From the crack in the wall, you can continue north towards the confluence of the escalante river and the coyote gulch or follow a path to the left and follow the coyote gulch back west, towards jacob hamblin arch. Click through for the ultimate guide to planning your backpacking trip. Over 25 mi 40 km long, coyote gulch exhibits many of the geologic features found in the canyons of the escalante, including high vertical canyon walls, narrow slot canyons, domes, arches, and natural bridges. As mentioned above, the sand dune climb out of coyote gulch to crack in the wall and forty mile ridge departs very near the boulder jam. A hiker enters the narrowest section of the crackinthewall exit. May 27, 2014 theres little doubt why coyote gulch is considered a worldclass hiking destination. This guide includes the best time of year to go, how to get a permit, water availability, and so much more. Because of its outstanding natural features, including two arches, a natural bridge, and several waterfalls, it is easy to understand why coyote gulch is by far the most popular hiking destination of all the escalante canyons. Coyote gulch via jacob hamblin arch trail and crack in the wall. Despite its remote location along holeintherock road this area. The most commonly used takeout point is at the confluence of coyote gulch and the escalante river. Hurricane wash and red well trailheads begin west of the heart of coyote gulch, and require longer, hotter, and dryer approaches, but they eliminate any scrambling, and are the best routes for groups of younger individuals.
The crack descents in a threepart series of plates against the wall to the top of a broad and huge sand dune that trails into coyote. Me myself clamboring up out of the crack in the wall coyote gulch that says it roadwalking is so much fun. Coyote gulch is one of them, with worldclass narrows, towering canyon walls, and outstanding natural bridges and arches. A crack in the 50foot cliff allows hikers to shimmy their way down to the sand dune below, and on down to the confluence of the escalante river and coyote gulch. Coyote gulch healthy trail guides intermountain live well. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and backpacking and is best used from march until november. Utah canyon guides escalante, utah shuttle service. Coyote gulch, crackinthewall to jacob hamblin arch utah. Backcountry permits are required if you plan to camp. Hurricane wash joins coyote gulch approximately 5 miles from the hurricane trailhead. Coyote gulch is one of the most popular hikes in grand staircaseescalante. Mar 29, 2009 crackinthewall, stevens arch and the escalante river during spring break, we took the young men to southern utah for some exploration of red rock country. Human waste has become a problem in much of coyote gulch. Enter and exit coyote gulch through the crack in the wall.
We chose to enter through jacobs hamblin trail because it is the shortest distance into the gulch. This portion of the trail ascends 700 feet of sand dune in roughly 1 mile to reach crack in the wall. Best backpacking trips in utah, arizona, and new mexico this book. I hope to return here soon and when i do, ill backpack in and spend at least a couple nights. Were thinking about entering at crack in the wall and exiting hurricane wash.
Crackinthewall is a slice of sandstone that has broken off from the canyon wall and has created a nice pathway from the top of the rim to the giant sand slide below. Climbing down to coyote gulch through the crack in the wall. Coyote gulch escalante 2020 all you need to know before. Originally added by blake batchelor one of the best trails into the amazing coyote gulch is via crackinthe wall. Apr 28, 2016 coyote gulch high desert adventure april 28, 2016 by lorelei felchlin located in the vast grand staircaseescalante desert, coyote gulch is a winding, seminarrow canyon that snakes its way down through incredible red rock country, and joins with the escalante river just above lake powell. One can hike down canyon and into upper coyote gulch by setting out via the red well th or the hurricane wash th both along the holeintherock road. How to hike coyote gulch in grand staircase escalante in one day. This makes for one heck of a day hike, but can easily be turned into a multiday backpacking adventure. Climbing down to coyote gulch through the crack in the wall utah may. Therefore, to hike the whole or so miles of coyote gulch we would need to enlist a shuttle service to drop us off at crackinthewall and then we would hike back to our car at the redwell parking area. The route through crackinthewall about 2 miles northeast of where you started drops you into the coyote gulch tributary. Crack in the wall is another good route, but requires people and their packs to fit through an 18 inch wide crack, before reaching the main trail. Alternately one can begin in lower coyote gulch which can be accessed via the crackinthewall th at the end forty mile ridge road or via longer thruhike routes like the hayduke trail.
