The Southwestern United States is an absolutely beautiful place. Some of our most popular and scenic natural landmarks are found throughout this part of the country. In an effort to protect these places for current and future generations, the most unique of these places are most often found within the boundaries of National Parks and Monuments. While this is great in that it protects them and makes them accessible to the public, it can sometimes have the opposite affect for those of us who adventure with their dogs. Aka.. Fido is often not welcome.
Arches National Park with a Dog
I’m not trying to start a big debate about why these rules apply and whether or not we agree with them. The fact is that they do and there is little to do about it. So, we did our best on our recent cross country road trip to pick and choose places that were a bit more accommodating towards our pups. Some National Parks allow dogs on a few specific (usually paved) trails or in certain areas of the park. Sometimes National Monuments (like White Sands and Grand Staircase-Escalante) are a bit more accommodating. Other places allow dogs on the roads or in your car, but not on any trails whatsoever, paved or not. Arches is one of those parks.
That being said, I had been looking forward to checking out Arches for months. I knew it wasn’t super dog friendly, but if we were going to be all the way out there, I wanted to at least check it out. So, I came up with a plan. We would do what we could of Arches with the dogs, which was basically drive through and stop to take some pictures (while leaving the dogs in the car) and then find somewhere else to hike. Thankfully, it wasn’t a hot time of year, so we could drive around the park and hop out for a few seconds to take pictures without worrying about the dogs in the heat. In all honesty, we usually left the car running with the AC on anyway, but I’m a bit of an overprotective dog mom, so there’s that.
We did an audio driving tour, which gave us some insight into the park and the landscape, including explaining how the different kinds of arches were formed. While it was nice to see and to say we were there, the sheer amount of people and lack of dog friendly trails quickly got old and we decided to leave. This is where the good stuff started!
A Dog-Friendly Alternative to Arches
Just outside of Moab, UT, and only a 15 minute drive from the Arches National Park Entrance, is the Corona Arch Trailhead. Because there is an actual hike and you can’t see the arch from the road, it is nowhere near as crazy as Arches NP. Even on a weekday in the “off-season,” all of the National Parks that we visited were swarming with a ridiculous amount of rude, loud, obnoxious tourists. Before you say it, I know we’re tourists too, but I like to think that we’re a different kind of tourists. We actually spend time in the outdoors and we hike in our real lives, not take a few steps from the road to pose in front of a rock formation. Anywho, enough about Arches..
Corona & Bowtie Arches
The hike to Corona Arch (and Bowtie along the way) is an easy to moderate 3 mile out-and-back trail, depending on your fitness level. The first section of the trail is a super easy sandy path through cactus and rock. You cross a set of railroad tracks on an old dirt road and then ascend uphill to the top of the bench. Once you reach the top, the hike gets a lot more interesting. The sandy trail disappears and cairns appear, which lead you along the slickrock towards the arches.
As soon as you get to the top, it just opens up to this breathtaking vista of sloping slickrock and beautiful cliffs. There are numerous little caves and countless cairns that hikers have built along the trail. One section in particular has transformed into a gorgeous cairn “garden” of sorts. Roxie was as entranced as I was by all of the mini towers of balanced rocks.
Watch Your Footing
This is where the “moderate” rating comes in, The first half of the hike is relatively easy and flat, then you encounter a few places where the slickrock gets pretty steep. The first of these sections has a set of rudimentary steps carved into the rock paired with a chain railing to assist your climb. While some hikers were a little uncertain in this section, our dogs were complete champs and just scrambled up the rock alongside us. Shortly after this section is another steep incline. This one has a metal ladder to make climbing easier. If you prefer, you can also take a slightly longer and less steep route here that avoids the ladder. We did this on the way up because it was easier with the dogs. On the way back down though, we just chose to carry them down both of these sections.
Bowtie Arch
Shortly after these sections, you come to your first major arch, Bowtie Arch. Bowtie is a pothole arch, which means the opening is at the top, like a pothole. While this is the lesser known arch on this hike, I think Bowtie is simply stunning!
