Arch Tower and Cave Canyon
A loop through the San Rafael Reef that passes under one of the few natural bridges in the Swell, with a large cave reached by an easy slickrock ramp on the way up Cave Canyon.
The BLM removed the short wooden ladder from the route in the winter of 2023, so what used to be a rung climb is now scrambling; the hike tops out at third or easy fourth class either way. Floods change the sand levels in here, which can leave wading after recent rain. Navigation matters more than technique: there is no trail through the reef and the descent into Arch Tower is easy to miss without a map or a track. Getting there is 6.6 miles of dirt with several unsigned side roads and rough dips where the road drops through washes, so high clearance and a note of which fork you took.
Logistics
| Manager | BLM Price Field Office, San Rafael Swell |
|---|---|
| Permit | No permit required. |
| Distance | 7.5 mi |
| Time | 4 hr-6 hr |
| Season | Spring; Fall; Winter |
| Coordinates | 38.9948, -110.4265 |