The Druid Arch Trail is located in the more remote Needles Section of Canyonlands National Park, south of Moab proper. Druid Arch is one of the most unique arches I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in Utah – and I’ve seen a lot of Arches in Utah. Its known for its more angular shape and double openings that are very reminiscent of Celtic standing stones in the British Isles. It’s so incredibly unique and its remoteness also means you can experience the desert out here much more intimately and not be disturbed while visiting this incredible arch.
Quick Info for Druid Arch Trail in Canyonlands National Park
Trail Distance and Difficulty: The Druid Arch trail is just under 11 miles total, out and back. It’s rated as strenuous, and I would agree with that trail rating because of both trail obstacles and distance.
Getting to the Trailhead: Druid Arch is in the Needles Section of Canyonlands, which means that it is much further from Moab than you might expect. It’s 2.5 hours drive time from the center of town and within the Needles District you have to take a relatively short dirt road to get to the trailhead. It’s easiest done with an AWD or 4WD vehicle, know that you might have a harder time getting to the trailhead if there has been any rain. Check road conditions at the visitor center if you’re concerned.
What to Expect Along the Trail: This trail is absolutely stunning with amazing formations, slots, and more along the way. The goes mostly over slick rock and through sandy washes. There is a ladder and a few places where a bit of a scramble up is required. As a 5 foot 3 woman, there were two spots that were difficult for me to get up, but I did make it.
Best Time to Hike the Trail: I would recommend hitting this trail as early as you feel comfortable hiking, especially when it’s hot outside. I did the hike in September, and I got to the trailhead at about 8am. It took me a solid 5 hours to finish the hike. I ended at peak heat, but luckily it was cooler out because it was the fall.
Trail Blazes on the Druid Arch Trail: There will be a few different signs along the trail that point out which route is to Druid Arch where trails intersect. Other than that, you’ll want to follow cairns setup along the trail. I also highly recommend downloading an offline trail map on an app like AllTrails. Be sure not to add your own or knock down existing cairns that can make navigating the trail confusing to other hikers.
Would I Let My Kids Hike It? First of all, this is a pretty high mileage hike for little legs. But also, there are a lot of obstacles that required climbing up large rocks and sliding down sections. I think right now, while the kids are 3 and 4, I wouldn’t bring my kids on this trail. But I would potentially reassess in a few years when Liam is at least five, but I can’t say for sure. That said, only you know your kids’ limits and abilities though, this is just my personal opinion.
Gear I’d Recommend for the Druid Arch Trail
Things We Use for Safety – I have a Garmin InReach Mini 2 that helps me feel so safe one trails. I think it’s especially important for any solo adventures or in places that are more remote, like the Needles District. Just know that you do have to pay for a subscription for this. We do it monthly so that it is less expensive. I always like to have a basic first aid kit, with things like like bandaids – I think these cloth ones stay on the best, Neosporin, and alcohol wipes. I also like to keep some moleskin in my pack in case I get a blister. I also have become a big fan of having an AllTrails map downloaded for more remote and strenuous hikes, like Druid Arch.
My Latest Gear Obsession – My Garmin Instinct 3 watch. I’m not a “techy” girl, but I’m obsessed with my Garmin watch. I love stats, I love tracking my health and activity, and, for me, nothing beats this watch. This watch feels like it’s activity and adventure first, and smartwatch second, which is exactly what I wanted. Plus, the battery life is up to 18 days, and it tracks so much in real-time including weather, altitude and more.
Footwear – Matt and I both love our Merrell hiking boots. In fact just this year, I found my all-time-favorite hiking boots – they’re still mids – which I love, they’re lightweight, and they’re waterproof. Regardless of which brand works best or fits your foot, though, we both recommend a boot with ankle support. These Merrell socks are perfect for my hiking adventures. I love that they’re cushioned slightly and are the perfect height for ankle boots.
Daypack – I’m obsessed with my Osprey Daylite. It’s the perfect size to cram plenty of water and snacks for the hike. Plus, if I have a light layer, it fits in the pack as well.
What’s in My Pack? – Water is always the very first thing that goes into my daypack and I love using these Nalgene water bottles because the wide mouth on the bottle makes it really easy to clean. Some snacks that you can almost always find in my backpack are beef jerky tender bites, peanut butter & honey crackers, peanut m&ms, trail mix and dehydrated fruit strips.