One heads for the confluence of coyote gulch and the escalante river. It is great to hike down but definitely strenuous hiking back up. Theres little doubt why coyote gulch is considered a worldclass hiking destination. Coyote gulch glen canyon national recreation area u. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from march until november. Backpacking in coyote gulch cindy smith photography. Coyote gulch contains a number of seeps and springs in addition to a perennial stream. Alternately one can begin in lower coyote gulch which can be accessed via the crack in the wall th at the end forty mile ridge road or via longer thruhike routes like the hayduke trail. Note that you must bring about 20 feet of rope to lower your packs, as at one point you have to descend through a thin crackinthewall which is not possible with large backpacks. My two friends and i want to do coyote gulch on a long, oneday hike but none of us want to do the steep ascent or descent near jacob hamblin. Coyote gulch is a very pretty part of the utah desert, i am so glad after our route 66 grand adventure we took an alternate route home. Crack in the wall trail hiking trail, escalante, utah hiking project. One can hike down canyon and into upper coyote gulch by setting out via the red well th or the hurricane wash th both along the hole in the rock road. Most people prefer to enter through hurricane wash or crack in the wall.
Coyote gulch information is provided through intermountain live wells healthy trails. Coyote gulch, crackinthewall to jacob hamblin arch. It is easy going, except that the crack is too narrow for packs. Coyote gulch is undeniably one of the best hikes in all of southern utah. May 2010 coyote gulch, one of the premiere backpacking destinations in the state of utah. After scrambling down through the crack a narrow route between the cliff face and huge rock slabs which have peeled off a trail leads down a steep sand dune to lower coyote gulch. You can obtain a permit at the escalante interagency visitor center in the town of escalante or at either crack in the wall or hurricane wash trailheads. Crack in the rock a crack in the 50foot cliff allows hikers to shimmy their way down to the sand dune below, and on down to the confluence of the escalante river and coyote gulch. We left redlands wednesday afternoon and drove to petrified forest state park outside escalante, where we camped. Coyote gulch via red well hiking trail, escalante, utah. We spent two nights down there and hiked out at jacob hamblin arch. One particularly good spring flows from the canyon wall just downstream from jacob hamblin arch.
Eventually, the trail becomes slickrock and you will have to keep an eye out for a cairn on the rim of the coyote gulch that marks the location of the crackinthewall. Hike through the best parts of the gulch before climbing up a 3rd4th class ramp at jacob hamblin arch to loop back to your car. Backpackers should note that the crack in the wall can make it impossible to pass with backpacks on. Coyote gulch, crackinthewall to jacob hamblin arch is a 12. How to hike coyote gulch in grand staircase escalante in. Coyote gulch is a tributary of the escalante river, located in garfield and kane counties in southern utah, in the western united states. This is a challenging climb, and it is recommended that hikers lower their packs by way of a rope, instead of trying to climb down with them. Turn left on skyline drive and then right on dry canyon road. By amanda outside a utah based blogger with tips and inspira. I went in midapril and the water was very cold and about ankle deep.
One of the best trails into the amazing coyote gulch is via crackinthe wall. This portion of the trail ascends 700 feet of sand dune in roughly 1 mile to reach crackinthewall. For example, to exit the crack in the wall trailhead, you get dropped off at. As mentioned above, the sand dune climb out of coyote gulch to crackinthewall and forty mile ridge departs very near the boulder jam. I would recommend entering coyote gulch by either hurricane wash, red well, or crack in the wall.
Drop through an amazing slot in a tall cliff to access the escalante river. Were wanting to do it as a day hike without ascending or descending the archbut also want to see the section from jacob hamblin arch to the escalante. Crack in the wall coyote gulch utah glen canyon national. If youre in southern utah and you want to experience something a little different, a little more adventurous, and a lot less crowded, check out coyote gulch. The minimal crowds, the abundance of arches, and the thrill of the adventure all made this an awesome experience. We missed the crack in the wall by 14 mile to the south, we saw markers all over the place which was kind of frustrating. Coyote gulch high desert adventure april 28, 2016 by lorelei felchlin located in the vast grand staircaseescalante desert, coyote gulch is a winding, seminarrow canyon that snakes its way down through incredible red rock country, and joins with the escalante river just above lake powell. The ultimate coyote gulch backpacking guide amanda outside. Overall, coyote gulch is now one of my favorite hikes that ive done. Several small springs are located throughout the canyon but collecting water from them can be a challenge. Crack in the wall is a slice of sandstone that has broken off from the canyon wall and has created a nice pathway from the top of the rim to the giant sand slide below. Bureau of land management, utah agrc, esri, here, garmin, increment p.
