Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA

October 2019

Express Tips:

• Take more water than you need, there are no reliable water sources
• A high clearance 4WD vehicle is required to make it beyond the first parking lot and trailhead

Located in the southern portion of Capitol Reef National Park at the top of the Burr Trail switchbacks, this lollipop trail showcases a number of arches as well as outstanding views of the Waterpocket Fold along the rim. In this section of the park, Navajo and Wingate Sandstone have eroded over eons to expose distinct arches, bold shapes, and colorful layers.

For this trip, we dispersed camped in BLM land just outside of the National Park, along Bullfrog-Notom Road. We drove to the intersection of the Burr Trail and climbed the fun switchbacks towards the trailhead. You will need a high clearance vehicle to drive the 2.9 miles to the Strike Valley Overlook trailhead parking area. Otherwise, you will need to leave your low-clearance vehicle at a pull-out around 0.3 miles from the Burr Trail and walk the road towards the trailhead.

The counterclockwise 9 mile hike begins as an easy meander through Upper Muley Twist Canyon. There is no reliable water along this trail, so please carry more than you think you will need to stay hydrated. You will begin to notice arches and interesting rock formations on the western side of the canyon. There are a total of 5 arches on this hike, not including 2 that are visible from the dirt road while driving in. All of the arches are located on the western canyon walls. There is a narrows section that requires a difficult climb up a dry pour-off about 2.3 miles from Saddle Arch, and the NPS has built a bypass trail on the eastern canyon wall. We chose to take the bypass route for the views.

The hike quickly intensifies as you begin to climb out of the canyon along the eastern wall, and eventually tops out on the eastern rim. The views of the Waterpocket Fold and Strike Valley along the rim are spectacular. The 2.7 mile rim route has cairns marking the way and follows the ridge along some exposed narrow sections. Please be careful and watch your footing, especially if the trail is wet or icy.

Watch for cairns that indicate your climb down from the rim and back into the twisting canyon below. Once you meet up with the canyon, turn left and retrace your steps back to the parking lot.

The Island in the Sky district is the most visited district in Canyonlands Nation Park, although you may have this trail to yourself. This area is located at the northern end of Canyonlands National Park, about a 45-minute drive from the town of Moab, Utah. Due to their accessibility, many trails in this district are crowded. If you crave solitude, then it’s best to choose a trail that descends from the rim of the Island in the Sky down towards the White Rim Road and river canyons beyond.

We began our out-and-back hike at the Lathrop Trailhead, which was located 2 miles past the Island in the Sky Visitor Center near a small sign. There were plenty of roadside parking spaces available at the trailhead, with enough space for 10 to 12 vehicles.

The trail began uneventfully. We traversed soft sand across the mesa for 1.5 miles, which is typical of hikes found above the rim in the Island in the Sky district.

At around 1.75 miles, the views open up and you can see over the rim and into canyon country.

At this point, the trail varies between soft sand and sandstone. The sand is perhaps 2″ to 3″ deep at points and was noticeably more difficult to walk in. Some of the sandstone in this section has colorful patterns similar to what you might see at “The Wave” in Arizona.

At about 2.25 miles the route along the shelf to Lathrop Canyon is more evident. The trail descends to the first shelf below the rim, and the route can be seen hugging the shelf to the south. The views of the canyons, the Colorado River, the white rim, and the trail hugging the shelf were some of my favorites of this route.

The trail hugs the first shelf below the rim for the next .75 miles before descending into Lathrop Canyon. This section boasts great views of Canyonlands. The trail winds around a point and then back towards Lathrop Canyon. If you are afraid of heights you may want to turn back at this point. We always felt safe here, as there was an adequate distance between the trail and the shelf’s drop off.

The trail descending into Lathrop Canyon was not easily distinguished from other sections of the canyon on the shelf. Pay close attention to the cairns to follow this section of the trail. The descent follows a steep rock fall and looks almost like it would be too hard to go down. You may ask yourself, “Am I crazy for going down this?” The trail down does look difficult, but it is safe and perhaps better digested piecemeal.

The descent is about 1800 feet in a third of a mile. There are many switchbacks and while the grade is steep, there was nothing that required any technical climbing skills or equipment.

About a third of the way down the rocks, we were happy to give our knees a break when the trail turned into a more moderate grade. The trail continued to level off, and the canyon views opened up. On both sides of the trail, we could see the remnants of uranium mines, a throwback to a time prior to this area being designated a National Park. In another .6 miles we eventually descended all the way to the bottom of the canyon and found mud, but no water. We continued a little further and noticed interesting rocks along the trail overlooking the bottom of the canyon.

We continued about another .6 miles and decided not to hike all the way to the White Rim due to time constraints. Instead, we continued along a mesatop ridgeline to enjoy the solitude and views, then eating lunch before we started our journey up and out of the canyon.

It goes without saying that the journey back up the 1800′ in a third of a mile was more difficult and time-consuming than coming down, but it was all worth it.

We hiked the 3 miles back to our car, retracing our steps along the shelf and onto the plateau, though with a different perspective looking out into the afternoon light of Canyonlands this time.

The Needles District is located in the southeastern corner of Canyonlands National Park, about a 90-minute drive from the town of Moab, Utah. Often less crowded than the more accessible Island in the Sky District, this area is a fun place to explore on foot. The Needles contains fascinating red rock formations made of Cedar Mesa Sandstone, many of which are accessible by hiking trails and 4-wheel drive roads.

