Morning Glory Arch Moab, Utah Hike Guide
The Morning Glory Arch is the final destination of an out and back hike located in the Grandstaff Canyon of Moab, Utah. The trail travels through the creek that works through the canyon, crossing it several times along the way. This is a family friendly hike and one suitable for all levels of hikers. Beware that there is a growing amount of poison ivy along the trail. Expect this trail to be busy on weekends as it is a popular spot. Trail conditions range from packed dirt to minor rock scrambling. The Morning Glory Arch has plenty of shade and area to enjoy a snack and refuel before your hike back to the parking lot.
Morning Glory Arch Quick Facts
Morning Glory Arch Trail: ★★ (2.5/5 Stars)
Distance: 5.6 Miles RT
Elevation Start: 4,250 ft
Highest Point: 4,600 ft
Total Elevation Gain: 610 ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 2-3 Hours RT
Difficulty: Moderate What does this mean?
Class: Class 2 – What does this mean?
Season: Year-Round (Expect occasional snow/ice December – March)
Directions to Morning Glory Arch
Trailhead: Grandstaff Canyon Trail
Getting Here: From downtown Moab, travel on highway 191 for about 1.5 miles until you reach Utah highway 128. Follow this for 3 miles until you reach the well marked trailhead on the right. You can enter Grandstaff Canyon Trail into your favorite navigational device.
Fees: None
Parking: Parking at Morning Glory Arch is free and can fit about 20 cars. After this small lots fills up, there is additional satellite parking in lots down the road and across the street. The main lot will fill up by 10AM on most weekends and even some busy weekdays. There are non plumbing bathrooms at the trailhead.
Summary
Dogs: Morning Glory Arch is a dog friendly hike but does not require dogs to be on leash. Your dog will get muddy and wet on this hike. Note, if your dog does not do well around others, I would avoid bringing them on this hike as there are often many dogs off leash. Note to dog owners: this hike can get extremely busy and there is lots of poison ivy along the trail. If your dog has problems staying near you or on the trail, please leash them on this hike to avoid problems with other dogs or spreading poison ivy to humans. Poison ivy does not affect dogs, but the oils can easily be spread to dog owners through their fur. There is a poop bag dispenser at the start of this hike, please pick up after your pup.
Camping: Camping is not allowed at Morning Glory Arch, but there are numerous areas to camp near the trailhead. Please note, camping in Moab, Utah can be extremely competitive, especially in busy seasons. Plan ahead and get your campsite early in the day to avoid driving around for hours at dusk praying you find an open spot.
Make it a Loop: Morning Glory Arch is an out and back hike.
Trail X Factors: Crowds and Poison Ivy
Morning Glory Arch can get extremely crowded during busy months in Moab. This often means many hikers with dogs that are not under their control, people lacking any sense of hiking etiquette and lots of bottle necking along the trail.
To make things worse, Morning Glory Arch trail has lots of poison ivy along the hike, especially towards the arch itself. Educate yourself on poison ivy before you visit this hike and be aware of how to handle it if you do get the oils on your clothes or skin. PSA this is what Poison Ivy looks like. If it were not for these two factors, I would easily give this hike 3 stars or above.
Hike Tip(s): Avoiding Crowds
The hike to Morning Glory Arch can get extremely crowded, especially during spring and summer months. Get to the trailhead around 7AM to avoid a parking nightmare and sharing the trail with half the state’s human and dog population. Not an early riser? Try hiking to Morning Glory Arch later in the day (4-5PM) or during the winter months to avoid the heat and crowds.
Best Views: For me, the best views during the hike to Morning Glory Arch were at the arch itself and along the creek before reaching the arch. I loved how some of the red stone arched over the creek forming a half tunnel, it made for some awesome photos. While Morning Glory Arch was hard to appreciate from far away, it was awesome to see up close. The shady canyon underneath the arch made for a nice spot to take a break, re-hydrate and have a snack. Photo options here were aplenty!
Morning Glory Arch Hike Route
Has some extra distance walking around Morning Glory Arch