May 26-27, 2025 - Party of 2 backpacked into Gravel near the head of the main fork and joined this route at the confluence with the east fork, skipping the first paragraph of Ryan's route betaCONSIDERATIONS ON BACKPACKING THE ROUTE:On the first day, we bypassed the rappels and the slot narrows on the right, walking a slick rock middle rim above the narrows This required a bit of hard route-finding and 3rd class moves that were just a little too exposed and off balance to do with heavy backpacking packs We had to pa...

Road condition was totally fine 9/7 and we thought this was super worth the visitFor getting in the giant pothole, half our group did and half didn’t Those who did agreed that most of the experience is looking at it anyway and not to stress if you don’t walk in But going down the steps seemed much scarier than coming back up would be

Agreed! We picked up a bunch of litter and glow sticks on our visit as well!

Didn't do the full loop, but just visited the panels in lower Ernie A few potentially useful notes for folks wanting to visit these in as short of a hike as possible it's well worth it, they are very detailed panels!:There is a road off of 24 at 38720504, -110491151 - if you cross through the gate and follow the road, it's easy to get to the rim of Iron Wash and doesn't require high clearance or 4WD! From where the road ends, there is a fairly easy to spot cattle trail that drops down to the wash bottom You can cro...

How did someone give this only 3 stars!! Views, SOLITUDE away from the hordes of people down the road Had the place to myself on a Saturday! Gnarled old trees everywhere providing many interesting foreground and background interest for photos Beautiful red rock walls and formations Painted hills reminding me of the Bentonite Hills Well worth the visit! Some pics of this beautiful hike - https://wwwflickrcom/gp/dwaynec/U1G2gUsLN4

A very popular family hike, Grand Wash offers a family friendly outing in a short package The round trip distance is 44 miles, or if you have two cars, it can be done as a one way 22 mile through hike For those wanting something shorter, I would recommend parking at the bottom trailhead on Highway 24 and walking up from the bottom This visits the best narrow section of Grand Wash in a casual 20-30 minutes one way from the trailhead For those wanting something longer, see the [my:linkToObject type="trip" id="543" te...

One of the highest road in Utah, the Skyline Drive is an incredibly scenic dirt road traversing the spine of the Wasatch Plateau The route has many options, with many opportunities for shorter outings The route described here clocks in at just over 100 miles with all but a few of those miles on dirt There are 2 sections to the Skyline Drive, North Skyline and South Skyline The north section, from Tucker in Spanish Fork Canyon to UT-264, is a little lower in elevation at about 9,000 ft and a more maintained gravel r...

I think Smith Creek Lakes are some of the prettiest lakes in the northern Wasatch The three lakes, nestled below the ridgeline between Francis and Thurston peaks, seem to cling to the side of the mountain, with craggy slopes and a dramatic skyline above It is a lovely place, particularly in wild flower season when the hills are awash with color There are even a few small primitive campsites near the lakes, but they can fill up on busy fall weekends What is the catch to visiting this lovely area Well, it either invo...

  March 05, 2014 Unfortunately, Arches now requires permits for canyoneering. Fortunately (for now), they are free and with minimal hassle. I just recieved the follow from the NPS: Officially starting Friday March 7, free day use permits, required for canyoneering in Arches, will be available outside the visitor center at an information/permit kiosk. With the exception of canyoneering in the Fiery Furnace, all canyoneers must fill out a permit, drop the copy of...

Coyote Gulch is one of, if not thee, premier canyon in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument The canyon, emblematic of the beauty of the Escalante region, is often near the top of desert hikers and backpackers bucket lists This is a canyon that has astounding beauty and charm, with seemingly each bend of the canyon revealing a scene to marvel at Arches, waterfalls, cavernous alcoves, rock art, and a plethora of color make this an amazing journey Because of its iconic status, the canyon sees many visitors and ...