Corona Arch
The main attraction… Corona Arch. A large, beautiful, natural sandstone arch with a 110 foot opening. When I say pictures don’t do it justice, I mean not at all. And it looks pretty freaking cool in pictures. If you are ever in the area, with or without your dog, you NEED to check out this place.
I’d call this a moderately trafficked trail, but even so it wasn’t crowded by any means. When we reached Corona Arch, we were two of maybe 6 or 7 people up there. It was relaxing and awe-inspiring in all the best ways. We sat there with the dogs, reveling in the beauty of this special place, and hydrating for our trek back to the car. Of all the places we visited on our trip, this was by far one of my favorites.
This is what I’d like you to take away from this post. Well, two things. The first is this… Go to Moab, go to Utah. Do some hiking to beautiful places like Corona Arch. The second and I think more important takeaway is this. Don’t get frustrated by the pet policies of the big, popular National Parks. Don’t let them keep you from seeing amazing places, with your dog. Do your research before you go to see how dog-friendly a park is, but if it’s not what you want to hear, find another way. Many National Parks have amazing public spaces just outside their boundaries with similar (if not just as amazing) landscapes. On top of that, a lot of them are free, not to mention a lot less crowded.
To learn more about our cross-country road trip and the other places we checked out, check out our route. Going on a trip of your own? See our essential gear list!
Thanks for reading,
Debbie & THE MUTTS
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39 Comments
I’ve been to Moab on several occasions, but haven’t yet visited Corona or Bow Tie. They are now on my “to do” list the next time I’m visiting the area. The rock cairns are also intriguing – it’s nice that no one bothers them. I might be inclined to try my hand at making my own!
Isn’t Moab just a stunning place? I’m so glad to hear that you’re addind Corona and Bow Tie Arches to your list. They are absolutely stunning and it’s just such an awesome experience. The cairns were so cool! We saw a lot of them when we were hiking in the desert (no trees to put blazes on) but the little cairn garden here was something else! It almost magical! We even saw a couple of kids trying their hand at building their own, which made my heart so happy. I love seeing children build an appreciation for nature and the outdoors.
You chose the perfect title for your post – these photos are absolutely breathtaking. This was definitely the trip of a lifetime. I wouldn’t be able to do the hiking that is moderately difficult, so I’d miss out on all this beauty in person. Thanks for sharing your photos.
Thank you! It’s such a stunning place! Our trip was beyond amazing and I have so many pictures and tips and adventures to share. I’m glad you got to enjoy our hike vicariously. If you ever make it out this way, there are some stunning arches that you can get to in the National Park that are a lot easier than this hike. We just didn’t really have that option traveling with our dogs.
OMG this is now on our list! TOTALLY our type of thing. Photos are stunning. Really made us want to go. Not travelling to the US any time soon but when we do….! Thank you so much for sharing.
Isn’t it just gorgeous?? Ahh I should have taken a video of the whole hike. I can’t even begin to express how amazing it was! Should you do a trip to the Southwestern US, you really should make a point to visit here. It is well worth the effort! Thanks so much for reading our post 🙂
1. Your photographs of the arches both in and out of Arches are amazing!
2. I went to Arches with my dog in the middle of summer many years ago. I remember we couldn’t do much beyond take pictures out the window.
3. I’m glad to know this alternative destination exists, because I think my Golden Retriever would have a blast there!
4. Thank you!
1. Thank you so much! You’re too kind. It’s easy when you’re in beautiful places like this!
2. Yeah, Arches is pretty, just not all that accessible when you have a pet with you. And crowded too.
3. YESSS! Bring your Golden and check out Corona! You will both love it SO MUCH
4. Thank YOU for reading our write-up and for your kind words 🙂
Your pictures are more than breathtaking! I’ve never traveled in the U.S. other than to visit a couple of cities, but obviously I see how much I’ve missed. Who knows maybe it will happen one day and if it does, I know exactly where we’ll go!
