Jackson Trail

To be fair, my rating is based on my entire hike, not just the Jackson portion. All Trails doesn’t actually have the loop I did as an option. I went from the Kane trailhead up through the Jackson trail, continued onto the Rockstacker trail, and then onto the Pothole Arch. All 3 differ from one another in various ways. Jackson is mostly an uphill climb to the top of the canyon. The first mile has a lot of trees and shrubs with a lot of overgrowth. Not a big deal, but something noteworthy. There’s a tributary of the river that you have to cross. A bridge at the beginning and then a little ways in, the trail is potentially flooded and you have to navigate carefully on the rocks to get past. Pretty easy but watch your step. As you get closer to the top, the dirt can be slippery. Lots of mountain bikers take this trail. They’re easy to see coming, so I wouldn’t worry about that either. Don’t forget to look behind you often. The views are absolutely incredible. Rockstacker was super fun. If you like scrambling and having to look for clues to stay on the trail, you’ll really enjoy it. I’m always seeking out the challenging stuff and this didn’t disappoint. There are cairns here and there, some rocks placed like arrows, and lines painted on the rock to help you. Don’t rely on one. Keep your eyes open for all of them. Some of the painted lines are barely visible. Looking for tire tracks on the dirt portions make those portions easy, but not so much on the slick rock. Pothole Arch was awesome. I personally love that terrain and since the trail is more reliably marked, you don’t have to worry about getting lost if you want to wander to the top of domes to take in the view. And yes... it’s even better up there than from the top of Jackson. The arch itself is small and not as impressive as some of its cousins across the highway, but I had a lot of fun climbing into it. There’s a tree growing in the middle of the rock formation and you can get really creative with the photos. There are a handful of return options. I went back through pothole to the trail that went on the opposite side of the rock that Jackson goes along. Then I turned back onto Jackson and returned the way I came on the first leg. I wish I had just gone back the way I came. I wasn’t crazy about my choice. I wish I could remember the name of that trail. Starts with the letter A... This was middle of May. I started around 9am and returned to my car around 2pm. The last hour was a little brutal. I’d recommend going earlier if you’re going to do it in the summer. Almost finished my 2.5L of water.

Beautiful hike up Moonflower Canyon across Kane Creek and along the Colorado River. The last 0.3 miles along the Rockstacker Trail can be skipped. Would rate 5 stars except Hwy 279 is audible/visible and several parking lots are visible.

Part of the moab marathon. Nice segment but tricky to run.