Nature Impacts Us

Along Hole-in-the-Rock Road, in Grand Staircase-Escalante, there are two fun, short stops that don’t involve much hiking, and are interesting places to explore. Devil’s Garden has a beautiful arch and some impressive hoodoos.  The trails crisscross throughout this park, so has a “choose your own adventure” sort of feel. The Dinosaur Trackway includes both sauropod and therapod footprints, left behind from creatures wandering this area 160-170 million years ago during the Jurassic period.

The hike out to Lower Calf Creek Falls is a relatively easy 6 mile out-and-back trail to a waterfall that plunges 126ft. Be prepared for sun exposure and extreme heat if hiking in the summer months. Pack 4L of water per person, and wear something that can be used for swimming at the end of the trail to cool off.

Kodachrome Basin is a beautiful State Park in Utah, literally on the steps of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and at the base of Bryce Canyon National Park. This park features easy to moderate hikes that range from needing an hour or two to a half day to explore. There is also a campground, which might make a nice option for spending a few days to explore the other nearby parks.

Bull Valley Gorge is a short (1 mile) but difficult slot canyon near Kodachrome Basin State Park in Grand Staircase-Escalante.  This can be a loop hike out to the start of the canyon, through it, and scrambling back up, but there are some major obstacles to navigate through within the canyon.  We explored about a third of the way through the canyon and returned the way we came in.  Bull Valley Gorge is also the site of where a truck can be found wedged in the canyon walls from an accident in 1954.

Willis Creek Slot Canyon is an easy, shaded slot canyon with minimal change in elevation, and has stunning, tall, and colorful walls. This is an out-and-back hike for as long as you’d like. The max hike is 6 miles long. The trailhead is along Skutumpah Road, a sandy, bumpy road where a higher clearance vehicle is going to be appreciated. The canyon is located very close to the parking area.

The trail to Zebra Slot Canyon is a relatively easy 5.25 mile out-and-back hike through gorgeous desert backcountry. Hiking to Tunnel Slot Canyon adds 1.8 miles. Hike early in the morning to avoid the afternoon heat, bring 4L of water per person, pre-download a GPS map, and be prepared to get wet inside Zebra. Water shoes are helpful inside the canyon.

The loop hike through Peekaboo and Spooky Gulch Slot Canyons in Escalante ranges between 4.2 and 4.6 miles (depending on which trailhead you start from). Brimstone Gulch can be added with up to another 3.6 miles.

The easiest option to hike is clockwise, tackling the 15ft scramble up into Peekaboo first. There may be some standing water in the canyon. Spooky Gulch adds some challenge with two dramatic drops (easier to go down than climb up - thus setting the clockwise direction recommendation) and some 10-inch squeezes. Bring extra water - a lot of this trail is exposed to heat and the sun.

Lake Powell is formed in the Colorado River by the Glen Canyon Dam, just upstream of the Grand Canyon. Lake Powell offers opportunities for swimming, kayaking, and boating - a rarity in the desert. The surrounding canyon includes hiking trails with arches, hoodoos, and beautiful striped rocks. Rent a kayak or house boat, watch the sunset at Horseshoe Bend, explore the Hanging Gardens and New Wave, swim or hike at the Chains, or take a boat tour (tour options include a trek out to Rainbow Arch). Glen Canyon is a beautiful section of canyon along the Colorado River without the crowds of the Grand Canyon.

Antelope Canyon is an incredibly beautiful slot canyon in Page, Arizona. The canyon has intricately cut walls that will play with your imagination. There are three entry options - Lower Antelope Canyon, Upper Antelope Canyon, and Rattlesnake Canyon. All entries are on Navajo Tribal Land and therefore all three places require both admission to enter the park and a pre-purchased ticket for a tour at a specified time. Inside the canyon, the floor is sandy and flat. The walls are tight but don’t require squeezing. To get into the canyon, steps and ladders are required on some tours, and all tours involve at least a short walk through the desert (which is going to be hot in the sun in the summer). I have links to other slot canyon hikes at the end of this post (most of which are free or just cost the admission of the park).

The Toadstool Hoodoos are a bit other-worldly.  This is an easy 1.8 mile out and back hike with minimal elevation gain (100ft).  The trailhead is very accessible, just off of US-89. The only difficult thing about this hiking is that it is quite a bit off the beaten trail. It’s best accessed on a drive between Kanab and Page or on a trek to see Buckskin Gulch and/or White Pocket.