After finishing half a day in Canyonlands National Park on our Moab trip with our friends Chad and Shannon and spending a great deal of time in the car, we were looking for one more activity before we called it a day. The weather in Moab was amazing and we still had a few hours of daylight that we didn’t want to waste.

Following a little bit of research, we settled on a nearby hike that would only be 5 miles roundtrip and probably only take us around 2 hours to complete, which would be perfect timing to grab dinner afterwards.

We drove the few miles through Moab and turned onto the winding and picturesque Hwy 128, which parallels the Colorado River and is tightly flanked by massive red rock cliffs.

Standing at the foot of these huge rock walls, we arrived at the Grandstaff Canyon Trailhead, nearly having the place to ourselves.

Grandstaff Canyon Trailhead

Grandstaff Canyon was named after cowboy William Grandstaff, one of Moab’s first settlers, originally from Alabama, arriving in Moab in 1877 and living life as a homesteader, farmer, rancher, and prospector. He also got in trouble for selling whiskey to the Native Americans and eventually fled to Colorado.

A sign near the trailhead warned of poison ivy along the trail, which we acknowledged but more or less shrugged off, resolving that we’d just do our best to stay on the trail. Leaves of three, let it be.

We descended into the canyon bottom and followed the trail along the creek.

Throughout the route, the terrain ranged from slickrock to sand and required numerous creek crossings and a few choose-your-own-adventure spots where the actual trail was a little less obvious. But all in all, this was a wonderful trail and awesome hike.

So many creek crossings!

This was one of the “tight spots” we climbed through.

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This trail was really beautiful and we pretty much had it all to ourselves, save for a few groups of hikers that were making their way back to the trailhead during the early part of our trek. Between the clear creek and lush green against the red slickrock, blue skies, and unique rock formations, the landscape was very unique.

I know next to nothing about this, but we decided this other-worldly landscape, with all of its domed and beehive rock formations, looked like something out of Star Wars.

Lush vegetation (including poison ivy) was abundant all along the trail and was even quite thick in some areas. We also saw wild roses and blooming cacti along the trail. There was one particularly thick area of the tallest poison ivy I have ever seen โ€“ they weren’t kidding about the rampant poison ivy. I didn’t want to get near it enough for a photo and risk accidentally coming in contact with it, but I am pretty sure, if I’d stood amongst it, it would have been at least waist high.

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After some climbing up and over some rocky inclines, the trail flattened out again and, where the trail seemed to end, there was Morning Glory Natural Bridge before us. With a span of 243 feet, it’s the sixth largest natural bridge in the United States.

Morning Glory Natural Bridge

We got to take in the grandeur of this geologic marvel all to ourselves. It was an unexpectedly serene and magical surprise.

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The trickling water, the unique rock formations, the giant arch, the blue sky, the sandy bottom.

We spent a bit of time wandering around beneath the arch, taking advantage of our lucky exclusivity. The sun was sinking lower and our tummies started rumbling (or maybe it was just mine), so we decided it was time to head back to the trailhead before it got too dark on us.

Goodbye, magnificent Morning Glory!

The scenery was just as beautiful and remarkable on the way out as golden hour was setting in.

And the creek crossings were just as fun as the first time.

We returned to our vehicle at the trailhead and decided where we’d go out for dinner. BBQ sounded good to all of us, so we ventured over to Spitfire BBQ in downtown Moab, scored an outdoor table, and filled our bellies full of pork after another packed and fun-filled day.

Tomorrow’s hike will bring some shenanigans at Fisher Towers.

Morning Glory Natural Bridge Hike
Total Distance5.01 mi
Total Time2:16:00
Total Ascent499 ft
Max Elevation4,314 ft
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2 responses to “Grandstaff Canyon Hike to Morning Glory Natural Bridge”

  1. Mary Jo Schrader Avatar
    Mary Jo Schrader

    I canโ€™t get over those rock formations. Yes, very unique and eye-popping. Gorgeous!

    1. Yeah, Jason got some great shots of us on this hike, too. Well, all 4 of us did. ๐Ÿ™‚ Very fun hike!

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