With a few hours to kill on the afternoon prior to running the Moab Trail Marathon, we decided to do  a short hike to Corona Arch.  It is a little off the beaten path, but a very worthwhile destination.  Its location is unique, because if sits outside the boundaries of the more well-known parks.  Corona is one of the most spectacular arches around Moab, but it doesn’t get much press because of its relative isolation.

While you make the drive down Potash Road, be sure to keep an eye out for the cool petroglyph panels.

It is a short hike of about a mile and a half to get to the arch.  Long enough to make it feel like you’ve actually gone somewhere, but short enough that it doesn’t take a lot of time.

Be sure not to kick any of this.

Add a rock to the pile if you are so inclined.

There are two short sections that are a tiny bit technical, the rest is easy walking along a trail or a slickrock bench.

You can see Corona Arch from a long way off, but it blends in with the background for most of the hike making it somewhat difficult to spot early on.  You will pass below Bowtie Arch as you make your way around the slickrock amphitheater.

And then it is just another minute or two to reach your destination.

And what a spectacular destination it is.

On the day of our visit, some guys had a rappel line set up and were getting shots for an upcoming commercial.

Make sure to go a little beyond the arch and check out the cool alien face on the wall.

I briefly considered trying to bum a trip down the ropes from the commercial guys, but then thought better of it.  Maybe some other time.

If you have seen most of the sights around Moab and are looking for a different place to visit, I highly recommend Corona Arch!