Caution!  This is a very remote and difficult area to traverse.  There are no services, restrooms, visitor centers, or anything to aid you on this adventure.  You will need to be self-sufficient including knowing your way around and have basic orientation skills and being aware of where you are going at all times.  You will encounter tall sandstone fins that confuse you and make things difficult for hiking.  One wrong turn could be deadly.  Do NOT hike this in the summer.

Note: On my first attempt, I took many wrong turns and had many unforeseen obstacles came up to add to the difficulty and length of this hike.  On my second attempt, my friend Kevin joined and we stuck to a different route that worked immensely better than my first route.  Is there a better way to the arch? Most likely, but this route was pretty good overall and we saw some amazing things along the way!

To read more about my first attempt, click here.

You will begin this hike with a tricky rock scramble.  It wouldn’t be so difficult if you have a handline or some rope.  We brought my 100 ft. 6mm rope and used the bag to wrap around a rock in order to climb up.  This tricky spot has some Moki Steps that were carved by the ancient peoples of this area to access the mesa above.  This area is tricky because the angle at which you climb and also the narrowness of the path here.  Also, if you fell here, you could possibly fall down about 50-60 ft.  If you do not have any experience rock scrambling or climbing, I wouldn’t attempt this hike.

Once at the top of this climb, you will continue hiking up the narrow passage until you get to the mesa top.  You will gain roughly 550 ft. in only 1/3 of a mile.  It’s pretty dang steep and tiring and I found that I lost a lot of energy just on this part alone.  Once you reach the top, find some shade underneath juniper or cedar tree and rest up.  You won’t find much shade the rest of the way.

I first attempted to find Dragon’s Eye Arch several months before this and was unsuccessful.  I chose a trail that eventually had a deadend and it was too late in the day to continue on or try and find another way.  This time, I was much more prepared.  I had drawn a map and downloaded to use on my phone.  This route cut off about a full mile from my previous attempt and I thought it was fairly straightforward.  This area can still be very tricky to navigate and some paths may seem easy now, but you could eventually come to another deadend down the road.  This is why I HIGHLY recommend you stick to a route.  I would encourage you to download my map to use.

On my second attempt, my friend Kevin joined.  We strictly followed dry washes, game trails, and hard sandstone surfaces to avoid the cryptobiotic soil that was literally at every turn.  Please be respectful and do the same.