Grandstaff Canyon Hike
A perennial-creek walk up Grandstaff Canyon to Morning Glory Natural Bridge — one of the longest natural rock spans in the U.S. — with shade, running water, and repeated crossings.
Grandstaff Canyon is the classic walk off this stretch of UT-128 — a roughly four-mile round trip up a perennial creek to Morning Glory Natural Bridge, one of the longest natural rock spans in the country. The trail follows the canyon bottom and crosses the creek repeatedly, so expect wet feet through most seasons. Shade, running water, and the span at the end make it one of the more rewarding short hikes on the Colorado near Moab, and the grade stays gentle the whole way in. The canyon is named for William Grandstaff, a Black rancher who ran cattle here in the late 1870s. It carried a racial slur as its official name for over a century; the US Board on Geographic Names retired that name in 2017 in favour of the one Grandstaff earned. Older maps, guidebooks and trail signs may still show the former name.
Quick stats
- Difficulty
- Moderate
The route
- — · UT-128 trailhead — Roadside trailhead on UT-128 along the Colorado River corridor.
- — · Creek crossings — Multiple crossings of the perennial creek along the canyon bottom; wet feet are typical.
- — · Morning Glory Natural Bridge — Turnaround at the natural rock span at the head of the side drainage.
History
Named for William Grandstaff, a Black rancher who ran cattle in this canyon in the late 1870s. For more than a century the canyon's official name was a racial slur; the US Board on Geographic Names retired it in 2017 in favour of Grandstaff's own. Older maps, guidebooks and trail signs may still carry the former name.