a few days ago, I had the opportunity to take a solo trip to the Needles District to hike to Druid Arch, a magnificent geological formation that has a mystical energy, via Chesler Park. Canyonlands was established as a national park 1964 and features three districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, and the Maze. The Park Service has done a wonderful job adding improvements to the trails where needed while still keeping the overall experience that of a true desert wilderness. I would probably lean to the Joint Trail. Summers in the deserts of Utah can be unforgiving with the intense heat and dry air. Continue across the flat, open section until you pass into a meadow with towering pinnacles on either side of you. It is about ¼ mile walk across a sandy blackbrush flat to the first of more than a dozen trail junctions. The fall is gorgeous, less wind, but also a little busier. At this point, you are only 0.3 miles from Chesler Park. Sunset light behind Druid Arch in Elephant Canyon Druid Arch is one of the most popular destinations in the Needles District. After a mile, you will reach your first rocky scramble. We headed out on Friday. If you … As I hit the junction between Chesler Park and Druid Arch, I took the left, following Elephant Canyon down. In the Moab area, you will get snow, but it wonât stick around. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The best time to see Druid Arch is in the morning. Typical scenic view while on the trail, with the trail zig-zagging left and right all over the place. Druid Arch is no easy hike because of the sand and scrambling required. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Take caution here as even shoes with good grip will not help. Starting with a steep section, the trail levels out and follows pinnacles. Turn right onto UT-211 W and continue for 37 miles. Jokingly referred to as the much-favored older child of Canyonlands, it is easy to overlook the other two districts: The Needles and the Maze. Go left up Elephant Canyon. Go left towards Druid Arch. More. Best things to do in the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. Instead of going back up the canyon to Chesler Park, follow the wash until you reach the first intersection to Chesler Park you encountered earlier in your hike. You will ascend 300 feet up the cave-like cleft before you level out again. Maps: USGS The Loop and Druid Arch; Trails Illustrated Needles. I’m going to have to ask you for a promise: if you hike and are ever in Needles, DO THE CHESLER PARK … After reading a blog from a good friend where he combined the Chesler park loop with the Druid arch hike for one nice long dayhike I knew that's what had to be done. Trail signs at all junctions are neatly arranged by destination (Druid Arch, Squaw Flat Campground, etc.). This majestic arch sits in a slickrock amphitheater at the southern end of Elephant Canyon. A second junction, in Elephant Canyon, is for the 2.5 mile path to Druid Arch, which provides an alternative entry into Chesler Park via a connecting trail that forks west after 1.3 miles. Ngauruhoe (Mt. You can reach Druid Arch from several routes, but the most commonly used route is the out-and-back route from Elephant Hill Trailhead. After climbing up the slickrock, go left, following the cairns. In the spring, the weather is a windier, and there’s more of a chance for rain. The next .6 miles lead over the small divide between Big Spring Canyon and Elephant Canyon, with good perspective on each. Either of these places would be a great place to turn around for a short and enjoyable hike into The Needles. Heading into Elephant Canyon. And you will need the rest as to get back to the car, you have to the follow the Druid Arch hike the same way you came. You will encounter a ladder that you will need to climb up. The temperatures are more bearable and there are less people flooding the parks. The trail will flatten out before you encounter a steep but short ascent up smooth, slickrock. Druid arch in the Needles section of Canyonlands has been on my list for quite some time. Frequently, the track climbs to parallel the wash. Stay in the channel if you wish; there is only one necessary, well-marked bypass. End of the arch. Meander along the perimeter of Chesler Park for the next 1.5 miles. Kayaking Painted Cave, the longest and deepest sea cave in the world; Channel Islands. Wilson Arch; Chesler Park; An array of things to do in Moab; When is the Best Time to Do the Druid Arch Hike? While accessing The Maze requires a 4WD vehicle and a three-hour trek from Moab, UT, the Needles is a much more accessible district that will offer hikers varied terrain, cedar mesa sandstone rock formations, and access to more longer, heart-pumping hikes. 