Horizon Arch

Horizon Arch sits in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument a few miles northeast of Escalante, reached via Mitchell Canyon wash and an unmarked cross-country route over slickrock. There's no signed trailhead and no maintained tread — hikers navigate by cairns and GPS waypoints across benches and a ridge before the arch comes into view. It's a legitimate day trip for anyone comfortable with off-trail route-finding in canyon country, but not a casual walk-up stop.

What to know

• Access is via Alley Wash Road off Main Street in Escalante, then cross-country hiking through Coal Bed Canyon toward Mitchell Canyon
• No cell signal and no marked path — carry a topo map or GPS track and know how to read it
• Best done as a half-day outing with plenty of water; there's no shade for most of the approach