Hike Mesa Arch Trail in Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Mesa Arch is located in Canyonlands National Park and is one of the most iconic rock formations in the park. Formed millions of years ago, photographs of this famous arch can be seen as screen savers, magazines, etc. Accessible by a short hike, Mesa Arch is a perfect sunrise spot with stunning views of the La Sal Mountains.
Canyonlands houses many unique arches and structures and offers plenty of picturesque hikes for all fitness levels. Perhaps the most iconic is Mesa Arch that resides on a half-mile loop trail. Mesa Arch, like all arches, are as unique as a fingerprint, as their structure tells their story of time and creation. Mesa Arch — known as a pothole arch — was formed by surface water that pooled on the sandstone behind the arch, slowly eroding the rock. The result is an arch that sits across the mesa’s edge creating a natural frame for the spectacular Utah landscape.
Water has shaped this environment more than anything else. And sadly, over time, rain will erode the rock and Mesa Arch — and others like it — will continue to be altered until they collapse. Arches are impermanent, as they will fall at some point in time. However, while some may fall, most of these arches will stand well beyond our lifetime. Having been in the making for 65 million years, these structures have aged like fine wine — or sourdough bread — and are worth burning some calories to go see.
The trail to Mesa Arch is a little rugged but overall fairly easy terrain. It’s a short half-mile hike round trip, but well worth your time. During our hike we encountered some interesting rock formations, unique trees and a few entertaining lizards. The lizards would jet across the walking path, pause briefly — almost if they knew we wanted a photo — and then zoom off right after. It was some added amusement to say the least. Once we reached the arch it was pretty amazing from a distance, but the real experience was up close and personal. The arch itself, and the natural picture frame it creates for the landscape is absolutely stunning. Once we had our fill we walked around the left of the arch for more spectacular views. The entire trip took about 45 minutes as we tend to play around and take our time with pictures and fake treasure hunts. But for most, the hike should take about 30 minutes. It’s a perfect hike to burn a few calories and take in some awesome views of Mesa Arch.
Cost of Adventure
- Per vehicle: $30 (for 7 days)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total distance: .5 miles
- Calories burned: 75 – 150
- Time suggested: 1 hour
- Family friendly: YES
- Park size: 257,640 acres
Challenge Yourself
For this challenge, it’s more about timing. Some of the most amazing pictures of Mesa Arch were done at sunset. Unfortunately for us, we were not able to stick around that long. If time permits, come to Mesa Arch at sunset and take some epic photos that will add some fire to your social media pages.
Find Great Photo Ops
Mesa Arch provides some pretty amazing photo ops for every single one of its visitors. It doesn’t matter the time of day or even the weather. The iconic view of Mesa Arch and the surrounding landscape can make just about any photo look great. Get your camera out and start snapping!
Find a Lizard!
Mesa Arch trail has plenty of little creatures living around its paths. The darting lizards entertained us so much that we think it’s a nice bonus challenge to add to your hike. We didn’t have to flip over any rocks or sift through bushes, as these little guys were practically running across our feet. But as an extra challenge, see if you can spot any Mesa Arch lizards. Good luck!
