Hikes Along Johnson Canyon/Skutumpah Road

The northern portions of this road pass through the White Cliffs area of the Grand Staircase, and several steep and narrow canyons are trenched into these terraces. Rough hiking trails explore these slot canyons.

• Willis Creek Narrows
• Bull Valley Gorge
• Lick Wash

Hikes Along Cottonwood Canyon Road

The northerly portions of this route pass by Kodachrome Basin State Park, with a fine selection of hiking trails through colorful rock formations. the first five hikes in thsi section are in Kodachrome State Park. For a brief introduction to the park’s ecology, follow the short Nature Trail.

• Panorama Trail
• Angel’s Palace Trail
• Grand Parade Trail
• Eagle’s View Trail
• Shakespeare Arch Trail
• Hackberry Canyon
• Cottonwood Narrows
• Box of the Paria River

Hikes Along the Escalante River

The maze of canyons that drain the Escalante River presents exceptional hiking opportunities. You’ll find everything from easy day hikes to challenging backpacking treks. The Escalante’s canyon begins just downstream from the town of Escalante and ends at Lake Powell about 85 miles beyond.

The Escalante canyons preserve some of the quiet beauty once found in Glen Canyon, which is now lost under the waters of Lake Powell. Prehistoric Anasazi and Fremont cultures have left ruins, petroglyphs, pictographs, and artifacts in many locations. These archaeological resources are protected by federal law. Please don’t collect or disturb them.

The many approaches to the area allow all sorts of trips. Besides the road access at Escalante and the Hwy. 12 bridge, hikers can reach the Escalante River through western side canyons from Hole-in-the-Rock Road or eastern side canyons from Burr Trail Road.

• Escalante to Hwy. 12 Bridge
• Hwy. 12 Bridge to Harris Wash
• Lower Calf Creek Falls
• Upper Calf Creek Falls
• Harris Wash
• Harris Wash to Lake Powell
• Dry Fork of Coyote Gulch

Hikes in Paria Canyon/Vermilion Cliffs

The wild and twisting canyons of the Paria River and its tributaries offer a memorable experience for experienced hikers. Silt-laden waters have sculpted the colorful canyon walls, revealing 200 million years of geologic history. Paria means “muddy water” in the Paiute language.

In the late 1960s, the BLM organized a small expedition whose research led to protection of the canyon as a primitive area. The Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 designated Paria Canyon a wilderness, along with parts of the Paria Plateau and Vermilion Cliffs. In 2000, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument was created. For more information, check out the website at www.az.blm.gov/vermilion/vermilion.htm.

The BLM Paria Canyon Ranger Station is in Utah, 43 miles east of Kanab on U.S. 89 near milepost 21. It’s on the south side of the highway, just east of the Paria River. Permits are required for hiking in the Paria Canyon and to visit other sites in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.

• Hiking Paria Canyon
• Buckskin Gulch and Wire Pass
• Coyote Buttes