• Distance: 22 miles one-way
• Duration: 3 days
• Elevation change: 1,300 feet
• Effort: strenuous
• Trailhead: southern end of BLM Road 422
• Directions: Head south on Cottonwood Canyon Road for 7.5 miles from where the pavement ends at Kodachrome Basin State Park to the crossing of Round Valley Draw. From here, turn south on BLM Road 422.

Hikers can travel the 22-mile length of this scenic canyon in three days or make day hikes from either end of the trail. The lower canyon meets Cottonwood Canyon at an elevation of 4,700 feet, just above the mouth of the Paria River. Cottonwood Canyon Road provides access to both ends.

A small spring-fed stream flows down the lower half of Hackberry; hikers should expect to get their feet wet. Many side canyons invite exploration. One of them, Sam Pollock Canyon, is on the west side about 4.5 miles upstream from the junction of Hackberry and Cottonwood Canyons; follow it 1.75 miles up to Sam Pollock Arch (60 feet high and 70 feet wide).

Available topographic maps include the metric 1:100,000 Smoky Mountain or the 7.5-minute Slickrock Bench and Calico Peak. Michael Kelsey’s Hiking and Exploring the Paria River contains trail and trailhead information and a history of the Watson homestead, located a short way below Sam Pollock Canyon.