Elephant Arch Washington Utah: Trail Guide and Directions

Elephant Arch is a short, sandy desert hike on the north edge of Washington City, a short drive from St. George. This guide covers where the arch is, how to find the Mill Creek trailhead, the route through Bone Wash, how long it takes and what to bring. We checked every fact below against the sources listed at the bottom of the page on October 8, 2026. We have not hiked it for this guide, so check conditions before you go.

Where is Elephant Arch near Washington, Utah?

Elephant Arch is in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, inside the BLM’s Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, in the hills north of Washington City, Utah. The hike starts at the Mill Creek trailhead, on a dirt road about a mile north of Washington Parkway, and follows Mill Creek Trail and Bone Wash to the arch.

The arch sits on Bureau of Land Management land run by the BLM's St. George field office. That land is also part of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, which Washington County set aside to protect the Mojave desert tortoise. Some websites file the arch under St. George or even Hurricane, but it is in Washington City's backyard, a short drive from Washington Parkway.

What is Elephant Arch?

Elephant Arch is a small natural sandstone arch, about 7 feet tall, set part way up a hillside at the end of a desert trail. It takes its nickname from its shape, which hikers say looks like the trunk and eye of an elephant. The name is informal: the U.S. Geological Survey has not officially named it.

Go expecting a small, photogenic window in red rock, not a giant span like the arches near Moab. Part of the fun is spotting the elephant: look for the opening as the eye and the rock below it as the trunk. Stay on the trail near the arch, and don't climb on it; the soil on these slopes is loose and breaks down easily, according to the reserve.

How to get to Elephant Arch from Washington, Utah

Roads on the north side of Washington have changed as new neighborhoods have gone in, so put the trailhead coordinates into your map app rather than relying on old turn-by-turn notes. Here is how the sources describe the drive:

1. From I-15, take one of the Washington exits and head north through Washington City toward Washington Parkway.
2. St George News places the Mill Creek trailhead on a dirt road about a mile north of Washington Parkway, above the Brio neighborhood. Visit Utah gives the start of the Millcreek road at about 37.1442, -113.5095 and says to drive the bottom mile and then park.
3. Park south of the gate at the trailhead, at about 37.16571, -113.51369. Don't drive through the gate, even if it is open.

Older trail guides describe a different approach: I-15 Exit 10 to Green Spring Drive, then Buena Vista Boulevard to a dirt road just past the fire station, then north on another dirt road to the gate. We have not driven either route, and we couldn't confirm the current condition of the dirt road, so check it in daylight and don't try it after heavy rain.

For the official trail map, the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve has an interactive map and printable brochure.

Elephant Arch trail description

The route links three trails. Trail guides describe it like this:

1. Mill Creek Trail (about 0.3 mile): from the gate, walk the flat two-track dirt road to a junction.
2. Bone Wash Trail: turn right at the Bone Wash sign and follow the power lines down into the wash. The red rock formations start to close in here, and so does the deep sand.
3. Through the wash (about 0.6 mile): keep an eye out for the Elephant Arch Trail sign on your way up the wash.
4. Elephant Arch Trail (about 0.4 mile): leave the wash and climb gently to the arch on the hillside.

Return the way you came. Follow the signs and the trail itself rather than piles of rocks: the reserve asks hikers not to build cairns, since stray ones can lead people off the route.

How long is the Elephant Arch hike?

Trail guides put the out-and-back hike at 3.4 to 3.8 miles, with under 300 feet of climbing. The grade is easy, but long stretches of the wash are deep, loose sand, which slows most people down. St George News warns the sand can make the hike take up to twice as long as you would expect for the distance.

Shoes with good grip, or boots made for sand, help a lot. Gaiters keep sand out of your socks. Walk on the firmer edges of the wash where you can, and stay on the trail where the soil is soft.

When is the best time to hike to Elephant Arch?

Fall, winter and spring are the best seasons. The trail is open year-round, but the wash has almost no shade, and summer days around Washington are often well over 100 degrees. In summer, start at first light, finish before late morning, and skip the hike when a storm is coming, since washes can flash flood.

Winter is a good time to go, because the lack of shade is a plus on a cool day. In spring, Visit Utah notes, the Mill Creek area is a good place to see desert wildflowers. For photos, the low light early and late in the day brings out the red in the sandstone; just leave enough daylight to walk back through the wash.

What to bring and how to stay safe

Nearby things to do

Make a morning of it. Washington City has places to eat and a new skate and bike park, and our Washington, Utah guide lists more. For other hikes, see our guide to hiking in St. George, which covers Snow Canyon State Park, other Red Cliffs trails and Zion National Park, or the Southern Utah outdoor adventure guide for biking, climbing and paddling.