Wilson Arch — Attraction in Spanish Valley

Wilson Arch is a pleasant surprise for those who may be headed south on U.S. 191 from the Moab, UT area. This arch surprised us as we were heading to Monument Valley in June of 2017. It was readily visible in advance from our car. I think it would be as readily visible in a car coming from the south as well.

There's a pull off on the west side of the road (for photos) and a parking area on the east side (the arch side) to access a trail that takes you up and under the arch.

The trail to the arch is fairly easy and worth the time. It's unfortunate that folks have defaced rocks all along the trail. But this is what happens when a natural wonder isn't within a National Forest or Park.

If you have time, after visiting this arch, go south to route 133 west and take a side trip to the Needles Overlook (part of Canyonlands National Park). It's about a 40 minute drive one way (plan for 2 hours total).

Keep in mind that there are few visitors to this place, and no services of any kind (including no cell service). Make sure to preload all maps for mapping applications in this area!

I must say that the natural beauty and solitude are worth the adventure. You may even see some Pronghorns as we did...

If you're in the Moab area and want to see an arch but are unable to make a trip into the actual park, Wilson Arch is a great option. This beautiful arch is free to visit. It's only a little drive out of town and you can view it from the highway and a brief uphill hike will take you directly onto the rocks underneath the large arch.

We were only on an overnight trip, but I wanted my small daughter to see a Utah arch for her first time. No reason to pay to get into a park we didn't have the time to enjoy & since it was Labor Day weekend the crowds were massive enough that I probably wouldn't have gone even if we'd had the time. Wilson Arch was a great alternative as it's large enough to show off how amazing these natural sculptures are but so easy to get to. It was busy as well but even with the parking area full there was plenty of space between groups for photos and exploring. Definitely...

This is a fun and quick stop for someone that may not be doing anything but passing through. Pull over and park in the parking lot, get out and climb!!! If you just want to take pictures, that's fine too, but the short hike up is the real prize. If you've got children that are small enough to get into mischief, stay on them like glue. Very easy to fall off the arch if you're not paying attention, which best describes kids. Other then that, you'll either have a crowd of people there or the whole arch pretty much to yourself. Being it was the 4th of July weekend, it was pretty much a crowd for me. Still, that didn't matter much seeing I've taken pictures here before while no one was there, so I wasn't sweating it all that much. Great stop and truly fun to explore for a short while,...