Thank you so much for your kind words. It’s such an incredible place! Next time you’re in the states, I implore you to venture outside the big cities and tourist spots and find some of the beautiful untouched places like this one. 🙂
Wow! Thank you!!! Our pups and us humans do not get to travel often if at all, so it is so fun to take virtual tours like this and honestly, your photos are so amazing it is like we are there!! I hear what you are saying about not being typical tourists!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pictures from our hike. Corona is such a beautiful place and I’m so happy to be able to share it with our readers. I hope you find some time to travel soon. There is so much beauty in this world to be explored.
It is kind of frustrating! There’s a really pretty trail by us with ten waterfalls but dogs aren’t allowed on that trail. They are on another one though. Those photos are gorgeous! Definitely want to hike there someday.
It can definitely be frustrating. I try my best not to harp on what we can’t do and focus that energy on finding beautiful places that we CAN take the dogs. It was really hard at some points on this trip though. This was one of our better success stories.
Your photos are stunning! Plus the two showing the moderate difficulty are truly helpful. I’ll be pinning this for future reference. I did an overnight hike in Canyonlands years ago. Then we did the drive through Arches. It really can be a one-day park. Gorgeous, but pretty consistently crowded. Did you know that Arches N.P. is the park where they shot part of the opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? I’m a huge Harrison Ford fan, so as we were driving, I was like…”This place is so familiar…”
Ahh, we didn’t make it to Canyonlands! It looks so awesome too. It’s just super NOT dog-friendly either and we didn’t have a whole lot of time, so we skipped it for somewhere we could take the dogs. Maybe someday we’ll go back without them. You’re right, Arches is crazy crowded. It was a bit too much for us. I didn’t know that about Indiana Jones, that’s awesome! Makes sense 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the pictures from our hike. It was so fun! And just the right amount of challenging to keep it fun!
Wow!!!! That looks absolutely AMAZING!!!! Beautiful photos too. Your Plan B – The hike to Corona Arch and Bowtie seems like a much better option than the overcrowded arches.
Thank you so much! It was definitely 100x better than Arches, at least for us. Being able to take the dogs and also be away from the crowds made for a great day!
Oh I agree. Utah is a state of incredible beauty and arches are magnificent formations! Your photos are impressive too.
My husband and I have a toy poodle and three cats, none of which we’ve taken to national parks. However, I’ve heard there are cats now going for hikes in parks and so maybe that will change…. 😉
I think about every 2 minutes while we were traveling around Utah either my husband or I would blurt out “look over there” “look at that” “wow, that’s pretty!” It’s an absolutely beautiful place!
I love seeing all these hiking cats these days! You should totally get some harnesses and take your poodle and your kitties for a hike! I bet they’d love it 🙂
Thanks so much for this review of alternative hiking locations near national parks. Glia and I are planning a trip out west next spring and will be looking for as many places like this as we can find. I will be watching your blog to hear more about your adventure!
Yess! So excited to hear about your upcoming trip. You are going to have the best time. I have lots of tips on finding awesome dog friendly places and I will be sharing more write-ups on some of our favorites on here. So definitely stay tuned! 🙂
I am so jealous, I would love to take a trip like this with our dogs! Beautiful pictures. I guess for now, I will have to live the adventure through your blog.
Happy to have you along for the ride, experiencing our Southwest trip vicariously. You should make a point take a trip with your pups too! We waited SO long because we thought it was going to be so expensive. We should have done it years ago. It wasn’t nearly as bad as we thought it would be. We had the most amazing time and I already can’t wait to plan our next trip!
Love, love, love reading your posts and seeing the stunning photos! I love SW America and would love to go back and visit all the amazing national parks (however, we’d leave our pups at home). Great tips as well, sometimes the smaller parks are better, we don’t like crowds either, but that’s the nature of these amazing spots. Can’t wait to read more posts on your trip!
Aww, thanks! So glad you enjoy our adventure posts. I love taking pictures of our trips and sharing tips with other people who may want to do the same. There are actually a few national parks/monuments that are super dog friendly too. I’ll be sharing those in the coming weeks. It is definitely way more convenient in a sense to visit some of these places solo, but for us it’s worth the extra effort to think outside the box so we can bring our dogs with us. They love to hike as much as we do and having them with us makes it so much more fun! 🙂
These pictures are inviting…so relaxing and colorful. Thank you for sharing both the pleasures and the frustrations of visiting these parks. Just as there are rude tourists, there are rude tourists with dogs which keeps the rules in place.
