Angel Arch

Angel Arch is a natural arch cut through a high sandstone fin in a side canyon of Salt Creek, deep in Canyonlands’ Needles District. It is the park’s largest natural arch: the opening is reported at about 135 feet high and 120 feet wide, with the fin rising roughly 450 feet above the canyon floor. This is a serious backcountry goal, not a quick sightseeing stop.

The Molar is a separate, tooth-shaped rock in front of the arch. From there, the whole opening reads clearly and the foreground gives it scale. A closer approach can hide part of the arch, so keep the Molar in the view instead of chasing a tighter angle.

The Angel Arch branch leaves Upper Salt Creek. From the Needles Campground trailhead, the route follows Peekaboo into the canyon; Cathedral Butte is the southern trailhead, and a through-hike needs a vehicle shuttle. Mileage varies by starting point and route, so use a topographic map to plan camps and daylight rather than relying on one advertised total.

Salt Creek is not an easy trail corridor: deep sand, reeds and dense vegetation can slow you down or hide the path, and seasonal flooding can change the route. Mosquitoes and gnats can be common from early summer into autumn. Most backpackers spend two or three nights in the canyon, and a full through-hike in two days or less is discouraged. Roads to either end can be impassable or require high-clearance four-wheel drive. For Peekaboo, park at Cave Springs/Salt Creek Gate and walk the road instead of parking along Salt Creek or Horse Canyon, where flash flooding is a risk.

Carry the food and water you need; springs and pools vary, so do not rely on finding a dependable source without planning and treatment. Overnight camping requires a reserved designated site or the Salt & Horse at-large zone; dispersed camping elsewhere in Salt Creek is not allowed. From March 15 through November 30, food, drinks, scented items and trash must be kept in a park-approved hard-sided animal-resistant container at least 100 feet from camp. Bears have been seen in the canyon.

The arch is part of a Cedar Mesa Sandstone fin formed from coastal dunes about 245 to 286 million years ago. Its name comes from the figure-like shape of an angel with folded wings; it was called Pegasus Arch before Angel Arch was adopted in 1963. People have lived in or traveled through the region for more than 10,000 years, and Salt Creek is part of a protected archaeological district. Visit only cultural sites marked open, and leave artifacts and structures untouched.