FEBRUARY 2018
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| LONGBOW ARCH |
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| LONGBOW ARCH |
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| LONGBOW ARCH |
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| LONGBOW ARCH |
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| ALONG THE TRAIL TO LONGBOW ARCH |
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| PETROGLYPHS ALONG THE TRAIL |
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| DINOSAUR FOOTPRINT NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE TRAIL |
Longbow Arch is nice two-and-a-half mile round-trip hike located south of Moab along Potash Road. The trail begins at the Poison Spider Trailhead, which is only five miles away from the Corona Arch Trailhead. Just after beginning the hike, there will be an optional side trail that will take you past some dinosaur footprints and petroglyphs. It is a very short detour that is definitely worth your time. After joining back with the main trail there will be a bit of a climb through a steep section where I temporarily lost the trail. Some parts are a bit hard to follow, so go slowly and watch closely for cairns when the trail becomes faint.
After a while you will enter a wide canyon that will narrow as you near the arch. It is hidden from view until just before you arrive at it. It is located along the side of the canyon wall, and it is not too difficult to walk up to its base. The alcove below the arch provides a nice shady spot to relax. I was able to have the entire trail to myself while visiting on a relatively warm winter morning in February. While not the most impressive hike in the Moab area, it is worth the walk and appears to receive a lot less traffic than the more popular arches in the area.
