Cassidy Arch Trail

From the parking area at the end of Grand Wash Road, follow the signed Grand Wash Trail downstream. For the first 0.3 mile, you walk along the wash floor before the Cassidy Arch branch turns left. That approach is part of the 3.4-mile round trip; the mileage starts at the combined trailhead, not at the branch. At the junction, take the Cassidy Arch route. Continuing along the wash is a different hike.

The Cassidy Arch path climbs steeply out of the canyon. The hardest grade comes early; the trail eases before the final approach, but this is still more than a short stroll. At the last junction, turn left again and follow cairns across slickrock to the arch. The tread can fade on open rock, so look for the next cairn before moving on. Footing stays uneven near the destination, where the edge is exposed. The short distance can make the hike look easier than it feels if steep climbs or heights are a concern.

The route reaches the top of Cassidy Arch, a broad sweep of sandstone with open canyon below. Look into Grand Wash, southwest toward Boulder Mountain, and south toward the pointed rise called Fern’s Nipple; Shinob Canyon joins Grand Wash in the view below. It is worth lingering here rather than turning around as soon as you arrive. For a photo that shows the shape of the place, frame some of the arch’s curved rock with the canyon beyond it; a person on the stone gives a useful sense of scale. Stay well back from the edge while taking pictures.

This is a close look at the tilted layers of the Waterpocket Fold. The area’s rock layers began as sediments laid down in changing environments; pressure bent them into a long one-sided slope, and erosion cut the canyons and natural openings through the exposed rock. Grand Wash’s towering walls show the larger fold, while Cassidy Arch makes the work of weathering visible on a smaller scale. The red and pale bands are not just a backdrop: they are the park’s geological story exposed along the walk.

The trailhead is reached by Grand Wash Road off Scenic Drive, with parking at the combined Grand Wash–Cassidy Arch access. Its capacity is not published. There is no drinking water at the trailhead, so carry enough for the steep climb and exposed sun. Pets are not allowed on the park’s other hiking trails. Much of the route has little shade, and the first stretch follows a wash; avoid it when thunderstorms threaten because flash floods can enter from rain far beyond the trailhead.