The Angel Arch trail is a short trail up a side canyon off the Upper Salt Creek route in Canyonlands National Park, Utah.   It starts at the junction of two canyons at the edge of the Salt Creek riparian zone.

The faint trail follows the wash southwest for 1.3 miles, climbing a ridge to a viewpoint of the 150′ tall arch.

All of the area above the canyon floor is slickrock country and fins, spires, towers, alcoves, and ramps which surround the arch.   The cobra-like rock spire below has been called The Molar.

There is a cairned scramble-route up to the arch which friends explored and with tired legs, I chose to explore a lower area instead.

This arch is hard to get to.   From the Canyonlands parking area, it is a 20 mile round trip, a very long day indeed.   We instead backpacked 13.5 miles down Upper Salt Creek from Cathedral Butte to a camp at the junction of the two canyons, then day-hiked up to the arch on the second afternoon.

We had the opportunity on the next day to get up early to photograph the arch with the morning light shining through the arch, but the morning was cold, the bones were weary, and we had another backpack to Peekaboo Camp that day so those photos will have to await another time to the Upper Salt Creek Canyon.

The whole Upper Salt Creek route from Cathedral Butte down to the parking area at Canyonlands is superb.   The Angel Arch Trail is just one side trail on a special route, probably the best of 2015.