Longbow Arch, located on Poison Spider Mesa just outside Moab, has long been a bit of a local’s secret. With no “official” trail to the arch, Longbow has not seen even a fraction of hikers other nearby arches have (I’m looking at you, Corona Arch). But in 2015, the BLM proposed building an official hiking trail, which was recently completed. Now travelers have a 2.4-mile round trip, well-packed route to the arch, a hike that also includes some very well preserved dinosaur tracks and ancient Indian petroglyphs found along the way.
To begin the hike, park at the Poison Spider trailhead off Highway 279, AKA Potash Road. From there, locate the trail on the northeast side of the parking lot next to the outhouse. The path immediately goes down as it traverses a steep hillside. Soon after though, it steeply switchbacks up to a large boulder with highly-visible dinosaur tracks.
Above the dino footprints, the next stop is a decent panel of rock art. There are dozens of petroglyphs here depicting hunters, animals, and geometric designs.
Beyond the petroglyphs, the trail comes to a slickrock ramp and a small cliff. The trail builders installed rebar steps into the rock face to aid in climbing (think a mini via ferrata.) At the top, the path flattens as it winds over slickrock sections with the path marked in green paint, and through sandy washes. Awesome views of the Poison Spider Mesa area abound.
About a mile from the trailhead the trail turns into a canyon where you get your first glimpse of Longbow Arch high above. As the canyon narrows, the trail becomes a bit more difficult with a few scrambling sections. Just below the arch, the path makes a sharp turn and ends right underneath this massive rock arch.
After you take plenty of photos of the arch, you can continue up the canyon through a few bushwhacking sections for a sweet view of Behind the Rocks in the distance.
To return, simply follow the trail back the way you came. Longbow Arch is a great new addition to Moab’s hiking itinerary that offers tons of interest with dinosaur tracks and rock art, and a spectacular arch that few people know about. It’s also a great hike for kids who will love to climb and play around on the slickrock.
We hiked to Longbow Arch with Mike Coronella from Deep Desert Expeditions. If you’re looking for guided hikes in the Moab area, we highly recommend him.
To get to the Longbow Arch Trail, drive north out of Moab on Highway 191, and turn left onto SR 279 as it crosses the Colorado River. Six miles after leaving 191, you’ll see a dirt drive on the right that goes up to the Poison Spider trailhead and parking area.