Camille's Arches: Black Arch

Monday, January 23, 2023

Black Arch

Rebecca next to Black Arch

I searched for Black Arch for years! I had heard about it, seen photos, and I had seen it from far away on the Devil's Garden trail. But I had not been successful in finding it on any of my Moab trips! Finally, in 2021, I was determined that I was not going to leave Moab until I found Black Arch! I was on a trip with my daughter Rebecca and we started the Primitive Trail loop. I decided to try using google maps because Black Arch was in it, but after wasting lots of time trying to go to the location for Black Arch marked on Google Maps, I realized that it was definitely not correct! We continued our hike, exploring every side canyon. There is an area of the hike that quite often fills with water and you cannot maneuver around it very easily. I have always ended up wading through the water, which on this trip was about 4 feet deep and very cold (it was November!). Most people take off their shoes and socks, throw them to the other side, wade through the water, then put their socks and shoes back on. Rebecca and I waded through the little pond, explored down the trail for a while on the other side, then decided it must have been before the pond, so we waded back through the pond! Then after thoroughly exhausting every avenue, we waded through it a third time! It was soon after this that we did find Black Arch! I hope that someday Arches will make an established trail to the arch because it is definitely worth the visit. Here are photos of my daughter and I at Black Arch in 2021. I think that when I go back to Moab again I would probably be able to find Black Arch again, but if you're searching for it by hiking through tight fins, you're on the wrong track.

underneath Black Arch

Rebecca under Black Arch

this was one of our side-trips trying to find Black Arch. We squeezed through here and did not find Black Arch, just a dead end. So if you find yourself in a tiny hallway like this, turn around, you're on the wrong track!

this is me in that same hallway

it was squishy, but we made it back out

another little side trip exploring, looking for the arch

one of the dead ends we found between fins

another dead end

Rebecca and I had fun taking photos of each other at each of our dead ends

squeezing through another crevice

navigating through "the pond" to continue the Devil's Garden primitive trail

our Devil's Garden hike

fun on the primitive trail

our lunch stop on the primitive trail

this is Top Story Window, which is visible while hiking on the primitive trail

This is where Google Maps said Black Arch was. My blue dot is where Black Arch actually is!

Here is the view of Black Arch from the Devil's Garden trail.

2010, my sister-in-law Natalie wading through "the pond"

Some of my favorite arches to visit in Moab outside of Arches National Park:

Jeep Arch (my very favorite)

Arches Inside Arches National Park

Eye of the Whale Arch

Where to stay in Moab

Moab is a tourist town, so it is full of hotels! We almost always stay at the Aarchway Inn because it is affordable and clean, has a great breakfast, is relatively close to everything we want to do, and it has some rooms with 3 queen beds to accommodate bigger families. Their website is here: Aarchway Inn There are also a lot of Airbnb's and campgrounds in the Moab area. I recommend visiting Moab during the off-season (October through March) because there are fewer crowds and the weather is cooler. But keep in mind that some of the restaurants don't stay open year-round. In fact, we went to Moab for Thanksgiving in 2022 and almost no restaurants were open on Thanksgiving day. Normally there are a lot of great restaurants to choose from. Some of my favorites include the Sunset Grill, Pasta Jay's, and the Moab Brewery. Actually, I don't think I've eaten anywhere in Moab that I didn't like.

What to do in Moab

Obviously, with approximately 4,000 arches in the area, the first activity I would recommend in Moab is arch hunting! We lived in Moab for 2 1/2 years and went hiking at least 3 times a week, and still didn't see everything there is to see there! And we've been back to visit countless times. I plan to retire there someday so I can go arch hunting every day. The most obvious suggestions would be to visit the 2 national parks in/near Moab:

