Babylon Arch Trail Adventure
Red Cliffs National Conservation Area
Babylon Arch Trail is located between Hurricane and Leeds Utah and near the Virgin River which is responsible for carving the main canyon of Utah’s Zion National Park.
The trail to Babylon Arch is a course through sand and over rocky terrain. The Arch is found at the mouth of small narrow slot canyon where flash floods and wind seemed to have been the forces that have carved this small arch formation. We left the trail on the upper plateau and scrambled our way through this slot canyon which led us directly to the arch. It was a path that we don’t recommend as we were “ledged up” twice before finding a steep route that was less treacherous.
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The Arch itself is about 8′ high on the inside and perhaps 12-14′ high on the outside.
The regular trail, which we did follow on the way out, leads past Babylon Arch and down to the Virgin River. Sandstone formations wrap around the north and west bends of the river, and in springtime the flows are full and fast.
We came across raccoon tracks in the sand, and a couple of geese stopped by to catch a drink. The day we were out on the trail was a bit cool and overcast, but the sun kept breaking through enough to allow for some good occasional sunlight for better photographs.
This trail is accessed southeast of Leeds, Utah, but the Arch itself is literally just across the river from Sky Mountain Golf Course in Hurricane, Utah. This area is a part of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve which covers large swaths of land in and around the St. George, Utah area.
Be advised that the road from Leeds to the actual trail-head is a bit rough and would not be passable after a heavy rain. We saw many regular vehicles that were able to access the Babylon Arch trail-head.
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Check out this alternate hiking trail not far from this one – Yant Flat.
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