Hiking North Caineville Mesa South Route

Caineville

Overview

( Rated 2.8 / 6 Ratings )

33 Todo Lists / 0 Ticks

RATING: Moderate/Strenuous Hike

LENGTH: 2-3+ hours (Std Route 1.9 miles, Alt Route 2 miles)

Thu

72 | 47

Fri

77 | 46

Sat

79 | 47

Sun

70 | 49

Mon

61 | 40

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SEASON: Fall, Winter (when no snow), Spring

GEAR: Standard Hiking Gear

WATER: None.

Thu

72 | 47

Fri

77 | 46

Sat

79 | 47

Sun

70 | 49

Mon

61 | 40

View Full Weather Details

hike

intermediate

access: paved

Shadow People - Two humans and a dog - North Caineville Mesa

This has to be one of the most overlooked hikes in the area. It offers fantastic scenery, and a challenging, but not-too-difficult route to the top of a very imposing mesa. From the highway, you would be hard-pressed to believe there was a non-technical route to its summit. The route is elegant, and a lot of fun.

The hike is fairly steep, gaining about 1300' of elevation in a little over a mile. This rates as a moderate/strenuous hike, we nicknamed the route "the stair master" by the top! It also encounters a fair bit of steep dirt and loose rock. We had a very well-seasoned desert dog in our group that had no problems, but this is likely not a place for most dogs unless they have a fair bit of experience.

A final note, the round trip to the top and back only takes 2-3 hours, but intend to spend most of the day on top. The mesa offers incredible views in all directions and allows for easy terrain to wander and take in the various views.

Difficulty Note: Some groups have said the crux of this route was much harder than expected, and they had to turn around just before the top. The crux is a boulder pile with a small crawl through or a very exposed climb around. The climb around is only recommended for climbers and experienced scramblers. The crawl through looks very tight, even my 7-year-old thought she wouldn't fit. Looks can be deceiving! At 6'1-ish, 190 lbs, a 42-inch chest and a 33-inch waist, I find the crawl through awkward, but not particularly tight.

Other Routes: There are two additional routes up, the North Cainville Mesa North Route and North Caineville Mesa Septentrional Route I found these routes about the same effort wise and with very different character.

The badlands!

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