9: N38 06.883 W109 50.152 — 2.9 miles : Squaw Flat - Druid Arch split; keep right : 10: N38 06.661 W109 50.298 — 3.25 miles : Trail rises above wash to circumvent small dry fall : 11: N38 06.495 W109 50.307 — 3.48 miles : Enter wash, keep left at Joint Trail - Chesler Park split Looking back where I came from, the length of Elephant Canyon. The trailhead is located at the southwest end of the Elephant Hill parking area (see driving directions). Wag bag. Canyonlands National Park does require a fee that can either be covered by a week long pass, a Southeast Utah Park Pass Annual Pass, or the American the Beautiful Pass. In order to ensure this area remains enjoyable to all who visit, please follow the, Gear Review | Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 | Ultralight 2-Person Backpacking Pack, The Ultimate Guide to Arches National Park, The Ultimate Guide to Living a Sustainable Lifestyle, Cedar Mesa Sandstone pinnacles and cliffs. Druid Arch, with its angular profile and two narrow, elongated openings, looks more like a formation from Stonehenge than the typical crescent-shaped span. Continue across the flat, open section until you pass into a meadow with towering pinnacles on either side of you. In order to ensure this area remains enjoyable to all who visit, please follow the Seven Leave No Trace Principles. Chesler Park in Canyonlands Needles district is a unique area formed by the land cracking in a grid like formation, and then the water eroding away the cracks in between leaving tall needle like columns, and mushroom shaped rocks clustered together. You can find the fees here. Trail: This is almost entirely a slickrock trail, with stone cairns marking the way. And loads of hiking up and down waterfalls/hills like this… kind of fun, and slippery. The trail switchbacks down to the streambed, where you reach the junction with the Chesler Park Trail and the Devil’s Kitchen Campground. Go left towards Druid Arch. This hike is consistently cited as one of the best trails in America. At Elephant Hill trailhead, the start of the Chesler Park trail system. Druid Arch to Chesler Park is a 11.2 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Monticello, Utah that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking. I stopped several times to empty out all of this sand, actually enjoying the broken slickrock and other rocky features. To access the trailhead, follow signs in the Needles District for Elephant Hill. I liked the Chesler Park/Joint Trail variation a little better but this was still one nice hike. It passes through a slot then comes to the first of several well-marked junctions at 1.5 miles; turn right (west) for Druid Arch. Just beyond the Elephant Hill trailhead bulletin board the path climbs steeply up a stone steps and ledges before heading south along a sandstone bench. Go left on the trail to Druid Arch up the west side of the streambed. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. New Mexico and Fall Folliage at San Juan Skyway. Several outcrops of Cedar Mesa Sandstone hide backcountry campsites. While there aren't any mountains to climb in the Needles District the trails are far from flat. To get back to the trailhead, head back down the rock scrambles until you reach the wash. Difficulty: Difficult. Bear right; from this point, it is another 1.4 miles to Chesler Park. Chesler Park is a famous trail system at Canyonlands National Park, which is famous for its multicolored rock spires. Distance: 10.8 miles; out and back. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. You could do a spur to the west on the Joint Trail and back. The usual starting place for the hike to Druid Arch is … Before visiting the park, make sure to review regulations for permits and reservations and the pet policy. Make sure to enjoy a well deserved snack and snap some photos. Backpacking at Canyonlands, Needles District | Chesler Park, Joint Trail, and Druid Arch - YouTube. At this point, you are 3 miles from Druid Arch. There are also rocky scrambles and slickrock that can get slippery when wet. UT – Canyonlands NP, Needles District – Chesler Park, Joint and Druid Arch Trails Canyonlands is divided into three areas, Needles District, Island in the Sky District and the Maze District. For more details, review our Privacy Policy. Retracing my steps from last year for the first section of the hike. Druid Arch and Chesler Park - Canyonlands National Park - Needles District. The route follows the drainageway to the arch. Taken as I was leaving Chesler Park. In addition to seeing a spectacular arch, however, hikers can experience much of the special environment of the Needles area on the trail to the arch. Length 11.2 miElevation gain 2,162 ftRoute type Loop. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Long Beach – Aqaurium of Pacific and Queen Mary, Day Hiking Grand Canyon – South Rim to River To South Rim, Epic African Adventure: Kilimanjaro and Safari, Morning Glory Bridge – Fifth Longgest Arch in the World, Panorama Trail to Illiliouete Falls/Panorama Point, Park Avenue, Balanced Rock and the Windows, Tongariro Alpine Crossing/Mt. By clicking âAcceptâ, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. This is about 2 miles from Druid Arch. At this point, you will reach a junction for the Joint Trail and Druid Arch. The terrain is very rugged and you will be continually climbing over and around obstacles; hence the trail seems longer than it really is. While making for a long day (or two or more), Elephant Canyon offers up a whole new set of adventures: camping along the Squaw, Spring and Lost Canyons; petroglyph hunting; or in my case, Druid Arch. A park ranger is putting up a new sign at the first trail junction. I had hiked in April of 2010, taking on Chesler Park/Joint Trail variation (see the link). Doom), Kayaking Jackson Lake – Grand Teton National Park. The hike is 11 miles RT with 500 ft elevation gain. The trail ends at a magnificent viewpoint high on the east side of Elephant Canyon where, on most days, the arch is bathed in the morning sunlight. It's a tough call if you want to choose between Druid Arch or doing the full Joint Trail. