Hiking Davis Gulch - Hole In The Rock Road

Overview

Sat

75° | 45°

Sun

79° | 51°

Mon

76° | 52°

Tue

72° | 49°

Wed

77° | 49°

( Rated 2.9 / 9 Ratings )

34 Todo Lists / 4 Ticks

RATING: Moderate Hike

LENGTH: 6-7 hours (2 or so if using the climbers exit) (8.3 miles)

MAPS: DAVIS GULCH, UT

SEASON: Spring, Fall, Winter

GEAR: Standard Hiking Gear, short 15 m ( 50 ft. ) rope recommended.

WATER: Varies from little to quite a bit. Wetsuits recommend in cold seasons.

FLASHFLOOD: Moderate in the short upper slot section

NOTES: The lower section below the slot is brushy and challenging. Long sleeves and pants recommended. Reaching the trailhead requires a long dirt road that is often quite rough. Low clearance vehicles are often driven to the trailhead, but I would recommend high clearance. The washboard sections will be very slow in a low clearance vehicle.

Sat

75° | 45°

Sun

79° | 51°

Mon

76° | 52°

Tue

72° | 49°

Wed

77° | 49°

Views from the trailhead

Davis Gulch offers the non-technical canyoneer a technical canyoneering experience, and is one not to be missed by the experienced desert hiker. Technical canyoneers will probably find the slot section short and not as dramatic as many other technical slot canyons, but the exit hike is very worthwhile. The full route exits below Bement Arch, one of the showcase arches in the area. Keep an eye out, many believe Davis Gulch to be the last area Everett Ruess was visiting.

Are you a climber? Looking for a short, sporty evening route? Davis Gulch fits the bill. Just after the slot section, a moki step exit on the left (west) side offers those with the skills an elegant short route back to the car. The Moqui exit is NOT RECOMMENDED for non-climbers. Though relatively easy, a fall could easily have fatal consequences. I would rate it at 5.6 or 5.7, no gear possible, and a bit sandy and insecure in spots.

Note: This is a long way down the Hole In The Rock Road. Be sure to have enough food, water, fuel and supplies with you in case you have any problems. One frosty January weekend we visited only to have the roads thaw while we were out hiking during the day. We BARELY made it back to pavement after letting the roads harden a bit overnight and driving out before dawn. Rain, melting snow, etc.. can all quickly make this impassable.

Water: The slot section has been dry or with just knee deep water when I have visited, but there are reports it can hold a lot of water after recent rains. If the top section of slot has pools, the bottom section will have even more!

Davis Gulch Slot

The lovely upper section of Davis Gulch

Getting There

Head east out of the town of Escalante about 5 miles on highway 12 until the well signed Hole in the Rock road on the south side of highway 12. Reset the odometer as you turn onto this road.

Mile 0 - Hole-In-The-Rock Road Turnoff 12S 453167E 4175716N / 37°43'39"N 111°31'53"W

8.0 miles - Parking area after a cattle guard. This is the Zebra/Tunnel trailhead. 12S 460681E 4165896N / 37°38'22"N 111°26'44"W

12.3 miles - Devil's Garden turn off on the right. The trailhead is about 1/4 of a mile down this road. No camping, but a pit toilet. 12S 463808E 4160175N / 37°35'17"N 111°24'36"W

16.6 miles - Egypt road on the left. This access the Egypt and Neon trailheads 12S 468045E 4154960N / 37°32'28"N 111°21'42"W

24.8 miles - Upper Dry Fork Trailhead on the right (south). This has a large parking area and pit toilet. 12S 478657E 4148035N / 37°28'44"N 111°14'29"W

26.1 miles - Dry Fork Trailhead Road on the left (north). The trailhead is at the end of the road in about a mile. 12S 480198E 4146661N / 37°27'60"N 111°13'26"W

30.9 miles - Red Well side road on the left. Follow this 1 mile to its end for the Red Well Trailhead. 12S 485669E 4141593N / 37°25'16"N 111°09'43"W

33.1 miles - Chimney Rock side road on the left (north). 12S 487309E 4138502N / 37°23'36"N 111°08'36"W

34 miles - Hurricane Wash Trailhead on the left. 12S 488275E 4137666N / 37°23'08"N 111°07'57"W

36.3 miles - Fortymile Ridge side road on the left. This road goes to the Stock Tank and Fortymile Ridge trailheads commonly used for Coyote Gulch. This is also the road to Sunset Arch. 12S 489827E 4135057N / 37°21'44"N 111°06'54"W

36.9 miles - Dance Hall Rock on the left. 12S 490766E 4134519N / 37°21'26"N 111°06'15"W

40.8 miles - Sooner Rocks. Good primitive camping in the area. 12S 494749E 4131425N / 37°19'46"N 111°03'33"W

51.6 miles - Davis Gulch trailhead just after crossing Davis Gulch. 12S 502303E 4122852N / 37°15'08"N 110°58'26"W

The Moki exit (Visible in the middle of the picture)

View from the rim.

Route Description

Canyon Section (4-5 hours)
Let the fun begin! From the trailhead, follow the wash north as it begins cutting into sandstone. This first section has some down climbs, but is straightforward. It soon opens offering and escape. If the top section seemed hard, take the exit. The final section of slot is the hardest.

The final section of slot drop and narrows quickly. Some may need to use the rope as a handline in 2-3 spots, but a little teamwork will prevail. Experienced canyoneers will likely find these drops easy downclimbs.

The slot ends abruptly, and the canyon opens. The Moki step exit is easily visible on the left just after the narrows. Experts only! All others, continue the stroll down the canyon. The going is easy but brushy the farther down you get, with big undercuts and towering walls.

Bement Arch is the next landmark, and stunning. It is best photographed from the upstream side. It marks about the 1/2 point of the canyon. Stay on the developing hikers trail for easiest passage through the brush down the canyon. An old fence on the north wall marks the exit, not far above the high water mark of Lake Powell.

Exit (1.5-2 hours)
From the fence, follow an old cattle trail and cairns to the rim. One on top, an emerging trail here heads south-west away from Davis Gulch to avoid the many small drainages that drain into it. If you lose the trail, just head south/southwest toward Fifty Mile Point and intersect the road, then follow the road east to the trailhead.