We have made it an annual ritual to visit Moab on Spring Break. The weather is perfect, with deep blue skies and mild temperatures. If you know where to look, you can have the place to yourself. We always stay at Moab Adventure Condo and were looking for a short side-by-side trip to do one afternoon without having to load up and haul our SxS. After a short debate, we decided to head to Tukuhnikivatz Arch.
The trail to Tukuhnikivatz Arch can range from mild to wild. If you have a capable vehicle, you can shorten your journey by taking the Behind The Rocks Jeep Trail, which starts directly on Highway 191, just a few miles from the townhouse where we were staying. However, the Behind The Rocks Trail is very challenging and is recommended for experienced drivers only. Since this was a family trip, we opted to start from the Picture Frame Arch trail.
The views of the Behind The Rocks area begin almost right away, so take your time to capture some great photos. The first major stop along the trail is Moab Rim Arch. This impressive arch is situated on the edge of the rim, high above the valley. Although it is large, the arch may not be very photogenic due to being backed by a prominent sandstone fin.
The Tuk Arch Trail closely follows the rim of the canyon, maintaining a comfortable distance. After approximately 1.2 miles from the junction with the Behind The Rocks Trail, you'll reach a small parking area that offers fantastic views. Just be sure your parking brake is secure before stepping out to take a photo. If our UTV rolled away it would fall hundreds of feet off of a shear cliff.
By Moab standards, Tuk Arch is quite small. However, size isn't everything. This little arch is special because it beautifully frames Mount Tuk and the La Sal Mountains. Spring is an ideal time to visit because the La Sal Mountains are often snow-capped, creating a striking contrast for your photos.
**Spoiler Alert!** From the parking area, it's still about a quarter-mile scramble to reach the arch. The hike itself is quite exciting for kids. We spent a few minutes at the arch, but we spent about an hour climbing around on the rocks behind it. The sandstone domes in the Behind The Rocks area seem to stretch on endlessly.
Another fun aspect of the arch is trying to spot it from Highway 191 when driving south of Moab.
Since we were staying with our Kawasaki Tery 4 side by side at Moab Adventure Condo, it was a short trip to this trail. We were able to ride directly from their double garage and south on Spanish Valley Road to the trailhead without having to trailer our vehicle. As the raven flies, the arch is only about 3 miles from the townhome. If you look closely, you will be able to spot the condo from the arch.
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