Corona Arch

Corona Arch has been one of my favorite arches to visit outside of Arches National Park for many years.  If I had to guess, I would say that Corona Arch is the most-often-visited arch outside of Arches National Park by tourists visiting Moab, Utah.  We have been hiking to it ever since we moved to Moab in 1998 and visited it many times since we moved away.  The hike is the same distance as the hike to Delicate Arch -- about 3 miles round-trip.  

Corona Arch Trailhead is located here: Corona Arch Trailhead

To reach the parking lot for the trailhead, drive down the Potash Road until you see the Corona Arch parking area, which is clearly marked.  This is a very popular hike so there will be lots of other hikers on the trail with you.  The trail used to be marked by cairns, but now there is green paint that leads the way.  There are a couple of spots that are hard for those afraid of heights, but ropes and a ladder help with that.  It is about a mile and a half hike each way, and very easy.  My kids always enjoy posing for photos on the railroad tracks at the very beginning of the trail.  We also always pose inside the little cave that is right next to the trail just before you reach the arches.  People used to bungee cord off Corona Arch and swing under it, but then someone died when their bungee cord broke, so they won't let people bungee cord off it anymore.  Here is a video of someone swinging under Corona Arch:  Swinging Corona Arch An airplane has flown through the arch before, and people paraglide through it also.  Here is a video of someone paragliding through the arch:  Flight Through Corona  Here is an article about the man who flew a plane through the arch:  Arch Flying Cowboy

You can climb on top of Corona Arch, although I am too afraid of heights to have ever tried.  This is one of my favorite arches.  You can also visit Pinto Arch and Bowtie Arch on this hike.  In fact, you walk right past Bowtie Arch as you're walking to Corona Arch.  Pinto Arch is just a short detour. 

2018, all our Call family cousins at the reunion

2018, the Corona Arch trail

2018, the beautiful Corona Arch hike

2018

2018, water break on the hike to Corona Arch

under Corona Arch, 2018

2018, under the arch

Grandpa and Grandpa on the Corona Arch hike, 2018

climbing up the walls on the Corona Arch hike

2020, our family likes to pose on this giant rock near the beginning of the Corona Arch trail

2020, Teancum, my daughter in law Jancy, son Micah with grandson Krew, James, Lizzie, me, Rebecca, and my husband James taking the photo

the little cave on the Corona Arch trail

2020

2007, my sons Teancum and Ethan (jedis)

2007

2007, Bowtie and Corona Arches.  I was pregnant with my youngest daughter Lizzie. My children Micah, Cameron, Ian, Teancum, James, Ethan, and my daughter Rebecca on James' back

Ethan on the trail

1998, my sons Cameron and Micah in the little cave with their cousins Holly, Annaka, Tim, and Dan

the beginning of the Corona Arch hike

switchbacks at the beginning of the Corona Arch hike

2018

following the green paint on the trail, 2018

using the rope to climb up the rock near the end of the hike, 2018

2018, all the kids climbing up the rope

2018, Bowtie and Corona both visible

2018, fitting cousins in the little cave on the trail, our Call reunion
Chance, Gwen, Lizzie, Skylar, Kate, Rooney, Isabelle, Clara, Evy, and Zoey

2018, Corona Arch trail

our picture rock, 2018

starting the hike

fun on the railroad tracks at the beginning of the hike

2018

under Corona Arch, 2020

2020, lots of traffic at Corona Arch

2020, under the arch

view of the trail

2020, a mask stuck in a tree on the hike to Corona Arch

taking pictures on our picture rock, 2020, hike to Corona

2020.  I love the cairn inside the cave

2007, Corona Arch hike

1999, my son Ian inside the cave on Corona Arch trail

2015 

2015

My kids on top of the arch, 2015

2015 Grandpa and Grandma, the arch is in the background, it blends in with the rock behind it

2015

Grandpa took a selfie, but this is the view from inside the arch

2015

My nephew Chance on the railroad tracks at the beginning of the trail, 2018

My brother Curtis, his wife Lindsay and daughter Skylar

the trail

heading back down the rope ladder

2018, our picture rock

playing on the rocks near the arches

view from the arch

2020

2021, Lizzie, James and Rebecca on the tracks

2021

2021, view from the trail

2021, a cairn garden!

2021, our little cave

going down the ladder on the beginning of our hike back to the car, 2021

holding onto the rope on the trail, 2021

Under Corona Arch, 2021

2007, my sons Ian and James on the train tracks

Corona Arch, 2007

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

Balcony Arch

Bowtie Arch

Buttress Arch

Corona Arch

Druid Arch

Gemini Bridges

Jeep Arch (my very favorite)

Jewel Tibbetts Arch

Little Arch

Longbow Arch

Looking Glass Rock

Mill Creek Arch

Morning Glory Arch

Musselman Arch

Picture Frame Arch

Arches Inside Arches National Park

Alcove Arch

Arch of Motion

Bicep Arch

Black Arch

Broken Arch

Christmas Tree Arch

Cove Arch

Delicate Arch

Diamond Arch

Double Arch

Double O Arch

Echo Arch

Eye of the Whale Arch

Flatiron Arch

Frame Arch

Inner Sanctum Arch

Kissing Turtles Arch

Landscape Arch

Leaping Arch

Little Duck Window

Magic Mystery Bridge

Navajo Arch

North Window

Parade of Elephants

Parallel Arch

Partition Arch

Pinetree Arch

Pothole Arch

Private Arch

Rainbow Arch

Ribbon Arch

Sand Dune Arch

Seagull Arch

Shadowbox Arch

Skull Arch

Skyline Arch

South Window

Spectacles

Surprise Arch

Tapestry Arch

Top Story Window

Tower Arch

Tunnel Arch

Turret Arch

Walk Thru Bridge

Wall 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).