ESCALANTE

BROKEN BOW ARCH

NOVEMBER 2018

BEHIND BROKEN BOW ARCH

BROKEN BOW ARCH

NEAR BROKEN BOW ARCH

POND BELOW BROKEN BOW ARCH

Broken Bow Arch is a five-mile round-trip hike located about 42 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock Road outside of Escalante. Hole-in-the-Rock Road is well-maintained up until just a couple miles before reaching the turn-off for Broken Bow Arch, where it starts to get rocky. If you are driving a low-clearance vehicle you will need to be really careful. Once at the trailhead, you will descend steeply into the canyon and turn right. You will begin walking along the bottom of a dry, shallow canyon that continues to grow deeper as you hike. A trail will take you to the left to avoid a difficult section before returning you again to the canyon bottom. Broken Bow Arch is very impressive and its size really caught me off guard when it came into sight.

After reaching the arch, I hiked a bit further down the canyon along Forty Mile Creek, but the going was rough. You can follow Forty Mile Creek all the way to the Escalante River if you come prepared to get your whole body wet. I would love to try that sometime, but as I wasn't prepared that day I turned around when the stream got too deep and muddy for me. I hiked this trail in November, and had the entire canyon to myself. It had also been a couple days since the last person had signed the register at the trailhead. With how crowded many of the trails in southern Utah are becoming, its nice to be able to still have a canyon of this quality all to your self for an afternoon.

COYOTE GULCH

JULY 2010

STEVENS ARCH AND THE ESCALANTE RIVER

JESSE IN HURRICANE WASH

CANYON WALL NEAR JACOB HAMBLIN ARCH

SMALL WATERFALL

JACOB HAMBLIN ARCH

COYOTE NATURAL BRIDGE

Coyote Gulch is a very entertaining thirteen-mile walk beginning in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and finishing in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. There are several different ways to hike Coyote Gulch, but we chose to start at Hurricane Wash, located about thirty miles down Hole-in-the-Rock Road. The dirt road is a bit rough, but we were able to make it without much trouble in a Honda Civic.

The first few miles of the hike were through open desert. This section is not real entertaining, but it is the price you pay to get to the beautiful features beyond. After about three or four miles of walking, Hurricane Wash will begin to tighten up and you will pass through a nice narrows section. A couple more miles and you will encounter a small stream and eventually reach Coyote Gulch. For much of the year, Coyote Gulch has a stream running through it the entire way to the Escalante River. When we visited over the Fourth of July weekend, the stream kept getting smaller and smaller as we hiked, until it nearly evaporated just before reaching the Escalante River.

While hiking Coyote Gulch in the summer is much hotter, it allows you to hike in relative solitude. We encountered few people on our way up the first day, and on our thirteen mile walk out on the second day we did not see a single person. While we made this a two-day hike, camping just below Stevens Arch, most people make it a three day hike, camping at Jacob Hamblin Arch. The area around Jacob Hamblin Arch is a great place to camp, and the spot we camped at along the Escalante River would likely have been covered in water in the Spring.

ZEBRA & TUNNEL SLOTS

NOVEMBER 2008, NOVEMBER 2012 & NOVEMBER 2018

ZEBRA SLOT

NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO ZEBRA SLOT

ENTRANCE TO ZEBRA SLOT

BEHIND TUNNEL SLOT

ENTRANCE TO TUNNEL SLOT

TUNNEL SLOT IN NOVEMBER 2012

Zebra and Tunnel Slots are reached via a 7.8 mile drive down Hole-in-the-Rock Road from highway 12. At 7.8 miles, you will come to a cattle guard crossing over the road. There is no signage, but just pull off into the parking lot on the side of the road. From here you will cross the road and follow the trail on the other side. When I first hiked this trail in 2008, there was no parking area or trail. As happens, once a spot becomes popular enough, the BLM will step in a make a parking area and trail so people don't get lost trying to find it, and so a spiderweb of trails doesn't form across the desert from people trying to find their own way. Continue following the trail for about two miles until it runs into Harris Wash. Harris Wash is very large, and you will know when you reach it.

When I was here last in November, 2018, there was a pretty well marked trail leading across Harris Wash to the entrance of Zebra Slot, about a quarter-mile away. On my previous two visits, it took a little bit of work to find the entrance. Zebra is a short, but fun slot canyon to hike up. It is very narrow in parts and requires a tiny bit of scrambling before if eventually ends at a large dry fall.

If you are interested in seeing Tunnel, go back to Harris Wash, take a left, and follow it about a half-mile or so to a small wash coming off to your left. Follow this about a quarter-mile and it will take you to Tunnel Slot. This is a nice, short slot that really does look and feel like a tunnel. It was completely dry when I was there in November of 2008, but when I returned in November of 2012, it was filled with chest-deep water. I was able to chimney almost the entire way through until the walls got too far apart at the end. It was pretty cold, so I decided not to go in the water.

