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SALT CREEK ROAD
The Salt Creek Road is a gravel road that is passable in a 2WD vehicle under normal weather conditions. The road is wide and easy to travel, with occasional washboarding to add some excitement. As you curve down into the Salt Valley and make your way to the Tower Arch area, keep an eye out for the Dark Angel (located along the popular Devils Garden Trail.)
After traveling for 7.2 miles along this road, you’ll reach a couple of side roads. Now you have a decision to make!
TOWER ARCH 4X4
There are two ways to reach Tower Arch. The first is to follow the signed road to the Klondike Bluffs Trailhead. This large gravel dirt road dead-ends after 1 mile and is the starting point for the 3.4-mile hike out to Tower Arch.
The second option (and the option I’ll outline below) is to drive the Tower Arch 4WD Road to cut off some hiking time. This road gets you to a small parking area that is just 0.3 miles from the arch.
A few things to know about the Tower Arch 4WD Road:
- You need a jeep or an extremely rugged SUV. We would never take our truck out here…in fact, we saw a truck turn around because it was not able to safely navigate through the rocks.
- This section of the road is listed as DIFFICULT in the guidebook. And it is.
- You won’t be on a joy ride on this part of the drive. To get up and over the hill, you’ll crawl over large boulders with steep inclines and significant drop-offs. Correct tire placement and some know-how are essential to travel this road.
If it’s beyond your comfort level, that’s ok — your safety is the most important thing to consider. You can hire a guide or go out on a tour if you wish to confidently continue jeeping through the park. You can also see Tower Arch without driving the backroads by parking at the Klondike Bluffs Trailhead and taking the longer hike in.
If the Tower Arch 4WD Road sounds like something you feel confident navigating, I highly recommend driving out to Tower Arch!
To reach the Tower Arch 4WD Road, look for a single-track, unmarked red dirt road on your left just before the sign for the Klondike Bluffs Trailhead. Turn here and start heading up the hill. This hill is rocky and narrow.
If this hill feels beyond your comfort level, there is a place that widens with a beautiful view of the Marching Men that you could use to turn around. Otherwise, the obstacles get harder as you continue up and over the top of the hill.
Coming down the hill proves to be the most challenging section of this road. Good tire placement is key, so take it slow and steady. And don’t forget to enjoy yourself! This can be a fun ride with proper knowledge and driving skills.
As you reach the bottom of the hill, it’s time to celebrate! You’ve conquered the most challenging section of Arches’ backcountry roads.
Continue driving straight. You’ll notice a road to your left. This is the road you’ll take after driving to Tower Arch, so make a mental note of its location…but don’t turn here yet.
Keep straight for another 1.4 miles to reach the parking area for Tower Arch. Park here and take the short 0.6-mile roundtrip hike out to the arch.
Be on the lookout for cairns (little stacks of rocks) leading you to the arch. This trail can be confusing, but you’ll walk down a large rock fin and follow the cairns to the base of the arch.
After completing your hike, return to your jeep. Now it’s time to cover some mileage through a seldom-seen section of Arches National Park.
Click NEXT to discover the Eye of the Whale!
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