twin arches

tnanna

Our group made the whole loop, enjoyed the scenery, stopped by Charit Creek, marveled at the arches. Be advised that there are numerous steep stairs - not suitable for all people or pets. Although it was March, our hike was "frozen" and we had to be quite cautious of ice and large falling icicles that often fell from far above and thundered to the ground shattering into enormous boulder-sized ice shards. We used micro spikes and this hike and they served us well.

cherk2015

Able to hike back in because the trails are well-kept and stairs help along the way. I loved it all.

CorryTNgal

This was a nice hike! It can be challenging at some points (especially if you're asthmatic like my dear brother in law). It's very short, but the view is amazing from the top of the arches. I don't recommend small children or large dogs for this trail due to the steep ladder like stairs throughout. It was very clean and well kept. Beautiful scenery.

780charlotteb

Beautiful area, have lots of photo from years ago they never change! A little more overgrown in the area but still beautiful!

micarooni

On this loop you go under and over the arches. It's not very strenuous except for the stairs up the arch. Don't miss Fat Man's Squeeze or Charity Creek Lodge. There are lots of windflowers in early May,

treewoman

Well worth the short, fairly easy hike. So amazing to see two arches formed together...one of nature's lessons in the power of the environment.

MusicCityHiker

The round-trip hike of 1.4 miles is a small sacrifice for what you see when you arrive here. Step softly because you can feel the moccasined feet who went before you. You can walk on top of these arches and under them. There is even a cave at the end of one of them. I would rate the difficulty of the hike as moderate. You do have to climb or go down steep ladders & stairs. But well worth the effort. We visit these arches once a year.

Lovetheisland7

My son (he is 10) and I walked the trail and back with no problems. It was easy to find, the signs took us straight there but it took longer to get there than it did to hike and enjoy. There was a lot of shade so it wasn't too hot and the steep stairs had a railing for support

GregM725

This is an amazing site. It's a remote and ends in a long drive down a gravel road, but worth the time if you like natural wonders. The hike there isn't long, but not for the infirm or for very young children (think 40+ ft. sheer cliffs just off the path). The path starts down to the left from the parking lot. About 1/10th of a mile in, you have a choice to go left or right. If you go left you descend below the arches and come back up. If you go right, you traverse the top of the ridge and come down on top of one of the arches. If you are scared of heights, don't go to the right (ridge path). The ridge path is a bit easier to hike, however.

WillBea2013

The trail down to the Twin Arches is about .7 miles one way, and rated easy until you get to the steep wooden stairs that descends about 25 feet to below the bluff. The trail continues to descend and wind through very beautiful hardwoods just below the bluff line. When you first see the North Arch, you will gasp in unbelief, and as you approach the arch, the huge sandstone formation is truly amazing. The South Arch is just as impressive, and is only a few hundred yards from the North Arch. The hardest part of the hike is climbing the steps on the return trip. First, you climb 60 or more steps to the top of the arch. The trail then goes along the top of the arch to another more challenging set of steps and you eventually merge with the trail going back to the trailhead.

RobertB105

You may not find another place in the world quite like it, the inspired beauty of this spot is amazing! You have to see the arches in person to get a grasp of their scale, and also to think about how they were actually formed and how long it must have taken. It's an amazing display of the power of nature.I highly recommend driving to the North parking area and taking the short trail down to the arches, especially if you are not physically up for a long hike from the south side. Any of the park rangers should be able to give you directions to this parking area, the road is gravel all the way and you don't need 4WD, we drove it in a minivan with no problem.

kerrya_11

As others have said, the trail is a bit steep in places but the steps make it very doable if you're in average physical condition. It's only 1.4 miles down and back so no need to carry anything but a water bottle and a camera. My wife and 3 boys and our little chihuahua had a good time, but I gotta say, if you make the drive back to these babies, I'd suggest doing the longer loop to get a little more trail time for your drive time.

CharlineB684

This is a little difficult to get to but worth the effort. Steep climbs and / or steps going in from either direction. Have gone with a group of retirees and all made it fine.

LindaJ341

This is an amazing geologic formation. The trail is moderate and about 1 mile. There are stairs for the difficult places. I had to sit on my butt to transverse one set of stairs because I have a fear of heights but the Twin Arches are worth every drop of sweat.

cb714me

You won't find a large natural arch in the eastern United States. The trail is .7 of a mile one way. It does have very steep steps, probably 50 or so at the beginning, but there is a handrail on both sides. After the steps the trail levels out and there are huge rock shelters along the right side. You can take steps up to the top of one of the arches, but there is not much of a view when foliage is on. There is also no railing so be careful of letting kids go to the top. If you walk up a small hillside on the right side of the South Arch, there is what looks like a small pyramid shaped cave that you will miss if you stick to the trail. It is actually a pass through called Fatman's Squeeze that goes to the other side of the mountain. It is helpful to have a flashlight at first, but if you don't go slowly into the opening and your eyes will adjust. The opening is probably 15 feet high at the center and 20 feet long.