RED BREAKS & THE COSMIC ASHTRAY

NOVEMBER 2015

COSMIC ASHTRAY

INSIDE THE COSMIC ASHTRAY

ENTRANCE/EXIT TO THE COSMIC ASHTRAY

RED BREAKS

The Red Breaks - Cosmic Ashtray Loop is a classic Escalante hike that combines a great slot canyon with a cool geologic formation. The entire loop is approximately fifteen miles. To get to the trailhead, you will travel down Hole-in-the-Rock Road for 11 miles, then turn left at the sign for Harris Wash. From the turn-off it is about 6 miles to the trailhead. When I drove here in November of 2015, the road was a bit muddy, so I ended up parking about a half-mile or so shy of the trailhead to be safe.

From the parking area, you will cross Harris Wash and follow the dirt road on the other side. However, to get to Red Breaks, you will only follow the dirt road about a quarter mile before turning up a wash coming in on the left. This is Red Breaks. Just keep following it until it becomes interesting. There was one dry fall toward the beginning that you will need to backtrack and get out of the canyon to get around. As you continue up the canyon, it will eventually turn into a really cool slot canyon. There were a lot of chockstones in the slot that you will need to climb under and over. Towards the end I eventually came to a steep section with a large chockstone that I didn't feel comfortable climbing over. It looked like it could potentially shift, and as I was alone, I didn't want to take any risks. I also knew I had to be fairly close to the end, so I exited out of the canyon and made my way over to the Cosmic Ashtray.

Its open desert from Red Breaks to the Cosmic Ashtray, so I would recommend bringing a GPS and some coordinates. I got a little off track on the way, so I pulled out my GPS unit to help me get going in the right direction. I eventually found it. I remember there were a lot of cool volcanic rock located along the slickrock I climbed to get up to the Cosmic Ashtray. After taking a few photos from above, I decided to hike down for a closer look. As I got closer, I noticed some hand holds carved into the side of the rock wall leading into the bottom of it. These must have been made recently, as some trip reports I had read talked about there being no way in or out. So I used them to make my way down to the bottom and walk around a bit before I left. It was really cool down there. When leaving, look for a dirt road down the hill to the east, and follow it south back to your car. This is the same dirt road you walked on at the very beginning of the hike just after crossing Harris Wash.

ESCALANTE NATURAL BRIDGE

NOVEMBER 2015

ESCALANTE NATURAL BRIDGE

Escalante Natural Bridge is a great four-mile round-trip hike located along Highway 12 just a little south of Calf Creek Falls. I've driven right past this trailhead so many times while hiking the Escalante area, that I don't know why it took me so long to find out about it. You will need to wade across the Esclante River several times to reach the bridge, so try to visit during a warm part of the year. I hiked it on a November morning, and was shocked at how cold the water was. The river crossings were actually a little painful. Eventually you will reach the arch, which is located in an alcove on the south side of the river.

LITTLE DEATH HOLLOW

NOVEMBER 2017

LITTLE DEATH HOLLOW

PETRIFIED WOOD

LITTLE DEATH HOLLOW

PETRIFIED WOOD IN LITTLE DEATH HOLLOW

LITTLE DEATH HOLLOW

PETROGLYPHS

LITTLE DEATH HOLLOW

SINGING CANYON

Little Death Hollow is an approximately fourteen-mile round-trip hike located near the town of Boulder, Utah. To reach the trailhead, you will drive 19 miles east of Boulder on the Burr Trail Road, and then turn right onto the Wolverine Loop Road for another 12 miles. The Burr Trail Road was well maintained. The Wolverine Loop Road got a bit rough towards the end, but I was able to make it all the way to the trailhead in a Toyota Corolla. If you'd like, you can stop and visit Singing Canyon along the way. It is located right off the Burr Trail Road about 11.5 miles from Boulder. Singing Canyon is a nice, pleasant ten minute stop along the way, but not worth a trip in and of itself. I think it has been over-hyped.

Anyway, from the Little Death Hollow trailhead, you will walk across open desert for a couple miles before the canyon starts to narrow. Keep your eyes peeled for a nice petroglyph panel at around the two mile mark. There is also a lot of petrified wood in the area that is fun to look for. Eventually the canyon will start to slot up. It will widen and narrow a few times before finally widening up one last time for good. This is where I turned back, though a lot of people will turn it into a long loop hike by continuing on to the Wolverine Petrified Wood Natural Area. I hiked this trail in November of 2017 and ended up having the place all to myself. It was actually a little eerie. The only other sign of life I remember seeing that day was a tarantula in one of the slot sections.

