The Jeep Arch Trail is an informal route that starts near the Colorado River and climbs into the Gold Bar Rim Hills west of Moab, Utah.   The trailhead is 0.8 km past the route to Corona Arch.    From the parking area the unsigned trail goes through a tunnel under the Potash Railway line.   From there the route follows the drainage, climbing into the hills for 3 km.    The cairned route stays on the west side of the wash/canyon climbing gradually up the slickrock for an elevation gain of 312 m (1024 feet.).

The red desert hills offer open hiking and options for exploration.

In the bottom of the gully there were a few seasonal pools, and with the right light and angle, we can witness reflections of the trees and rocks above.

After about 2 km of hiking a sign indicates we can take two choices to get to Jeep Arch.   We went up the west side, went through the arch, and came back on the east side.

On the approach to the arch are some sandstone fins and towers.

At the upper end of the trail, we got our first glimpse of Jeep Arch, not very jeep-like from this angle.   It is also called Gold Bar Arch.

We went up into the arch and sat to have our lunch on the east side, below the arch.  We hate it when people sit in the middle of arches; do they really want us to take their pictures?  From the east side the jeep-shape is more obvious.

Another option is to wander higher across the sandstone terraces in the Gold Bar Hills up to the top of the Rim at 1676 m (5500 feet).

the Gold Bar Rim

A sego lily spotted along the route

On the way down, we swung over to a ridge to catch a view up the Colorado River.   Poison Spider Mesa is on the far left and Amasa Back is on the right, another hike completed on this trip to Moab.

We will return to this area to paddle the Green River through Canyonlands National Park down just past the confluence with the Colorado River.