Inchworm Arch

This easy and scenic trail leads to Inchworm Arch, an interesting natural arch in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Even though it has been regularly used for decades, the last few miles of this route were technically closed by the original Grand Staircase management plan but were reopened by the new management plan adopted in 2020. The BLM has since re-routed part of the trail and installed directional signs marking it as an authorized motorized route.

To get to the start of the trail, take the Nephi Pasture Road, starting at a small staging area off Johnson Canyon Road. This easy dirt road winds up into the hills above Johnson Canyon and gradually gets rougher as you go along. The Inchworm Arch trail proper begins with a right turn onto a sandy double-track in Snake Canyon. There are a couple of intersections where you must turn to stay on the trail, with signs directing you to Inchworm Arch.

At the final intersection, you turn right to go to Inchworm Arch. Going straight continues on K3345, which is not technically legal under the GSENM travel plan but is not blocked or signed as closed and appears to be regularly driven. From this intersection, the trail winds through juniper forest until ending at a parking area at the rim of a small canyon. You can walk a few hundred yards down a social trail from this parking area to several different viewpoints of Inchworm Arch itself. You can proceed out either the way you came or else follow other roads in the trail network deeper into the monument.

Camping is allowed in the area, though no established campsites are along this trail. All backcountry camping in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument requires a permit.