JANUARY 2022
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| EAGLE CANYON ARCH |
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| EAGLE CANYON ARCH |
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| EAGLE CANYON ARCH |
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| SWASEY CABIN |
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| NEAR SWASEY CABIN |
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| DUTCHMAN ARCH |
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| DUTCHMAN ARCH |
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| HEAD OF SINBAD PICTOGRAPH |
Eagle Canyon Arch is a really enjoyable five-mile roundtrip hike located just south of the I-70 freeway in the San Rafael Swell that doesn't seem to get too much attention. I was really impressed when I visited in January of 2022. Due to how cold it was at the time, I had the entire place to myself, with the exception of a hummer I saw driving out when I was making my way down the trail. I was a bit surprised to see it, as most of the road leading to the arch was covered in snow.
You can actually drive right up to the arch and beyond if you have a rugged-enough vehicle, but I parked at Swasey Cabin, located about two-and-a-half miles from the arch, to be safe. If you hike this during a popular time, its possible the trail could get a lot of vehicles on it, so it's probably best to visit on the off-season or a weekday. The road to Swasey Cabin from the I-70 was pretty-well maintained, and should be passable to most vehicles. Swasey Cabin and the nearby Ice Box Trail were fun to explore and in surprisingly good shape.
If you hike Eagle Canyon Arch, you might as well also visit Dutchman Arch and the Head of Sinbad Pictograph, as they are not too far away and don't require any hiking. They are located just on the other side of the I-70 freeway via a dirt road which travels underneath it. The roads north of the I-70 to Dutchman Arch and the Head of Sinbad are a bit rougher than the road to Swasey Cabin, but I was still able to drive them without much trouble in a Ford Escape.