(Note: This is the third post in a series of three, highlighting four neighboring slot canyons—all within walking distance of the Dry Fork Trailhead in Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The other two posts feature Peekaboo & Spooky slot canyons and the Dry Fork Narrows.) Each year, thousands of adventurers flock to beautiful Peekaboo and …
Continue reading Brimstone Gulch (Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, UT)
Though just a short walk from Peekaboo, Spooky, and Brimstone Gulch in Utah’s Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument, the Dry Fork Narrows are often overlooked. Situated at the base of the steep descent from the Dry Fork Trailhead, however, this ½-mile slot canyon is both easily accessible and easily navigable. Unlike its nearby cousins, the narrows …
Continue reading Dry Fork Narrows (Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, UT)
(Note: This is the first post in a series of three, highlighting four neighboring slot canyons—all within walking distance of the Dry Fork Trailhead in Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The other two posts feature nearby Brimstone Gulch and the Dry Fork Narrows.) In the American Southwest, slot canyons are, simply put, an addiction. So …
Hundreds of thousands flock to southwestern Utah’s Zion National Park each year to witness the famed Zion Narrows, where the majestic Virgin River has sculpted a 16-mile stretch of cavernous bends and twists seemingly unique in their beauty. Midway across the state, however, Capitol Reef National Park boasts a comparably spectacular alternative in the remote …
Continue reading Halls Creek Narrows via “airport route” (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
The 5.5-mile ramble down Sulphur Creek Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park has been held dear by residents of Utah’s Wayne County for decades. Rising visitation to Capitol Reef—as well as the advent of the Internet—has led to a wider audience, and the popularity of this wet and beautiful hike has risen dramatically in recent …
Continue reading Sulphur Creek (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
The circuitous hike through Capitol Reef National Park’s Lower Muley Twist Canyon extends for close to 12 miles from the Burr Trail Road to its southern mouth at the Halls Creek drainage. Highlights along the backcountry route include 1,000-foot cliffs and countless, varnished alcoves of immeasurable length. A short detour to Hamburger Rocks—a collection of …
Continue reading Lower Muley Twist Canyon and Hamburger Rocks (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
With sweeping alcoves and towering walls, Lower Muley Twist Canyon has become one of Capitol Reef National Park’s most popular backpacking destinations. To the ambitious, it can also be conquered in a couple of lengthy day hikes—though an overnight is likely to be more enjoyable. Live and Let Hike will dissect the route into two …
Continue reading Lower Muley Twist Canyon – Upper Section (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Of Capitol Reef National Park’s three strenuous slot canyons off the Notom-Bullfrog Road (Sheets Gulch and Burro Wash being the others), Cottonwood Wash is, to many, the most frustrating. The culprit is a deep, chilly pool—frequently over head high—encountered just as the canyon begins to narrow significantly. Even if swimming is not in the cards, …
Continue reading Cottonwood Wash (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Spring Canyon—a winding gorge that cuts roughly east-west through Capitol Reef National Park—is traditionally segmented into two parts: a lengthy upper section beginning outside the park’s western boundary and a shorter, narrower lower portion that spits out at the Fremont River. Visitors with limited time should prioritize Lower Spring Canyon, which boasts some of the …
Continue reading Upper Spring Canyon (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
The Needles District in eastern Utah’s Canyonlands National Park features a maze of towering pinnacles, winding canyons, and mushroom rocks—and the Chesler Park Loop winds through perhaps the best of it. The roughly 11-mile stem-and-loop circumnavigates a grassy plain flanked by slickrock spires, while a short section of the “Joint Trail” edges through a narrow …
Continue reading Chesler Park Loop Trail, including Joint Trail (Canyonlands National Park, UT)
Live and Let Hike 