Liberty Bell Arch

«At the centre of it all, at the centre of it all
«Your eyes, your eyes»
​
«Ah-​ah-​ah
“Ah-​ah-​ah»
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In A Sentence™
An easy hike (more like a stroll) shown to me by the one and only Hikemaster Norm. (Follow Norm™)
Quick Review™
+ Super easy.
+/​-​Several points of interest: a narrow canyon along the wash to one’s right very early on; that abandoned mine which is actually safe to walk into; the arch; two views of the Colorado River; some views of the Tillman bridge, from afar, naturally.
— Super easy.
KEY:
+ Positive observation
+/​-​Neutral note
— Negative observation
Employee of Excellence™
Non-​applicable: whoever volunteers to pickup after the slobs who litter, I suppose.
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It’s easy. It’s kinda a good winter option. There are no restrooms besides the wild. (Take your shit with you.)
Check-​ins can be achieved at the end (turnaround) of the hike. It’s customary to have lunch, or a talk, or a libation there. Take your shit with you!
The Smiths. Morrissey solo is not the same as The Smiths. Everyone who has heard him perform knows this. And, the Liberty Bell Arch hike is not the same without Norm K.
Let’s talk about going outdoors. Just do it.
Tourists?
Lots of tourists here — naturally — especially since, you know, valley locals typically don’t do outdoor activities like that.
Kids?
Good for kids. Get those lil’ lazy fucks outside in nature so there will be less type two diabetes.
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Rating: Four-​stars, «Yay! I’m a fan.» (Five with Norm.)

Ok so this hike will work your tail feather for sure. We had originally tried to do this hike a few weeks earlier with my 5 yo nephew, and I’m so glad that we ended up on a different trail that day. Came back out to try and get it right.
We took a short detour to check out the old abandoned magnesium mine slightly off the path. The trail does get a little bit «crumbly» in spots. Very important to make sure you are watching closely. One false step and you may do a little tumbling. There was 5 of us, all mostly moderate hikers so luckily we didn’t have any trouble. My friends did scare the crap out of me when I was in the abandoned mine. but that is beside the point.
My BF actually showed us up, by hiking all the way up to the bell arch… the rest of us were happy just to get to the overlook and have some lunch.
I would highly recommend sunscreen and/​or a hat. My friend was sunburned and I had massive sun headache no matter how much water I drank. I was doing some complaining going uphill… but my butt will thank me later (was sore for a few days) This one definitely gives you a great workout and the views are pretty awesome. I had left my gloves at home, and definitely would have rather had them on.
At first I couldn’t figure out why the hike was called Liberty Bell… until we got just past the arch and you can totally see the bell, complete with a rock or etc to be the clapper. It’s really pretty cool and I can’t even tell you how amazing the Colorado River looks. Once you get to the overlook, I highly recommend taking the extra hike up an over the to the right. That view is spectacular.

I am forever thankful to Norm who is the hike master. There is no way I would have came here on my own. I got lost just trying to find the parking lot. My dog and I were so tired when we returned to the car. Great views abound on this hike. So peaceful and quiet and tranquil. For the most part, the trail was moderate. There were a few places that were a bit more strenuous with loose gravel. I would recommend a hat– I got sunburned even though it was partly overcast. There aren’t any trees for shade. The trail on a Saturday morning was fairly empty– the hikers we did come across were very friendly. Also, there are areas when there is limited or no cell service, so make sure you are prepared with food, water, clothing, and letting others know where you are headed. Seeing the Colorado River at the end of the hike was wonderful-​such a deep blue water. Now I want to go kayaking. :) There are no restrooms at the trailhead or along the way so be warned.

This was a really great hike! The landscape was always changing so the hike stayed exciting– downhill and uphill portions, views of the old mines, the arch, and then the final beautiful view overlooking the Colorado River.
I agree with the other reviews that this hike is moderately strenuous. There were some tougher uphill parts that left me a little winded, but the uphill parts were quickly followed by flat or downhill portions.
The only tricky part of this hike is finding the trailhead. We knew we needed to make a right at some point (Norm K. said it was about ⁹⁄₁₀ of a mile into the wash) but we saw a cairn less than half a mile in, and we decided to go that way. It looked like a path a first, but then the path kind of ended, so we somewhat forged our own. Luckily we ended up in the right place, but it was very unclear for a while. On the way out we followed the path that led us further into the wash. So it looks like you can take either trailhead, but the first one is not as clearly marked along the way.
If you want a decent length hike (6 miles) with great views, then check this out!