I love the colors out west! The bright oranges and reds of the rocks and the bright blue, seemingly endless skies! Ahhh… I couldn’t get enough! You are so right about rude (irresponsible) dog owners. They are a big reason why these rules exist in the first place. We try hard to be positive examples of responsible dog ownership and encourage others to do the same. Maybe if we all step up our game, places will become more inviting to us and our furry friends in time.
Wow! This place looks absolutely beautiful! Did you make those rock piles yourself?
Your photos are stunning! I love that you are taking your dogs on this special trip. Memories are being made for all of you and I cannot wait to follow along on your next adventure.
Wow, thanks so much. I’m setting out with my pups in July. Planning the best pet friendly route possible. Your post helps a lot, so kind of you to share!
We are starting off in the Ozarks, dogs are allowed every where at Arkansas. Jean Petit park, Mt Nebo etc. I figured I’d use a Rover pet home day care person for my pups if I needed to along the way to visit some areas they aren’t allowed. My great Dane is 7 this year so want to make as many memories with my girl as possible. Thanks again.
You must be so excited for your trip! The Ozarks are on our list too! I live that they’re so dog friendly. Unfortunately, a lot of the national parks out west are not as accepting of dogs, BUT we did manage to find some amazing hikes where the dogs were welcome. I’m glad you found my post and the it was helpful to you. Corona Arch was one of the highlights of our trip. I HIGHLY recommend that you check it out. I bet you and your Dane will have the trip of a lifetime. Rover is a great idea too for visiting less dog friendly places. Have a great trip and let me know if you have other questions!
Hi, I am going there soon with my dogs. I just wondering about the trail, it is easy to get loss? Thanks!!!
Hey Aly! This trail is relatively easy to follow. It starts out with a very defined trail that’s hard to miss and then there are cairns (little rock piles) that mark the trail along the rock. Once you get past the ladder section, you can see the arch and it’s really obvious which way you have to go. At that point it’s just about finding the easiest footing to get there. It’s not too difficult and definitely worth it! One of my favorite hikes to date. I hope you make it!
We love it here in Moab, and we brought both of our Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs with us on this, our first long RV road trip. We took a little different approach and asked at the local pet store if they had personal recommendations for a good dog sitting service. We were not disappointed in Tracey’s Bed and Biscuit who happened to be located on a horse ranch outside town. Lots of room for the pups to run around indoors and outdoors. We dropped our two sweeties off for a day of hiking and walking at Arches and more. And she was super reasonable! Plus the dogs got to socialize with others and had a great time!
My boyfriend and I are planning to visit Utah in October and are bringing our two dogs with us. We love to hike and share your disappointment in the pet policies of the National Parks. I would love to hear about any other dog-friendly hikes around Moab that you recommend. Thanks!
Aside from Corona, which you absolutely need to do, I’d look up Jeep Arch, North Fork of Mill Creek, and Morning Glory Arch. We also did a lot of hiking on BLM land on less popular trails and found cool ruins. The smaller, lesser known trails were some of our favorites because you had them all to yourself and could really wander and explore. Good luck and have a great trip!
Thank you so much for sharing your trip. We live in BC, Canada and would like to go on a SW America adventure with our pups in 2019 so this may be on the list. I’ve love to see more of your trips and I’d also like to know where you found the best dog friendly camping (if you camped) while in Utah? We traveled the entire state of Arizona last spring which was a blast, and saw very similar landscapes to Utah but hardly any tourists but didn’t bring our dogs on that trip so will have to go back with them sometime.
Your trip sounds so fun! I highly recommend this hike! It was by far one of our favorites, along with the slot canyons. We did a lot of camping in Arizona, but we actually rented a tiny dog friendly cabin in Utah. We were there over Thanksgiving and wanted to be able to really cook for the holiday (and shower for once as well). I’d be happy to chat about our trip and answer any questions that I can. Good luck with your planning!