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Monday, December 4, 2023

Gemini Bridges

Gemini Bridges, near Moab, off highway 313

During the time we lived in Moab, I am surprised that I never visited Gemini Bridges. My husband had seen them from above, and had even broken an oil pan when he attempted to drive our mini van on the Gemini Bridges road all the way to highway 191.  In 2023 we visited Gemini Bridges, and I was determined to see them both from above and below.

Driving toward Moab, we turned right onto highway 313, the road to Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point.  A sign on the right indicates the left turn towards Gemini Bridges.  The road is a dirt road but is very flat and does not require 4wd.  However, if you go past the Gemini Bridges parking area, you will be on the 4wd road, which is very rough.

There is a designated parking area to view the bridges and it's a very short hike to stand on top of the Gemini Bridges.  While we were on top of the bridges, we could see people down in the canyon below.  I wanted to see both vantage points of the bridges, above and below, so we determined that we would drive the 4wd trail through Bull Canyon.  James walked along the rim of the canyon to take photos of me on top of the bridges and get a better view of the bridges.  Then we headed back on the Gemini Bridges road towards where it joins Bull Canyon road.

When we got to where the road forks and we would be heading towards Gemini Bridges, we stopped and talked to two other adventurers who were heading back.  One warned us that the road would soon be getting rougher, and said that he'd just been at the bridges.  The other also warned us about the rough road ahead, but said that he'd searched for the bridges and hadn't been able to find them.  It was late afternoon in November, and I was determined to see the bridges before dark.  We decided to park our suburban right after the road divided, and walk the remaining 2 miles to the bridges.  The trail was usually easy to follow, but there were a couple times that we veered off, figured out we were on the wrong path, and came back to the trail.  From the point where we parked our suburban, to the viewpoint below the bridges, ended up being exactly 2 miles.  The bridges are even more spectacular from below!  It was definitely worth the drive and hike to see them!  There is a parking area near the bridges where you are no longer able to drive, even if your off-road vehicle can handle it.  If you reach a sign that says "road closed," you have gone the wrong way.  That is probably what our friends that we met on the trail had done.  Luckily I had my Natural Atlas map out and working as we walked towards Gemini Bridges.  

When we left the bridges to head back to our car, it was getting dark, so we ran most of the way.  We then drove out towards highway 191 and reached it after dark - the road is rough, don't attempt it unless your vehicle can handle it!  Both views of Gemini Bridges are well worth the effort - I would do it again!  I would say that the lower view was the most spectacular of the two, but definitely required more effort to get there!

Two people have died at Gemini Bridges -- a man died in 1999 trying to drive his jeep over the bridges.  A boyscout died in 2010 when he tried to jump from one bridge to the other and fell 100 feet to his death.

Driving up highway 313, this sign on the right indicates the left turn for Gemini Bridges



The Gemini Bridges road is very mild at this point and does not require 4wd.  If you continue past the Gemini Bridges parking area, however, you will need 4wd.





A sign in the parking area for Gemini Bridges
This is the round-trip distance from the parking area to the Gemini Bridges - a very short, easy walk

Lizzie relaxing next to the bridges

This is across from the bridges, and because of the shade it is hard to tell they are even bridges in this photo.  Where I was standing was actually a very thin piece of rock as compared to the bridges themselves.

James walked along the canyon rim to take photos of me on the bridges and he found these fun formations


View from the bridges.  Later that afternoon we would be walking that trail on Bull Canyon in order to see the Gemini Bridges from below

James took this photo of me from across the canyon

Without zooming in it is easier to tell the magnitude of these bridges and the drop down to the canyon below

Me on one of the Gemini Bridges

view from the side as James was walking along the rim - if you look closely you can still see me on one of the bridges

Me standing on the other bridge



from the other direction, me standing on the bridges

Lizzie walking on the bridges



James and Lizzie on the bridges



The shade makes it very hard to see that these are bridges and not just a canyon wall

The trail is marked with green paint and extremely easy and short

I was standing on the bridge when I took this photo of James across the canyon, taking photos of me

This was our round-trip hike from where we left our car, viewed Gemini Bridges from below, and returned to our car, plus a little bit extra when we were driving and I forgot to turn off my tracker

our view of Gemini Bridges as we were hiking toward it in Bull Canyon

James at Gemini Bridges




Lizzie deciding the best path to get under the bridges





This large rock at the base of Gemini Bridges reminded Lizzie of the Little Mermaid :)




This arch was viewed along the trail on the way to Gemini Bridges.  I haven't been able to discover the name of it


The trail is mostly easy to follow, although once you discover that you may have gone the wrong way, turn around and retrace your steps.  There were two times that we had to turn around and find our way back to the correct path.  

the surrounding canyon walls







This large leaning pillar was near the end of the trail
This is where we parked our car for the 2 mile hike to the arch and 2 mile hike back - we did manage to make it before dark


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

Balcony Arch

Jeep Arch (my very favorite)

Arches Inside Arches National Park


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.













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