Hard, 9.7 mi out and back
1,446 ft elevation gain
Hiked 12/20/23
At the far end of Elephant Canyon stands a massive, 150 ft tall arch known as Druid Arch, which rises 450 ft above the canyon floor below and belongs on the cover of an epic fantasy. Trail follows along a wash with a variety of easy to tough terrains as well as some scrambling and a ladder climb.
As noted yesterday, I combined this trail and the Chesler Park Loop into one mega-hike. A large section of this hike crosses sand and gravel and adding the loop onto it kind of turns this into a slog, so if you’ve got the time, it would be better to do as two separate hikes. Would also allow you to properly time a sunset as Druid, which I’d imagine is otherworldly.
Several hillsides of sedimentary rock with needle-like pillars frame a valley below. In the distance a snow dusted hill may be seen.
A layer of white sedimentary rock sits above a canyon of orange sandstone with a collection of spires rising behind it in various layers of the two.
In the foreground a spiked club tree limb while in the background a pillar forms the ‘too much metal hand’ towards the heavens. Various other pillars of sandstone may also be seen.
These are beautiful photos, well shot and thanks for sharing them
Surround it with forest and that’s how I imagined Prayer’s Eye Peak in Dragons of Autumn Twilight.
It is definitely a fitting name for the arch!
Thanks, that’s very kind!
