Druid Arch Trail

Druid Arch is one of the most dramatically situated formations in Canyonlands, an enormous buttressed arch of Cedar Mesa Sandstone that resembles a Stonehenge megalith rising from a high-walled canyon in the Needles District. The 11-mile round trip from Elephant Hill Trailhead involves sustained route-finding through a maze of sandstone fins, canyon crossings, and a final technical scramble on iron staples and bare rock to reach the arch overlook. The terrain is rarely flat and the cumulative elevation change is greater than the net gain suggests.

The Needles District takes its name from the striped sandstone spires that punctuate the landscape throughout the hike — bands of red and white Cedar Mesa Sandstone create a distinctive candy-cane pattern on every exposed cliff and fin. The hike passes through Chesler Park, a broad grassland ringed by needles that is one of the most beautiful meadows in the American West, accessible via a narrow slot canyon passage. Water sources on the route are unreliable; carry all water needed for the day. Backpackers can combine the Druid Arch day hike with overnight camps at Chesler Park to break the effort across two days and explore the surrounding canyon network in the evening light.