Water Canyon Arch
Categories: Utah
Water Canyon Arch hangs high above the entrance to Water Canyon, behind Hilldale, Utah. To get there is a strenuous roundabout climb from either Squirrel or Water Canyons, to what i think is called Trail Mountain. A good hiking guide for the trip can be found here. Once on top enough effort will have been spent you might consider, if you are fit enough, a side trip to the White Domes, and making a loop.
A little bit of water goes a long way in the Canaan Mountain Wilderness.
After miles of trudging up Squirrel Canyon it’s a great feeling to make it to the top of the ridgelines that lead to the arch.
The top of Canaan Mountain is a slickrock wonderland.
A split dome formation with almost symmetrical chevron wingtips coming off the top.
First sight of the arch. It’s a bit intimidating because you have to walk downslope to what you know is an enormous void.
Water Canyon Arch!
Everything is at a weird angle where the arch breaks away from the canyon wall.
It is possible to walk across the top of the arch but it was super windy the day i was there so that was out of the question for me.
Peering 1,200 feet down you can see the trail into the canyon.
After i depleted enough adrenaline flirting with the edge of the arch I moved on to explore some new areas.Â
I personally enjoy the wildlands of Canaan Mountain more than the hoodoos of the more popular Paria Wilderness. Paria is a lot of driving down long sand roads or cross country across similar sand terrain to pockets of outstanding hoodoo formations. Canaan takes a lot of effort to climb up to but feels to me more like an isolated extension of Zion National Park. And everywhere you go, you eventually run into a huge cliff.
Some water! This hike was during the winter, and i even came across one small patch of snow.
This was almost as far south as i travelled across the top of ridge that separates Water and Squirrel Canyons.
Looking down on the overflow parking lot for Water Canyon.
So fun to figure out how to get around this type of landscape.
Fun slopes to traverse.
Does this count an as arch or just a hoodoo?
Headed back down.
The rim of a really outstanding sandstone bowl.
This place in particular was a perfect place for a lunchbreak.
A very inviting scene that dragged me away from my intended path. How could anyone resist?
Just some crazy rocks full of deep interconnected holes.