Rifle Arch

A small parking area is a pull-off from Highway 13, blink and you might miss it. There is a gate between the parking lot and the trailhead, be sure that this closes behind you. The trail weaves rather flat and uninteresting at first through sage brush and eventually some juniper and pinon pine, mostly with a very gentle uphill slope. There are a couple of benches for those who may need a rest along the way. The scenery improves further along the trail. A high point at about 0.6 miles gives a nice view of the way you came and the mountains across the wide valley behind you. The big payoff is at the end. It requires some bouldering and steep shale hopping, but only for about a 1/10th of mile until you get the best view of the 150 ft. sandstone arch cutting across the sky. From the right angles, you get a terrific view of the mountain ridge line opposite framed by the arch. This is a very hot, dry hike in the summer months, but is much more pleasant spring and fall, and still very doable in the winter.