• Distance: 10.25 miles one-way from trailhead to Escalante River
• Duration: 2 days round-trip
• Elevation change: 700 feet
• Effort: moderate
• Trailhead: Harris Wash Trailhead off Hole-in-the-Rock Road
• Directions: From Highway 12 turn south on Hole-in-the-Rock Road for 10.8 miles, then left 6.3 miles on a dirt road (keep left at the fork near the end).

Clear, shallow water glides down this gem of a canyon. High cliffs streaked with desert varnish are deeply undercut and support lush hanging gardens. Harris Wash provides a beautiful route to the Escalante River, but it can also be a destination in itself; tributaries and caves invite exploration along the way.

The sand and gravel streambed makes for easy walking. Reach the trailhead from Hwy. 12 by turning south 10.8 miles on Hole-in-the-Rock Road, then left 6.3 miles on a dirt road (keep left at the fork near the end).

Don’t be dismayed by the drab appearance of upper Harris Wash. The canyon and creek appear a few miles downstream.