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.
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!
These are beautiful photos, well shot and thanks for sharing them
Thanks, that’s very kind!
