99Discovery
Adventurer
I took my family to Tower Arch as part of our weekend adventure in the Deadhorse Point/Moab area last summer. I have always been aware of this trail, but ironically have never bothered to take it. Probably because I've always seen the lineup of RVs and cars to get into Arches and figured "forget that."
But this time we didn't have a group to go rock crawling with, so we decided to try something easier, and with the HAM locked into the local Repeater, I figured it would be pretty safe to venture off alone.
The trick is to get into Arches early before the masses come. The turnoff for the trail is at the Balanced Rock overlook, take the dirt road to the west and follow the signs. Then you'll meander 13 miles until you reach the Arch. Describing the trail won't do it justice in words, but I've got quite a bit of footage in my brief trail overview below.
As far as terrain is concerned, the trail is similar to Fins and Things, but more like a Fins and Things LITE. Despite being significantly easier, I honestly thing I prefer this trail as I feel the scenery is far superior. In any event, if you are planning an adventure in the Moab are, or a simple day visit to Arches in your 4wd and want to escape the crowds, then this is a trail to consider.
EDIT: Added the review of the alternative routes: Willow Springs and Salt Valley. For any considering Tower Arch, I highly recommend adding Willow Springs and the Dinosaur Tracks to your plan.
But this time we didn't have a group to go rock crawling with, so we decided to try something easier, and with the HAM locked into the local Repeater, I figured it would be pretty safe to venture off alone.
The trick is to get into Arches early before the masses come. The turnoff for the trail is at the Balanced Rock overlook, take the dirt road to the west and follow the signs. Then you'll meander 13 miles until you reach the Arch. Describing the trail won't do it justice in words, but I've got quite a bit of footage in my brief trail overview below.
As far as terrain is concerned, the trail is similar to Fins and Things, but more like a Fins and Things LITE. Despite being significantly easier, I honestly thing I prefer this trail as I feel the scenery is far superior. In any event, if you are planning an adventure in the Moab are, or a simple day visit to Arches in your 4wd and want to escape the crowds, then this is a trail to consider.
EDIT: Added the review of the alternative routes: Willow Springs and Salt Valley. For any considering Tower Arch, I highly recommend adding Willow Springs and the Dinosaur Tracks to your plan.
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