Spanning 80 feet wide and 50 feet high Grays Arch is one of the most popular destinations in the gorge. Being only a mile from the trailhead most people do Grays Arch as an out and back. We made the loop by continuing along Rough Trail #221 and combining it with Rush Ridge #227. All Trails rates this hike as moderate to which I would agree. Although it is only 3.3 miles long the decent to the arch has 3 sets of steep stairs. These could be tricky if you are not sure footed as they are not only steep but slippery. The steep climb out of the ravine to Rush Ridge also includes stairs, so either way your climbing stairs in order to get back to your car.
We began our hike to Grays Arch on Saturday morning. Knowing this is one of the most popular arches we wanted to make sure we got an early enough start to beat the crowds. Unfortunately, our early was not early enough. By the time we reached the arch, a crush of people were already hanging around. The arch itself is only about a mile from the trailhead, which is one of the reasons it’s so popular. The trail leading up to Grays Arch is a nice path that doesn’t become precarious until you hit the first set of stairs. We didn’t actually see too many people on the trail itself but as we approached an overlook we began to hear the noise pollution only humans can create. As we made our way down the 90 steps we cross paths with several people heading back to the trailhead.
At the bottom of the stairs the Rough Trail continues by taking a sharp left. Since Grays Arch was the highlight of this hike we took the side trail to see this impressive geological feature. At the base of the arch we are greeted by a beautiful sandstone amphitheater trickling with water. An unusual buzzing noise that seems to be coming from directly above takes away any tranquility that this area would otherwise provide. As we begin the climb up to level area below the arch we soon realize that the annoying buzz is coming from a drone being flown around the arch. Once we are directly under the arch we grasp just how popular this arch really is. Although we did not see a lot of people on the trail there are people scattered all over the place. We don’t hang out long, enough to grab a couple photos, then we head back to the stairs in order to continue the loop.
After arriving back at the stairs we head north following the Rough Trail which takes us deeper into the hollow. At the 1.5 mile mark the trail makes a sharp right turn and soon we cross King Branch stream, the lowest point of this hike. From this point it’s all uphill and we begin our climb out of the hollow. In only a half a mile we ascend 400 feet as we approach Rush Ridge. We follow the peaceful Rush Ridge Trail for about a mile before it intersects with the Pinch ‘Em Tight Trail. The last bit of trail leads us back to the Tunnel Ridge Road which we then follow back to the parking lot.
Romping Tramps 
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