Ahhh, Moab. That fabled adventure town in Utah. Traveling in the heat in late May with two black dogs, we longed to hike the famous red rock canyons, but knew we needed to find something that allowed for shade and water in this arid landscape. We found the perfect solution at Negro Bill Canyon.
This 5.5 mile, out and back, hike traverses slickrock, dusty trails, and multiple river crossings. Named for William Granstaff, the first black settler to the area in the 1800’s, it is considered a moderate hike, but you should nevertheless plan for at least 4 hours to fully appreciate the beauty of the area. A special treat, at the end of the out hike, find Morning Glory Natural Bridge, the 6th longest in the USA at 243 feet.
Although Moab’s landscape is hot and dry, this delightful trail runs along the perennial stream for much of its length. Within the heat of the canyon walls, the trail offers an oasis of cool, with cottonwood trees crisscrossing the landscape.
Photo opportunities are abundant and contrast nicely between the heat and blooming cacti of the red rock landscape and the lush, shaded cool along the water.
Very popular, it’s not a trail for those seeking solitude, but it is well worth the crowds to appreciate such a lovely hike in such close proximity to town. Just watch out for the poison ivy!
Looks like fun 😀
yep… fantastic hike and then afternoon in the pool at camp. Not a bad day at all!
I would love to see this for myself one day (never been to Utah… yet!), and I’d love all the more to get to hike it with our big dog Emmy Lou! I’ve looked at several of the National Parks and seen that many of them don’t allow dogs, so it’s nice to see that Moab is an outlier in this case!
We found the same thing Steph, and… the National Parks of Arches and Canyonlands don’t. There are lots of pooch friendly hikes around Moab, though, including at Dead Horse State Park.
Moab is too fun and OMG the surrounding landscapes are just incredible. We were there in January and it was cold, but still so much fun. We didn’t take the same hike as you did, but we spent a day in Arches and we practically had the park to ourselves since it was the dead of winter – but it was stunning and we couldn’t have enjoyed it more. Wouldn’t want to be there in the busy season. I’d like to go back to the Moab area one day as there is just so much to experience in that region.
We agree, Patti… amazing scenery and atmosphere but yes, it was certainly busy 🙂