Hike Salt Creek Canyon to Angel Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

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Salt Creek Canyon stretches from the southern boundary of The Needles and ends at the Colorado River. The upper section of the canyon is a popular area for backpacking. Most backpackers spend 2-3 nights in Salt Creek Canyon. Due to deep sand and dense vegetation along the trail, it is not recommended to attempt a thru hike in two days or less. The 22.5 miles (34 km) overnight hike along Salt Creek Canyon starts at Cathedral Butte (southern end), follows drainage often obscured by dense vegetation and end at Peekaboo (northern end). Conditions may be wet, depending on the season. Hikers should be prepared to bushwhack to navigate through areas, especially between the southern park boundary and Kirk Spring. Mosquitos and gnats can be prevalent from early summer through autumn. Peekaboo Trailhead at Cave Springs/Salt Creek Gate has limited parking is available at the gate for backpackers. Peekaboo 4WD Road is frequently impassable to vehicles; foot traffic is permitted. The trail includes many archeological sites and arches. Numerous side canyons also offer opportunities to explore, but any off trail travel should be on slickrock or along sandy washes; keep off biological soil crust and vegetation. Four designated campsites in upper section. Lower section is at-large camping only. Water is usually available. Angel Arch is the largest natural arch located within Canyonlands National Park. Some consider it the most beautiful and spectacular arch in the park, if not the entire canyon country. It is situated in a side canyon of Salt Creek Canyon, in the Needles District of the park. Precipitation runoff from Angel Arch drains north into the nearby Colorado River via Salt Creek. A 29-mile round-trip hike to Angel Arch leads to a viewpoint, and an additional 0.75-mile trail scrambles up into the arch opening. The arch's descriptive name comes from its resemblance to an angel with wings folded, and standing with its back to the arch opening. Before this feature's name was officially adopted in 1963 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, it was called Pegasus Arch. The first ascent was made in June 1993, by John Markel and Kevin Chase. Spring and fall are the most popular seasons for backpacking in Salt Creek Canyon. Backpackers can either hike through Upper Salt Creek or as an out-and-back trip from either trailhead. A thru hike requires a vehicle shuttle; visitors must organize their own shuttle or contact a commercial shuttle service out of Moab. Roads leading to either end of Salt Creek Trail can be impassable or require a high clearance 4WD vehicle to reach. Check road conditions before starting your trip.Cathedral Butte Trailhead is located outside the park approximately 18 miles down Beef Basin Road/Bridger Jack Road/CR-107. The road may be impassable during winter or require a high-clearance 4WD vehicle when flooded in areas. Hikers must descend 1,500 ft from the trailhead on loose, steep terrain to reach Salt Creek Canyon.Peekaboo 4WD Road is frequently impassable to vehicles. Parking near Peekaboo or along the Salt Creek/Horse Canyon 4WD road is strongly discouraged due to high potential for flash flood danger. Backpackers should plan to park at the Cave Springs/Salt Creek Gate and walk the road to Peekaboo.Another option is starting or ending from the Needles Campground Trailhead. This involves hiking the Peekaboo Trail and then continuing south into Salt Creek Canyon. The campground trailhead can fill up on weekends during spring, fall, and holidays. The trail has the following campgrounds (south to north): Human waste bags required. Bear canisters needed March 15 to November 30. Reservation at Recreation.gov: Salt Creek Campground #1 & 2: Distance from Cathedral Butte Trailhead: 3.5 miles Distance from Cave Springs/Salt Creek Gate: 22 miles Salt Creek Campground #3: Distance from Cathedral Butte Trailhead: 7.5 miles Distance from Cave Springs/Salt Creek Gate: 18 miles Salt Creek Campground #4: Distance from Cathedral Butte Trailhead: 12 miles Distance from Cave Springs/Salt Creek Gate: 13 miles Peekaboo Campground #1 & 2 Distance from Cathedral Butte Trailhead: 22 miles Distance from Cave Springs/Salt Creek Gate: 3.5 miles Backpackers must stay in the campsite or zone they reserved each night. Plan accordingly based on mileage and daylight hours to reach your campsite. Dispersed camping within Salt Creek Canyon is not allowed. The at-large zone is for a specific area, must be reserved on a permit, and does not include the entire canyon.

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