I did not discover the Corona Arch hike on my own, I saw it over a year ago on Instagram thanks to one of the many influencers I follow. Located on Bureau of Land Management land outside Moab, UT this is a great dog friendly hiking option outside the national parks that features some epic arches. The trail is best known for Corona Arch, but it also features Bowtie Arch and Pinto Arch. The trail is an easy 2.4 miles with approximately 480 feet of elevation gain (per All Trails). Adding Pinto Arch to your hike adds just over 0.5 mile to the total distance.
Bowtie Arch and Corona Arch
You cannot miss Bowtie Arch on the way to Corona Arch. Literally, its right along the trail. The hike to Corona and Bowtie Arch starts out climbing up the canyon wall along the side of the Colorado River. After that initial climb, you cross the railroad track and the hike is relatively flat, and very exposed. You eventually go around a corner and can see both Bowtie and Corona Arch in the distance along the side of the canyon.
But before you can get to them, there are a few tricky areas along the trail. The first is a section climbing up a steep area with chain to help along the way for the humans. I knew it was coming – thanks reviews – but I was still concerned if Winter would even make it up. She got a running start and managed to get up with only a little but of struggling. Coming back down the same section she was much more nervous. The second “area of concern” for Winter…a ladder on the trail. Again Winter impressed me finding her own way around it after a little coxing in the correct direction.
Bowtie Arch
After those two spots, the trail is super easy with a stop at Bowtie Arch before getting to Corona Arch. Bowtie Arch is one of the most interesting Arches I saw while in Moab. Winter gave us her classic photo licking her nose.
Corona Arch
Corona Arch is basically the dog friendly Delicate Arch. Plus it is overall a much easier hike! We started our hike early enough to avoid crowds. We only saw three other people while we were at Corona Arch. On the hike back out we saw plenty of other hikers starting their day. The chipmunks here cause just as much trouble as in Arches and Zion… only this time Winter decided to almost chase one off the cliff.
Pinto Arch
Tacking Pinto Arch onto the end of the hike adds about 0.5 miles to the overall hike. It is well worth the additional effort! We saw Pinto Arch from the main trail as we hiked in and made a mental note that if we were up for it to check it out on the way out. The entire trail out to Pinto Arch you are just waiting to see it when you walk around the next corner. When it finally reveals itself up-close it is an epic view. The small alcove underneath the arch makes for some really cool photo opportunities. The other perk is this arch is less popular than Corona Arch, so many people skip it. We had Pinto Arch to ourselves for a full 20 minutes before we left to head back to the car.
Before you go
If the Arches National Park gates are closed, the Corona Arch hike is a great back-up plan. In my opinion, it is a must see in the Moab area. The trail head is about 15 minutes from Moab main street, honestly closer than all the trail heads in Arches National Park.
Because a majority of the trail is along the rocks it is well marked with green dashes along the way. This comes in handy very frequently. So just keep your eyes pealed for them and you will get to the destination!
Regardless of when you start this hike, be sure to bring plenty of water and a good hat. Sunscreen is also a must. The entire hike is exposed, so you will be in the unforgiving Moab sun the entire hike. If you plan to tackle this hike, and especially with a furry 4-legged buddy, I highly recommend starting early. We got to the trail head around 7:30 AM.
Check out more of what we did in Moab! There was Arches National Park, Mill Creek Trail, Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park.