Sun Protection – Sun protection is especially important in the vast open desert where there is truthfully very little shade. Be sure to apply and pack sunscreen. I love to use a sunscreen stick because I don’t have to get my hands goopy on a trail. Plus, it’s reef-friendly! I also, just got this sunhat from REI this year and I’ve just been absolutely thrilled with it.
Do You Like to Track Your National Park Adventures? – I actually authored this National Park Journal and I’m really proud of it! This is the perfect guided journal with fun facts and simple tips to help you make the most of your trip and, most importantly, curate your memories in each park! I’d be honored to be part of your national park adventures in this way!
My Experience on the Druid Arch Trail in Canyonlands National Park
When I got to the trailhead, I laced up my boots, used the restroom and hit what I thought was the trail because there’s a sign that said “trail” and pointed in a somewhat obscure direction. Luckily, I noticed it looked off after only about 25 steps, but on my way back I saw a couple who had done the same and veered waaaaay off the path shouting across the gap in the the canyon at me… whoops. So, just to be super clear, there’s a large trail guide sign at the trailhead – don’t be like me and at least two other people that morning.
Beyond the sign, the trial goes up rocks pretty much instantly. Some are cutout stone steps, others parts are just up slick rock, but shortly after cresting the top of this section, you start to see some of the massive rocks that make up the Chesler Park section of needles in this district. The rocks are brightly colored, oddly formed and striated beautifully.
This trail is very rugged and while you can tell the path most of the time because of the packed down path of dirt, and there are strategically placed cairns and even pieces of wood blocking paths that may look confusing to others. There are also some trail signs posted throughout where trails intersect to make sure that you’re on the right path. That said, I downloaded the offline map from AllTrails and it was a huge help on this trail, just knowing that I had the peace of mind that I was on the right trail.
There are sections of the trail that wind through smaller slots, require scrambles down cliff faces and it’s just a really beautifully varied section of the Needles District. Eventually leading through and alongside a wash area. Part of the trail is in some fairly deep sand along the wash. Additionally, though this section it can be a little easier to lose the trail as it sometimes simply goes up. There were a couple fair intense uphill scrambles for 5 foot 3 me.
Also, if there has been rain, you could be hiking through some pools and puddles. I was there 3 days after flash flooding in Moab, and I had one part that had some decently deep water – well over the top of my boots – that I had to scramble around and jump down from onto a rock in the middle on the way back. There are definitely some obstacles on this trail and I think the strenuous/difficult rating is appropriate.
Eventually, you start to see Druid Arch from the side and you start to grasp just how massive this Arch is – even if you can’t see the openings yet. There is one ladder section of this trail, which a lot of people I passed were pretty nervous about, but it honestly felt like absolutely nothing, especially compared to the two more intense scrambles I encountered before that.
The last part of the trail up to Druid Arch is quite steep, but isn’t incredibly long and takes you to the top of a large walk that sits directly across from Druid Arch and additionally looks out over an incredible overlook of needles and hoodoos and fins to the right of the Arch.
Because of how strenuous and long this trail is, it means you’re pretty likely to pass fewer people than shorter or less difficult hikes. I was up on top of this rock for a snack and some photos for about 25 minutes and only saw 4 other people the whole time.
The trail back is pretty straight forward because it’s an out and back trail, but never, ever underestimate the power of a different perspective to trip you up. I got off trail twice on the way back, which is where that AllTrails Map came in incredibly handy.
I also have to say, I carried 4 liters of water with me on this trail and I drank just about all of it on the trail and I was very happy that I had an extra gallon of water in my car because I was super thirsty the whole drive back to Moab and I was here on a relatively cool day. Heat and sunlight is no joke. Take is seriously on a trail like this – it could truly be the difference between life and death.
Druid Arch Trail is one of my favorite hikes in the Moab-area now. It’s just really unique, feels like an experience and is scenic for so much of the almost 11 miles. Even though it’s a bit of a drive to the Needles District, it’s absolutely worth it to see an arch unlike any others that I’ve seen and to experience the solitude of the Needles. 10/10 recommend this trail to anyone looking for a long, difficult hike that is worth the work.
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