It’s been a few months since I last hiked, so it felt great to just get outdoors again.
I would categorize this trail as mildly strenuous. There are only a couple of spots where you need to be careful of your footing. The Liberty Bell Arch itself is pretty amazing in that it really does look like a bell, complete with a boulder that you can imagine to be the clapper. Continue past the arch to the outlook and you are rewarded with a nice view of the Colorado below.
There are also some nice points of interest along the way. One is some sort of cable-​bucket system that the miners would use to haul stuff up the hill. Another is the actual mine that you can safely go inside. It helps when you’re with an experienced hiker such as Norm K. He really knows his stuff. I highly recommend his UYE (unofficial Unilocal event) hikes, so keep an eye out for his next one.
For info on the trailhead and details on the hike itself, I refer you to Norm K’s excellent review.

This is one of my favorite hikes. It’s moderately strenuous at just over 6 miles. I refer to it as a triple treat hike because there are three distinct features to see on this hike.
To get to the trailhead, take the new O’Callaghan-Tillman Memorial Bridge near Hoover Dam and go south in Arizona to Mile Marker 4 on US 93. There is a left turn lane that crosses the northbound lanes and heads to a new blacktop road that goes up a hill and to a new large parking area. For those familiar with the Arizona Hot Springs hike, this is the new parking for that hike, too, as the new road has closed the old parking area.
From the parking lot, head downhill into the wash. To get into the wash, follow the use trail that begins just past the interpretive markers at the end of the parking lot. After going down this path from the parking lot, make sure you go under the double set of bridges and follow the wash west for about ⁹⁄₁₀ of a mile. This is where you make a right turn and head north out of this wash. There is a small cairn along the wash that is easy to miss. Hike up a small hill and you’ll be in a small canyon that heads north. You pick up the trail easily here, and follow it for about ¼ mile. Along the way, you’ll find a very large cairn with a wooden stake. After this cairn, as you travel north, pay attention because the trail will leave this wash and head up a hill to an old mining road. You can see the stacked stones from when it was a road.
At this road, turn left and follow the road. It eventually makes a curve near an old mine prospect which didn’t get dug very much. There’s another set of nice stonework along the road as you go up the hill. Continue along the road and you’ll start to see debris from the mining that took place at a nearby manganese mine. When you crest the hill and come around a curve, on a hill in front of you, there’s an ore car laying on the side of the hill. The old manganese mine is in the wash below this car on the other side of the ridge.
Keep to the left at any trails you see. These spider trails just go to overlooks and a couple are dangerous, because a fall could land you 50 feet below in the old mine. The trail to the left goes over some jagged rock and then starts down the other side. Soon you come to a fork in the trail. If you want to investigate the mine (this is one I will tell you is safe to enter), it will add about ½ mile to your total hike. There are some rails in the dirt floor of the mine and several air holes are cut in the sturdy rock. To continue the hike, return to the fork and turn right. The mine is treat #1.
The left fork continues down the hill and enters the wash. Periodically it will leave the wash and then come back in. At about two miles from the trailhead, or about 2.5 miles if you went to the mine, the trail comes out of the wash and heads west up a hill to a saddle. In front of you, Liberty Bell Arch can be seen. The best photos come from the south but feel free to take all you want wherever you are on the hike. At the saddle, make a left turn, and head southwest following the trail. You’re going up another hill until you’re almost in line with the arch. Near the arch, the trail cuts south and as you pass the arch and then look back, this is where you get the best view of the result of a natural erosion process. This is treat #2.
Continue following the trail south. You hike past a field that has some enormous boulders that are amazing to see. At one time, they broke off the hill above and rolled here. The trail is very evident here as it is well traveled. The footing can be bad because the rocks can be sharp. Take care as you hike along.
Eventually, you’ll go around the side of a hill and the view of Liberty Bell Arch is gone until you return. From here, there are about 4 ridges to go up and over. Stop as needed and get your breath. Make sure you’ve brought enough water with you – you should be using a Camelbak for a hike like this. When you get to the last ridge, you come up on a mesa and below you to your left is treat #3, a view of the Colorado River about 1,000 feet below as it winds toward Willow Beach in Arizona.
When you arrive on the mesa, the trail goes near the edge so you can get great views of the Colorado. It is truly beautiful up here. Explore the mesa, look north and see the bypass bridge, and stop and sit on one of the rocks for a snack. When you’re done enjoying the mesa, retrace your steps. THe toughest part now will be coming back up the wash to the car from the Liberty Bell Arch turnoff. It always seems so tough to get that last mile done with gravel under foot.
I have done this hike about 7 times, twice from the new trailhead, and it truly is a treat! I have posted on EveryTrail the explanation and GPS coordinates from my last hike. We passed the turnoff to Liberty Bell, so don’t follow me there but turn where the waypoint is. The link is
Happy hiking!