The Priority
Jacob reached out to me two weeks before he planned to propose. He and Rae planned to come to Utah from their home in the Midwest, and he wanted to make their trip extra special by proposing to her on a red rock hike in Southern Utah.
What They Considered
After our first phone call, it was clear his plan was right up my alley. I sent him a list of six locations that I thought would be perfect for his proposal, based on his desire to do it on a hike in a gorgeous location.
How It Came Together
We agreed on him proposing beneath Corona Arch around sunset: a roughly 3-mile round-trip hike on BLM land off Potash Road, no permit required, an actual workout with a dramatic arch waiting at the end.
TL;DR
Moab Proposals
I sent him a rundown of where to propose and details related to the hike. I headed up the trail about 30 minutes before they were set to arrive, set up my gear, and waited past the arch.
After Jacob proposed with Rae's mother's heirloom ring, she was ecstatic. Other hikers applauded them as Jacob stood to embrace Rae. I approached after she soaked in the moment and told her that we were going to take a mini engagement photoshoot.
We hiked down independently, and I sent their photos later that night.
It’s about 3 miles round trip (roughly 1.5 miles each way), out and back on the same trail. Most people finish in 1.5 to 2 hours, longer if you’re stopping for photos, which you will be.
No. Corona Arch sits on BLM land, not National Park land, so there’s no entrance fee and no permit required for a hike, a proposal, or personal photography. That’s part of what makes it such an easy pick for a surprise: no reservation system to work around.
It’s moderate, not extreme. The trail has a couple of sections with mild exposure to heights, but cables and a short ladder are in place to help you through them. Wear sturdy shoes; it’s not a hike to do in dress shoes even though it’s short.
Sunset. The arch and the surrounding canyon walls light up warm and gold in that last hour of light, which is the timing Jacob built his proposal to Rae around. It also means cooler hiking temperatures than the middle of a Moab afternoon.
The trailhead is off Potash Road (UT-279) outside Moab, along the Colorado River. It’s a well-marked BLM trail, dog-friendly, and one of the more straightforward hike-in proposal spots near Moab since there’s no permit or timed-entry system standing between you and the arch.
Written by
Utah-based wedding, elopement, and proposal photographer since 2025. I've scouted these locations myself, so the advice here comes from firsthand experience, not guesswork.
