The Ultimate Southwest Vacation includes Zion National Park, Utah!
Stay in Mount Carmel Junction, the heart of the parks, and
visit the treasures of the Southwest.
Zion Park 12 miles
Grand Staircase 9 miles
Sand Dunes 11 miles
Dixie Forest 22 miles
Cedar Breaks 45 miles
Red Canyon 47 miles
Coyote Butte 57 miles
Bryce Canyon 60 miles
North Rim 85 miles
Toroweap 90 miles
Plan your Zion National Park Vacation with our Utah Maps and
Information
In these pages you will find insiders information on Zion National
Park lodging, adventures and hikes. This detailed guide includes road maps, park
maps, pictures, trail beta, backpacking, history, fees, geology, flora, fauna,
campgrounds, things for kids to do and even information on Zion's hidden treasures.
Making summer memories in the Utah National Parks and National
Monuments.
Directions to Zion National Park From Salt Lake City: Travel I-15 south, past Beaver.
Exit on Hwy 20. Follow US-89 to Mount Carmel Junction. Take U-9 to Zion's east
entrance. From Arizona: Travel 89A through Fredonia, Arizona
and Kanab Utah. Follow US-89 to to Mount Carmel Junction. Take U-9 to the east
park entrance. From Las Vegas: Travel I-15 north. Take exit 16 and
travel through Hurricane. Make a right on U-9 at the second traffic light in
LaVerkin. Continue on U-9 to the south entrance of the park. U-9 through Zion
National Park is always open and is also called the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway.
Jughandle Arch can be seen from the road. To see the arch, but not hike, just park at the trailhead and look straight ahead from the drainage ditch.
Jughandle Arch
GPS Coordinates
WGS84 Datum
Parking for Jughandle Arch
37°13.4750N
112°54.1610W
Jughandle Arch
37°14.2298W
112°54.2719W
GPS coordinates are only references and may or may not be accurate. Do not rely on GPS coordinates as the sole method of navigation. Always have an accurate, detailed map at hand and have the proper map reading and navigation skills before setting out on any hike. Many of the hikes listed in this guide travel into canyons where a GPS has limited capabilities. Always check your position with a detailed map before dropping into a canyon.
Zion National Park Trails with
Natural Arches along the path:
Beta: Coordinates and other trail and canyoneering information
by Zion Park search and rescue veteran team member Bo
Beck and www.zionnational-park.com author Tanya Milligan.
To post trip reports, offer corrections, updates, or for more
information please visit the Zion
National Park Forum
Suggested
Gear: A sturdy pair of shoes are recommend to hike the trails in Zion National
Park. Many quality shoes will help grip the rocks and prevent injury. Experienced
Zion hikers and canyoneers like the La Sportiva Exum Ridge. This shoe is great
for hiking, bouldering and canyoneering.
Jug Handle Arch
There are numerous natural arches in Zion National Park including Hepworth, Bridge Mountain, Two Pines, Hidden Canyon, Hidden Arch, Checkerboard, Hammerhead, Elephant, Pico Rosado and one of the longest arches in the world, Kolob Arch. In addition to these is Jughandle Arch, a propped arch that can be seen from the main highway in Zion National Park, but it's hard to spot unless you know right where to look, therefore, few have ever seen it. Although it can be viewed from the road, you can hike a half-mile, round-trip, to a much better view point and snap some photographs or you can do the strenuous 3 mile, round-trip, hike and scramble up to the arch itself. The structure is nestled amongst the beautiful slickrock that is so prevalent on the east side of the park. During the summer these mounds of rock east of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel can be a forbidding furnace where pillars of fairyland-like rock outcroppings and sparse trees offer only isolated pockets of shade. Winter is an ideal time to hike in such a parched environment and by adding the right clothing you can be very comfortable. Dress in layers, beginning with a wicking base, then a light insulating fleece, add a light wind stopper and top all this with a waterproof shell and your body temperature, based on physical exertion, can be regulated by removing or adding one item at a time.
