A Druid in the Desert
Easily one of our favorite hikes in the U.S. Druid Arch is an absolute gem of a trail in the desert. You need to find your way to The Needles in Canyonlands National Park and experience this hike for yourself. We began our hike at the Elephant Hill Trailhead lot which is off of a narrow, windy road. It was tight with our dually but we made it OK. Initially, we planned on hiking the Chesler Park Loop. However, after seeing how beautiful the hike was up until the Druid Arch turnoff, we decided to add the extra 4 miles to see what it was all about. I recorded our 12-mile hike in Gaia Maps here.
The Needles are known for their colorful spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone. And, right away you get a taste of them.
For the first couple of miles there are views all around of these spires. You’ll walk through desert shrubbery, over rocky slabs, and even through the rocks!
All of this comes before the split for Chesler Loop. You’ll notice this when you arrive in a washout area. We chose to take the loop counter clockwise. This starts the first of the uphill sections. Use the cairns (and lizards!) to stay on track.
We passed a group of guys a couple of times on their way to DP1 campground and shared stories of our latest adventures. As you reach the high point of this section there are spectacular views of this vast area of the park.
The trail levels off but the incredible views of The Needles continue as you make your way around the loop. Particularly as you descend into a washout area (main photo). There are a couple of caves down here worth checking out as well. They’re dark but accessible and light shines into them giving a nice effect.
Shortly after the caves we reached a split with a sign. 3.4 miles back to Elephant Hill or 2 miles to Druid Arch. At this point we were 5 miles in and feeling pretty good but the though of 7.4 more miles was a bit intimidating. However, we decided that adding the arch could make this great hike even better and continued on towards it. The 2 miles to and from the arch was a bit challenging. It is a long slog through a sandy washout. Though you do have nice views looking up at the rocky canyon on both sides. As you approach Druid Arch it can be a bit deceiving. While you can see the side of the arch, there are a couple more obstacles to get through before reaching the end. First, there’s a ladder section up large boulders. It’s not too difficult but does offer a challenge for those with height issues. We have those issues and made it up just fine. Next, you have to scramble up a rocky switchback section. This is definitely the most difficult part of the trail and naturally, is right at the end of it. Keep pushing. You’re almost there!
After reaching the top of this section the trail turns and heads straight towards the arch. It is absolutely massive. You can see me sitting atop a giant bolder in front of the arch (which was still about a hundred yards away) to get a perspective.
This spot offers amazing views of not only the arch but of the canyon walls and behind. It truly is one of our best payoffs at the end of a trail. Going down is easier than going up though can feel a bit airy at times. Just focus on the next step in front of you and you’ll be fine. The sandy washout trail is still beautiful heading back even though at this point it starts to wear on you.
We passed a few more people heading back (all of whom were especially nice) and, even though our legs were sore and aching, completed this behemoth of a hike. Considering this is one of our favorite hikes and is located in a National Parks it’s a pretty obvious one to recommend. Not only does it have incredible views the entire time, it may be the least trafficked of any National Park Trail we’ve hiked. Do yourself a favor and throw this on your bucket list!
