Utah – Negro Bill Canyon hike

Negro Bill Canyon

I drove a few miles down the road from Moab, Utah to that trail I was considering last night; Negro Bill Canyon trail head. Arriving just after 7am, and got straight to the hike. It did not take long for me to be amazed with this trail; hiking at sun-rise in the slick-rock canyons with a creek at my side… what more can I ask for? The trail climbed up and over large slick-rocks, then dipped down to cross the creek. Back and forth, back and forth, the variety in terrain and spectacular views around each bend seemed more like a Universal Studios ride then a nature hike.

The trail winding through the creek

After 2.5 miles of hiking, the trail comes to one of the largest Natural bridges in the Unites States. I hung out in the shade under the bridge for a half-hour in awe of the size and grandeur of this thing. A small spring crept out of the rocks under the bridge, filling a pond just deep enough to wet your ankles, but the water here (rare in the desert) made for a much cooler area to relax in. The hike back was uneventful, though with the sun at full song, I had to keep my eyes low to avoid stepping on all the sun bathing lizards… and more of a concern was the potential snake… the biting kind.