Corona Arch Trail

Before “Corona” was associated with “Stay At Home” and pandemic, we visited this wonderfully dog-friendly place to explore the natural arch.

This is the most popular hike in Moab, UT, with or without a dog, because of the dramatic sandstone rock formation, so I highly recommend doing this on a weekday if you want to avoid the crowds.

And that’s what we did. When we arrived around 8:30 AM, there were only two other cars in the paved parking lot.

There was a poop bag dispenser at the trailhead. If you forget your bags, make sure to pick up a couple for the journey.

Since her nail injury two days ago, we’ve been nursing that paw. Even on this hike, her injured paw was wrapped in a bandage inside of her boot. She walked gingerly on that paw until the night before, but on this day, she was feeling great. So, out of the backpack, and she was free to hike on her own.

If haven’t hiked in this area with your dog before, please read my last post first.

Corona Arch hike is short and easy to follow. The trail is marked, so just follow the markings as in the photo below.

There are two locations where you might need a cable to help you balance.

The first one is located right before the field of cairns. We didn’t need to use the cable that day, but it would be helpful if there was snow or ice on the ground.

The second cable is at 0.8 miles. Use it to pull yourself up.

After using the chain to climb up, now it’s time to climb a ladder.

No worries, though, if you have a large dog. You don’t need to lift your 60 lbs dog on the ladder. Do you see Xena in the photo below? She found a good place to climb, near where she is standing, and met us at the top. Dogs won’t have a problem here.

Now, head over to the arch.

Pass Corona Arch and go to the other side. The view is nice from there, too.

When you are ready, go back the way you came in. It’s an out and back trail.

Good to Know:

• Hike Date:  2.18.20
• Distance:  2.4 miles RT
• Elevation Gain:  540 ft
• Maximum Altitude: 4,430 ft
• Difficulty Rating: Moderate
• Trailhead/Parking:  38.574469, -109.632418 (copy/paste to your GPS)
• Fee/Permit: None
• Vault toilet available in the parking lot
• Notable: Exposed, highly trafficked, popular, avoid summer, paw protection gear highly recommended

Get Our Latest Comprehensive Dog-friendly Trail List Here. Enjoy!

Happy Hiking!