GOLDEN CATHEDRAL

NOVEMBER 2012

GOLDEN CATHEDRAL

The Golden Cathedral is a 9.2-mile round-trip hike to a famous Escalante landmark. While I just walked up to it, there is also a popular canyoneering route near the end of the hike that involves swimming through a narrow slot canyon and rappelling down through the hole in the Cathedral roof into the water below. To reach the trailhead, you will travel approximately 17 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock Road to the Egypt turnoff on your left. It is then 10 miles down Egypt Road to the trailhead.

When I traveled down Egypt Road in November of 2012, I was only able to make it about six or seven miles down the road before it got too rough for my Corolla. However, having read this would be the case, I had brought my bike along, and so was able to ride it the last few miles. From the trailhead, there a couple different ways to reach Neon Canyon, where the Golden Cathedral is located. I chose to hike down Fence Canyon, as it seemed to be one of the more popular routes.

Most of the hike is through open desert, so I remember looking for rocks along the way to help pass the time, and finding a couple cool ones. After following Fence Canyon for a while, I came to a massive drop-off, where the canyon dropped several hundred feet straight down at a dry fall. This startled me at first, as I wasn't prepared to rappel, but after back-tracking a bit I found a way to go around the drop-off and make it back into Fence Canyon. Soon after this, you will come to your first crossing of the Escalante River. As I was hiking in November, I remember the crossing being a bit painful, as the water was ice cold, and came up to about my waist. Due to the way the river meanders back and forth along the canyon walls, a few more river crossings were required to reach Neon Canyon (some less deep than others).

Eventually I reached Neon Canyon, and it was very pleasant stroll down the canyon to the Golden Cathedral. Because I was hiking in November, I had the entire place to myself. I didn't see another person the entire day. On my way back, I decided to skip Fence Canyon, and instead just hike straight across the desert back to the trailhead, looking for rocks along the way.

CALF CREEK FALLS

MARCH 2008 & JULY 2010

CALF CREEK FALLS

TRAIL TO CALF CREEK FALLS

JESSE ROCK-SURFING AT CALF CREEK FALLS

CALF CREEK FALLS

Calf Creek Falls is a great six-mile round-trip hike located along State Highway 12 between the cities of Boulder and Escalante. The trailhead is well marked and includes a large parking area, restrooms and 13-space camping area. I camped here when I visited in March of 2008 and July of 2010, and had enjoyable experiences both times. The spots are all first-come, first serve with a $15 per night ($7 when I visited) fee required. When I first visited in March of 2008, I was one of the only people there, and got a spot under some trees right along Calf Creek. The location was ideal, but the weather was not. I remember shivering through a night that dipped below freezing, and waking up to frozen water in my water bottles. When I camped at the same spot in July of 2010 it was much more pleasant.

The trail to Calf Creek Falls is very well maintained. The first two miles or so are exposed to the sun, but eventually the canyon will begin to narrow and the trail will pass through some trees before arriving at the falls. The falls are very impressive, and there is a large pool at their base with fish swimming in it. If you are there when its warm, the pool and falls make a great place to cool off. Calf Creek Falls is a nice oasis within the vast, expansive desert that surrounds the area.

PEEK-A-BOO & SPOOKY SLOTS

NOVEMBER 2008 & NOVEMBER 2012

ARCH ALONG THE BOTTOM OF PEEK-A-BOO SLOT

SPOOKY SLOT

PEEK-A-BOO ARCHES

PEEK-A-BOO SLOT

The Peek-A-Boo and Spooky slot canyons are both accessed from the Dry Fork Trailhead located 26 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock Road near Escalante, Utah. The road is a bit rough, but I was able to make it both times in a Corolla without much trouble. From the Dry Fork Trailhead, the trail will take you a half-mile down into Dry Fork. Once you are at the bottom, you will see a slot canyon opening up to your left. This is a branch of Dry Fork which I accidentally mistook for Peek-A-Boo my first time here. While not as popular as Peek-A-Boo, it is a very nice slot canyon, approximately one mile in length that is definitely worth your time.

To reach Peek-A-Boo, you will take a right after arriving at the canyon floor, and follow Dry Fork for a couple hundred feet until you see an opening in the side of the rock located about ten or fifteen feet off the ground. When I visited, some rocks had been stacked up in front of the entrance, and some hand holds had been carved into the rock to help you get into it. Just past the the entrance you will pass through two natural arches located right next to each other. From here some squeezing and maneuvering are required to work your way up the canyon. I went up the canyon for a mile or two until it opened up and became uninteresting. It's a nice slot, though not nearly as deep as most of the other slots in the Escalante area.

About a half-mile past the entrance to Peek-A-Boo, you will come to the entrance to Spooky. Spooky is a really tight canyon which requires a lot of squeezing and walking sideways. It goes for a couple miles, but I was only able to make it about a half-mile before it got a little too tight for my liking. My tolerance for tight slot canyons has increased over the years, so I may have to give it another shot one day, as I've heard several people list this as their favorite hike in Utah.