We began our loop hike at the Elephant Hill Trailhead, which was located at the end of a scenic bumpy access road just beyond Squaw Flat Campground. The dirt and gravel road did not require a high-clearance vehicle. The Chesler Park Trail climbs slightly over slickrock, then levels out while passing the Chesler Park Overlook, which offers amazing views of the Needles and the La Sal Mountains to the north. Travel 1.5 miles and then at the next two trail junctions, choose the trail to the right and follow the signs towards Chesler Park. At the third trail junction, take the short trail to the left that heads directly into the Chesler Park Loop and make sure to take in the views behind you. The official Chesler Park Loop begins about 2.5 miles from the trailhead at Elephant Hill.

We decided to hike the 5-mile loop counterclockwise after reading several trail reviews. The views in Chesler Park were amazing, which made for a really fun and rewarding experience. Chesler Park itself is like a large meadow that is surrounded by tall red and white sandstone spires. Hiking counterclockwise, the trail climbs in and out of washes, over slickrock, and is generally downhill until it reaches a sandy 4-wheel drive road. We hiked on the road for 0.4 miles, taking care to keep to the left at the fork. This spur road leads back to the loop trail after a half mile, which will take you through The Joint section. We were surprised to see an outhouse and picnic table at the end of this spur road, as they were not on the map.

The Joint was a super fun section of the trail that squeezes through narrow cracks that form a deep ravine in the rock. One very short section required a scramble up an old log, and it was helpful to have a partner to lend a hand.

After exiting The Joint, we admired more views of Chesler Park under blue skies lined with jet streams from passing planes. Continuing counterclockwise, there were several designated backpacking campsites along this portion of the trail. You can apply for overnight permits here https://canypermits.nps.gov/.

We decided to add a side trip to Druid Arch, so we took a 0.8 mile connector trail to the Druid Arch Trail. The connector trail was really cool, as it provided some awesome views of the surrounding spires, and as a bonus we had the entire trail to ourselves.

Meeting up with the Druid Arch Trail was like merging onto the freeway. This popular trail follows the dry, sandy and rocky streambed of Elephant Wash for a total of 3.4 monotonous miles. Fortunately, at this junction we only had 1.8 miles to the arch. There were a couple of sketchy scrambles up some slickrock pour-offs, and one section near the end of the trail that utilized a metal ladder and some re-bar. These sections could be dangerous in wet or icy conditions. In the end, the crowded trek was worth the view of Druid Arch.

After taking in the immensity of the Druid Arch, we turned around and followed the trail for 3.4 miles through the wash, past the junction to Squaw Flat, and on to the junction of the Chesler Park Trail. At this point, we took the trail to the right and continued back to the Elephant Hill Trailhead, enjoying the afternoon scenery.

When visiting the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park, the main attractions are views, views, and more views. Most visitors take short walks to amazing vistas, including the popular Mesa Arch, and never really explore what lies beneath the “Island in the Sky”. As first time visitors to Canyonlands, we were looking for a moderate hiking adventure that would allow us to descend the “island” mesa top and follow a portion of the White Rim Trail. We found the 10-mile Murphy Hogback Loop Trail fit our needs. With a total elevation gain/loss of 1600′, the trail was not too strenuous and very scenic. As a bonus, we had almost complete solitude during the March hike.

Like all trails in Island in the Sky, the Murphy Trail begins as a flat walk in the sand along the mostly barren mesa top. After about a half-mile, the trail approaches the edge of the canyon and more rocks appear. At cliff’s edge, we saw a few teenage hikers ahead of us scrambling down a very steep and narrow rockfall that was full of boulders. We wondered “why in the world are they going down that way?” To our amazement, we later discovered that they were in fact following the trail! It baffled us as to how a trail could be constructed down such a narrow and impossibly steep rockfall wash. Kudos to the NPS for their ingenuity at navigating such a trail. No bouldering was required, as the trail mainly switchbacked over rocks that formed natural steps, and in a few places stairs were placed for easy transport.

At the bottom of the descent, we went right at the trail junction and walked along the “hogback” trail for 2.6 miles towards the campground. The views here were expansive and spectacular. Candlestick Tower rose to the north, and portions of the Maze District were visible to the southwest. We saw what looked like millions of pieces of petrified wood scattered along the mesa.

At the Murphy Campground junction, we watched several dirt bikes having fun along the White Rim Road. This was a great spot for scenic views and a snack. There is a pit toilet here as well.

After leaving the campground, we followed the meandering White Rim Road as it descended south towards Murphy Wash. Turning left up the wash we climbed slightly uphill for several miles in sand, which was a little tedious. We spotted many colorful and unusual rocks, as well as dried mudflat layers that resembled tiramisu.

Once past the slow climb up the sandy wash, we eyed our ascent back up the narrow rockfall. It looked daunting at first, but ended up being much easier than we expected. We stopped several times to take photos, not wanting to return to the mesa top and leave the amazing views behind.

At the end of the 10-mile hike, we were still full of energy, so we decided to drive out to Grand View Point and hike out to the overlook. We were rewarded with a break in the clouds and impossibly expansive views.