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Trail Path and Map: Elephant Hill – Chesler Park – Jeep Trail – Joint Trail – Elephant Canyon (Druid Arch Trail) – Chesler Park – Elephant Hill. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The Trail to Druid Arch Leaving from Elephant Hill Trailhead, we did the 11 mile Chesler Park Loop, which includes the Joint Trail, and added on the 4 mile (roundtrip) spur to Druid Arch. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. This time I hiked the Chesler Park/Druid Arch variation, which is also a scenic 11 mile hike. Got to the trailhead around 7:30 am and we were one of the first few cars there. Backpacking at Canyonlands, Needles District | Chesler Park, Joint Trail, and Druid Arch… Much of the following trail was through sandy, dry washes, causing a constant flow of sand into my shoes. My 21 year old son agreed to join me on my adventure. The first of three backcountry campsites in Elephant Canyon (EC1) is visible to the right on the canyon floor. Making sure you are well prepared with water and sun protection is essential. Chesler Park: 5,600 ft. Druid Arch: 5,740 ft. This trail starts at the Elephant Hill Trailhead and to reach the trailhead you have to drive for 3-miles on an unpaved narrow road. You can unsubscribe anytime. Follow this wash using the cairns to help guide the way. Hike Trail. 5 STAR HIKE !!! The trail drops into the sandy wash bottom of Elephant Canyon to a junction for EC1 backcountry campsite and the Druid Arch … At this point, you are 3 miles from Druid Arch. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. You have successfully joined our subscriber list. However, combined with Chesler Park it's a nice loop hike. This would be a quick overnighter into the Needles District, as Ranger Joan (aka Rambling Hemlock ) was working at Arches National Park and had time off limited to weekends. The parking lot trailhead sits at the bottom of the Elephant Hill 4WD road (which requires a permit). The trail to the arch, starting at Elephant Hill, follows the first section of the trail to Chesler Park before turning up scenic Elephant Canyon. There is additional parking just down the road in the direction you came from. Most people visiting Canyonlands National Park visit the Island in the Sky District. This time I hiked the Chesler Park/Druid Arch variation, which is also a scenic 11 mile hike. Druid Arch to Chesler Park Loop is a 16.6 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Monticello, Utah These cookies do not store any personal information. You will come out into a wash where you will continue right, following signs for Druid Arch. The best time to visit Canyonlands and see Druid Arch is during the spring and fall. The trail to Druid Arch follows the first section of the trail to Chesler Park. Chesler Park; Chesler Park; We decided to add a side trip to Druid Arch, so we took a 0.8 mile connector trail to the Druid Arch Trail. A trail to Druid Arch comes in from the left, but keep straight (south) at the junction. Starting at Elephant Hill trailhead makes most sense. Follow the trail until you reach the parking lot. I had hiked in April of 2010, taking on Chesler Park/Joint Trail variation (see the link). The trail swings north at around 6 miles, as you continue hugging the edge of the park. Sign up today to get 10% off AVA Rafting and Zipline Trips and receive access to exclusive content. With over 60 miles of interconnecting trails, you are sure to find the perfect adventure in the Needles. This hike is consistently cited as one of the best trails in America. Going out to Druid Arch you are going to pass through Chesler Park. This route will take you down a 3-mile gravel road that is narrow and features blind curves so use caution while driving. Squeeze through the Joint Winters in Utah can be just as unforgiving as summers with frigidly cold temperatures. The trail is hard to navigate here but there are cairns to help guide the way. Familiar and spectacular colorful spires of Chesler Park! Located 75 miles southwest of Moab, UT, The Needles District is known for its colorful Cedar Mesa sandstone spires. Here the trail to Chesler Park veers off to the right. Spring and Fall are the ideal times to visit the deserts of Utah. The trail begins to drop down through a canyon with an abundance of Utah Junipers. The Chesler Park, Druid Arch, Joint, and Devil's Pocket trails can all be accessed from this trailhead. The Chesler Park Trail climbs steeply for several hundred yards before leveling across a high slickrock terrace. Start: Elephant Hill Trailhead. At Elephant Hill trailhead, the start of the Chesler Park trail system.
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