Arches National Park

Arches National Park houses over 2,000 arches, although only a few dozen of them are marked so that tourists can find them. It is by far the most amazing national park I have ever visited (and I live a few hours from Yellowstone). It is very tourist friendly, although sometimes short on parking at the more popular sites. If you only have time for one hike while you're in Arches National Park, I very highly recommend visiting the most famous arch in the world, Delicate Arch. It is a 3 mile round-trip hike. Arches National Park's official website is here: Arches National Park and if you'd like to make a reservation for the Fiery Furnace, that official site is here: Fiery Furnace Reservation You can't hike the fiery furnace without a guide unless you've already hiked it before and are comfortable enough not to get lost. Tickets for a Fiery Furnace reservation only open up 4 days before the current date. In other words, you won't know until a few days before your anticipated hiking date whether you can get in or not. Don't worry, though, if you don't get into the Fiery Furnace on your visit, there is still lots and lots of things to do in Arches National Park! Some arches are right next to the road and you can just pull over and walk to them. Some arches require strenuous hikes to reach them. And some hikes offer several arches depending on how far you want to hike. I'd personally recommend the Devil's Garden primitive loop if you really love to hike. And take a little detour to visit Black Arch during your hike. If you have a four-wheel drive car, you can visit Eye of the Whale Arch and you could drive the Klondike Bluffs Trail to enter the park from Highway 191 much earlier than the regular Arches National Park entrance.

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands actually has 3 different sections, and the one closest to Moab is Island in the Sky. If you are feeling especially adventurous, you could drive the Shafer Trail from the Potash Road all the way up to the top of Island in the Sky. We have done it twice, once in a mini-van and once in a 15 passenger van, and both times we swore we'd never do it again. But it definitely is an amazing experience! I don't recommend driving it in a large vehicle like we did, because sometimes the road is only wide enough for one car, and there are people driving down from the top as well. But if you want the thrill of driving on a cliff edge from ground level all the way up to the top of Canyonlands, this is the way to go! Don't miss Musselman Arch on your way up! Once you're in Canyonlands you can do a short hike to Mesa Arch, and view the Washerwoman Arch from there. Here is the official website of the park: Canyonlands National Park

Dead Horse Point

When you drive to visit Canyonlands National Park, do not miss Dead Horse Point! It is a state park, not a national park, but it is well worth the extra money to take in this great view! Here is the official website of this state park: Dead Horse Point The google maps location of Dead Horse Point is here: Dead Horse Point

Off-Roading

There is a lot more to see in the Moab area if you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Behind-the-Rocks has some amazing arches, but requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle. There are many other jeep trails in Moab. Jeeps drive the Moab Rim, although you can hike it as well. You can rent a jeep in Moab rather than bringing your own four-wheel-drive vehicle.

River Rafting

We have also been rafting a few times on the Colorado River, which was a lot of fun! There are a variety of companies in Moab that offer river raft trips. The company that we rafted with offered lunch halfway through the trip. We also got out of the raft and floated for a while.

Canyonlands by Night

This is somewhat expensive, and fills up early, so keep that in mind! It is amazing, though. I have experienced it twice. Dinner is served before the boat leaves, and as you float up the Colorado River in the dark, lights are shined on the cliffs on either side of the river while a story is told. Their official website is here: Canyonlands by Night

Biking

Like off-roading, there are also many bike trails that you can enjoy if you're a mountain biker. Porcupine Rim, Slick Rock Trail, Lion's Park, Moab Rim, etc. You can bring your own bike, or rent a bike at one of the many companies in Moab. Be very careful when biking in Moab, though, because when we lived in Moab we would hear all the time about bikers falling to their deaths on the bike trails -- especially the Portal Trail. Our neighbor was part of Search & Rescue and had to help rescue people quite often. Choose a bike trail based on your experience.

Eating & Shopping

If you'd like a souvenir from Moab -- especially a shirt or hat, etc., simply walk down Main Street. There are lots of t-shirt shops and souvenir shops on Moab's Main Street and these are frequented by tourists year-round. There are also a lot of great places to eat in Moab. You will not find a limited amount of options to choose from (unless it's Thanksgiving Day).

Enhance your experience in Moab with these resources:

These guides might enhance your visit to Moab, whether you're hiking, biking, off-roading, rafting, or just sight-seeing. Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. This is at no additional cost to you.

Moab Day Hikes Map

Moab Greater Region Map

Easy Day Hikes Moab

Moab Day Hikes Map

Moab and Arches National Park Best Hikes

Moab Travel Guide

ATV Trails Guide Moab

Guide to Moab Utah Backroads and 4-Wheel Drive Trails

Utah Trails Moab Region: Backroads and 4-Wheel Drive Trails

Mountain Biking Moab

Canyonlands River Guide