In previous hikes, we had found a good route to the hilltop above Dewdrop Arch (article), but we had never scrambled up into the Arch until recently.

We drove out the Frederick Road across the Dewdrop Range and turned right at the fork.   We followed the rough road for 0.6 km and parked off to the side with the Arch in view to the northeast.   We took a straight line and worked our way up through cliff bands and rock slopes to a narrow gully below the arch, about 900 vertical feet of rough hiking.   The route winds through a series of rock bands with loose material.

Below the arch, we proceeded up the bottom of the gully.   Loose rock makes the route more dangerous.

The final section is a vertical climb, so we brought a good rope as a handline support.   Only one person can climb at a time because of the potential for rockfall.   The top is a narrow ledge between two drop-offs so care must be taken even after finishing the climb through the arch.

The view through the arch is best seen by straddling the narrow ridge at the top.

From the upper side of the arch, we climbed up onto the hilltop.   Fine views are found there, a good spot for lunch.

A flagged route/rough trail goes down the west side of the hill all the way down to the grasslands below, providing a loop route of about 3km.   On this last occasion, we chose to climb higher to the top of Castle Butte, featured in another story to follow.