Starlight Arch

Tom asked us, a couple of months ago, if we had ever done Starlight Arch.  Starlight Arch?  Never heard of it.  He said it was located on Pilot Ridge and that he had come across it while looking at topo maps when planning our Calico Peak hike.  Needless to say, we became very interested and quickly added it to our "wish list" of hikes to do.

One of the things important to us, when hiking with Tom, is making sure that there is a peak close by that he can bag and add to his Peakbagger log.  This hike "fit the bill" for all of us - we could grab a peak and at the same time visit this unique and seldom visited Arch, which we all wanted to see.  It turned out to be a great plan!

Our hike began in this wash . . . that isn't snow it's alkali

Within 30 minutes we could see Starlight Arch in the distance . . . 
 it's the little Minion on the right, next to the Crown

We continued in the wash for 2.5 miles, until we reached this colorful Chinle dome
(If doing this hike, you will come to two separate intersections in the wash . . .
always take the left fork at each of these junctions)

Chipper and Ezy enjoyed a water break

Directly across from the colorful Chinle dome was this rock cairn
This is where we left the wash and began our ascent up a ridge

We quickly gained elevation and great views
(Looking back down on the dome and wash we came up)

The red line shows the path we took . . . parts of it were steep!
We headed for Peak 6216 first . . . then onto Starlight Arch

This pretty dome was off to our east

We have spent quite a bit of time in this area and never tire of the views
(That's Calico Peak to the left of center and Navajo Mountain in the distance)

Here's Tom & Kent on Peak 6216 . . . woohoo!
(Those white teepees in the back sure look interesting . . . better add them to the list!)

The Crown and Minion Rocks look different as we approached the Arch from the east
(The arch is actually on the top of the mound, to the right . . . it can't be seen from this angle)

Starlight Arch is best viewed from the northside . . .
 Make sure to take some time to walk around and explore this side

Can you see Tom on the right?  He's probably dreaming of No Mans Mesa (on our list)
In April 2020, we reached the summit of Mollies Nipple . . . it was our first hike with Tom

Starlight Arch is part of this huge sandstone formation

There's even a teeny tiny arch on the far right side

A panoramic view of Starlight Arch across Dugout Canyon and over to Mollies Nipple
(Click on the picture to open an enlarged view)

Have you ever felt like you're beating your head against the wall?
Hmmm . . . this sandstone 'woodpecker' must feel the same way! 

All fun stuff must come to an end . . . time to head back

The dogs did really well . . . at times like this, they needed a little help

This cool rock looks like some mini teepees

Ahhh . . . time for one last break before entering the wash
(We had left our jackets here and were glad to reunite with them)

This cliff is a welcome sight . . . our vehicles are just around the bend!
  

There is very little information on the Internet for Starlight Arch.  In fact, most sites will redirect you to Skylight Arch which is closer to Page and Lake Powell.  If you're interested in doing this 8.2 mile hike, that took us about six hours, make sure to visit Tom's Peakbagger post.  You can find that by clicking here.  This will give you a topo map and gps tracks of our route.  Hope you enjoy the hike and please keep this lovely and solitary place beautiful and pristine!