T here is a lesser know, and much shorter route called either the short cut or water tank route. Oct 14, 2015 of course, theres more to coyote gulch than just a few scary moments. Video of crack in the wall passage to coyote gulch at grand staircase escalante, utah. Coyote gulch via jacob hamblin arch trail and crack in the. My 9yr old hated this and was quite scared but with my help. Mar 14, 2014 i would recommend entering coyote gulch by either hurricane wash, red well, or crack in the wall. Escalante is home to other arches, including jacob hamlin arch in coyote gulch and broken bow arch in willow gulch. Coyote gulch via red well is a scenic hike from the desert rim to the escalante river through coyote gulch canyon. Wed been before, entering and exiting through hurricane wash, but this time we wanted to do a loop, and that meant entering through the crack in the wall which puts you almost at the confluence with the escalante river. Is it possible to enter and exit through the crack in one day. Of course, theres more to coyote gulch than just a few scary moments.
However, i realized my group simply couldnt do this, so i decided wed take two dayhikes one starting near the crackinthewall and the other starting from the one place you can scramble out of coyote gulch further upstream. Nov 19, 2018 coyote gulch is a classic southern utah backpacking trip. Coyote gulch hike directions escalante, grand staircase. One of the best trails into the amazing coyote gulch is via crack in the wall. Coyote gulch day hike via crack in the wall youtube. Coyote gulch via crackinthewall grand canyon trust.
Crackinthewall, stevens arch and the escalante river. Our coyote gulch backpacking tour takes us through the famous crackinthewall route, paralleling coyote creek on its way to the escalante river. Red well looked interesting from the confluence of coyote gulch and i explored the lower 1 mile section. Apr 25, 2015 recently, our family of 5, decided to hike into the gulch over spring break. Camp by the car overnight day 2 hike from crack in the wall to jacobs arch and back.
We are trying to hike coyote gulch and was wondering if this sounds doable. Stellar view, mostly downhill and puts you at the confluence of the escalante river and coyote gulch. The route exits the canyon via crackinthewall and provides access to fortymile ridge trailhead. Backpacking coyote gulch via crackinthewall part 1. I had always wanted to check it out but no dogs are allowed so for several years i passed it by for the many other dogfriendly canyons in the grand staircaseescalante national monument. The beginning of our hike to coyote gulch in the glen canyon national recreation area, utah via the crack in the rock. We decided to take this trail since its only 2 miles in to the bottom of coyote gulch.
This is a easy one way trail to crack in the wall in glen canyon national recreation area. Coyote gulch jerry happy for a brief respite from the sun. It is strongly encouraged that all hikers use an approved solid waste disposal bag and pack it out. To reach the trailheads for coyote gulch, drive on state highway 12 until you reach the holeintherock road officially the glen canyon recreation area road and the 40 mile bench turnoff sign where the road makes a large u curve. During peak spring and fall hiking season, coyote gulch can feel crowded. Mar 25, 2018 coyote gulch has me a little concerned. Coyote gulch, one of the premiere backpacking destinations in the state of utah. Access to this magnificent canyon, gained via a remote unpaved byway called holeintherock road, is out on the grand staircaseescalante plateau.
Water tank to coyote gulch 2 miles one way fortymile ridge. Day 1 drive afternoon from zion to crack in the wall trail head. Mar 28, 2018 for hikers seeking an adventure in the remote red rock beauty of utah, coyote gulch is a hardwon, bucketlist destination. Recently, our family of 5, decided to hike into the gulch over spring break. Day hike crackinthewall to jacob hamblin arch in coyote gulch. Cliff arch via coyote gulch and coyote gulch jacob hamblin trail. As you approach coyote gulch, you can see the escalante river and stevens arch off to the northeast. Despite rather harsh midday light, we also managed to capture some images of stevens arch and the amazing geology of coyote gulch.
Day hike crackinthewall to jacob hamblin arch in coyote. For hikers seeking an adventure in the remote red rock beauty of utah, coyote gulch is a hardwon, bucketlist destination. Coyote gulch high desert adventure backpacking with kids. Join eric hanson and friends as they head out on a 3day backpacking trip in coyote gulch via the infamous crackinthewall in the glen canyon recreation area of southern utah. Coyote gulch is a classic southern utah backpacking trip.
Coyote gulch loop trail hiking trail, escalante, utah. Its a beautiful, refreshing oasis in the middle of the desert and makes the perfect getaway. The route through crack in the wall about 2 miles northeast of where you started drops you into the coyote gulch tributary. Eventually, the trail becomes slickrock and you will have to keep an eye out for a cairn on the rim of the coyote gulch that marks the location of the crack in the wall.
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