Jug Handle Arch at a Glance
Photo Album: Jug Handle Arch Pictures
Trail Map: Jug Handle Arch Map
Day Hike: Yes Distance: 3 mile round-trip Average Hiking Time: 4 hours round-trip Difficulty: Strenuous with some steep uphill hiking. Sun Exposure: Full sun in most places. Permits: Not required. Trail Conditions: This is an unmaintained trail, that is in the full sun. Do not hike in mid-day in the summer. Do not hike this route if there is snow or ice on the rock. After rains the rocks are loose. Do not climb down near the arch. Trailhead: 2 miles east of the smaller of the two tunnels in Zion. Trailend: Same as trailhead Trail Access: The Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway is open year-round, and the trail begins just off the highway. Elevation Trailhead: 5412' Elevation gain: 1032' Elevation Peak: 6444' Restrooms: The closest restrooms are on the east side of the large tunnel and the east entrance by the toll booth. Water: No reliable water source.
See our vacation planning section for classic Zion National Park trails or glance at our favorite Zion National Park trails list or choose from a complete Zion National Park hiking guide. Do not get on the Zion Canyon Shuttle to hike the trail on this page.
Parking - The parking area and viewpoint for Jughandle Arch is on the south side of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, 2 miles west of the east entrance or 1.9 miles east of the small tunnel. If needed, there is a small pullout just east of the usual parking area. From the parking area, look north to the skyline and try to locate the arch on the right side of the large peninsula. It's a little more than a half-mile away as the crow flies.
Trailhead - Begin hiking, heading east on the highway, passing the drainage on the left side of the road. There is a sweeping left curve around a blind corner, so use caution and stay off the road to avoid traffic. Soon another drainage is noticeable on the left and is identifiable by a large slickrock bowl and dome shaped hoodoo located at the top of the wash. This drainage is 200 yards from the parking area or 100 yards from the small pullout.
Viewpoint - Walk down into the wash and then hike up toward the hoodoo ahead of you. Soon the sand yields to a steep slickrock scramble. After a 150 yard ascent up the sandstone, you will arrive at a saddle. Look north, to see an unobstructed view of Jughandle Arch and the terrain to be covered on the way to the structure. This is where you would stop and take photos then turn around if you are not doing the entire hike.
Keyhole Canyon - If you wish to continue past the half-mile, round-trip viewpoint, then drop down the steep slope into Keyhole Canyon 150 feet below. This is your chance to peek at one of Zion's most popular canyoneering routes. To enter the slot would require you to have canyoneering skills, equipment, a wet/drysuit and a permit from the park.
Jughandle Arch Route - From the bottom of the slope that you just descended, look upstream about 75 feet to the steep vegetated ramp that exits on the left, just before the canyon constricts to a narrow slot. Work up the ramp about 200 feet, until you make it to the top of the ridge which bears north toward the arch. Keep your eyes open for bighorn sheep which are often spotted in this area.
Optional Scramble - As the route continues toward the arch along the relatively level ridge, you will see a steep buttress of white sandstone. It is possible to go slightly to the left and work up this 3 rd class slope to an ideal viewpoint for taking photos of the arch. Never scramble past where you are comfortable and keep in mind that if the rock is wet or moss on the rock is moist or frozen it can be as slippery as ice.
Route to the Arch - This second option will head north and eventually follow another ridge to the right, going up a steep chute on the western side of the peninsula that the arch sits upon. Instead of scrambling up the steep buttress toward the arch, drop left and down into the wide open wash below. Walk up the drainage a short distance and scramble up the slickrock watercourse. At the top of the slickrock, steer right through some pines and other vegetation then up another steep sandstone scramble. Soon the rock yields to talus and bushes. Look for a beaten path that bears left and up towards a chute. There is one steep 3 rd class section partway up the loose ramp that requires the use of hands to negotiate. Once at the top of the chute, double back on the sparsely vegetated plateau and steer toward the eastern side. The rocky outcropping is Jughandle Arch. The best place to stand to photograph the arch is 50 feet north of the outcropping. Don't get too close to the edge because the rock there is fractured and could crumble. Keep in mind that sandstone is more hazardous when it's wet.
Note When hiking in Zion National Park stay on established trails to protect yourself and the delicate desert environment. Avoid cliff edges. Sandstone can be slippery and unstable.
Propped Arches
Jug Handle Arch is a natural propped arch. Other than being propped, these types of arches have the following characteristics:
* A vertical lintel with most of the weight is supported at the base.
* The opening is an upright slotted aperture.
*The lintel is either vertical or almost vertical.
Man, being the servant and interpreter of nature, can do and understand so much and so much only as he has observed in fact or in thought of the course of nature: beyond this he neither knows anything nor can do anything.
