Boasting an aperture of 140 ft. by 105 ft., Corona Arch is one of Utah’s largest—and most spectacular—natural arches. Yet its location, tucked away amidst BLM land, keeps the place relatively unspoiled, in contrast with the swarming crowds of nearby Arches National Park. Corona is situated amidst a seemingly endless sea of slickrock of the Navajo sandstone variety, a landscape that boasts a number of other arches as well, including nearby Bowtie Arch and Pinto Arch. It is possible to see all three spans on a moderately difficult, 2-hour jaunt to and from Highway 279, also known as the Potash Road.
Easiest access to Corona Arch is by way of the self-titled trailhead roughly 10 miles up Route 279 from the intersection with Highway 191 northwest of Moab. There is a marked parking lot on the right-hand side of the road, opposite the Gold Bar camping area and the Colorado River. The views west from the trailhead itself are majestic, as the Colorado winds around a sharp bend below 500- to 600-foot cliffs of sandstone.
Beyond the tracks, the ever-ascending trail rounds a right-bearing curve and skirts a minor ravine that is quite shaded in the morning. Having gained close to 200 feet in elevation since the trail’s start, the hike flattens out onto a sunny, open expanse populated by sage and the occasional juniper or pinyon pine.
