After my husband and I were first married, what feels like eons ago, we jumped in the car heading to southern Utah on our first backpacking trip to Coyote Gulch just outside of Escalante. Instagram did not exist to showcase the area and blogs were a thing of the future. It was all word of mouth or simply getting a map out and heading off to explore the unknown. On that trip, we didn’t see another soul. Escalante was still undiscovered. Over the years people have been drawn to exploring the area but I am happy to report that it is still widely unknown and a mecca for adventure.
We took our boys along to show them some of the places we loved and to discover new places unknown to us. Thanks to Bryce County Country for hosting us.
We started by fueling up at the Burr Trail Grill. Talk about delicious eats. With teenager’s, a good attitude seems to be directly related to the condition of their stomachs. Full stomachs equals happy, smiling, joking. Empty stomachs equals discontent, complaining and fighting. The boys loved their unique tasting chicken wings and the French dip sandwich. The lovely patio with shade and lights was the perfect start to our grand adventure.
The Burr Trail was originally a cattle route that now extends from Bullfrog to Boulder, Utah. We ventured down the road towards Long Canyon in search of Singing Canyon. The beauty of Singing Canyon is that it is only 0.3 miles from the road allowing individuals of all abilities to make their way to see this massively tall slot canyon. Don’t forget to hollar and listen for your echo when there.
The restaurants in Escalante are not open late or even everyday. Be sure to check the opening and closing times so that you don’t get stuck with discontent, complaining and fighting kids :). We arrived a bit late into Escalante so we ordered food to go from the West 4th Pub. The pub is a bar and no one under 21 is allowed to enter. We took our food to our comfortable tiny home and ate there.
Our beautiful tiny home, Escalante Escapes, is a favorite place. Why? Because we can spread out a bit and do our own thing. The deck out back with a grill, chairs and even a fire pit, makes coming back at the end of the day something we look forward to. We don’t worry about getting muddy and dirty because we have a shower and a washer and dryer to use as needed. There is a nice little living room with games, a full kitchen, a room with bunk beds and a room with a queen size bed. I love watching the sunset and watching storms roll in across the valley from the back deck.
Hole in the Rock road is just outside of Escalante and where many adventures begin. This 62 mile stretch ends at hole in the rock where pioneers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints crossed the Colorado River. It took 6 weeks to finish hole in the rock with blasting, picking, digging and chiseling. I can attest to our own adventure of getting a flat tire along this road. I tell you this because the next day we headed out on Hole in the Rock for our next adventure with Excursions of Escalante.
Excursions of Escalante took us canyoneering. What is canyoneering? It is entering a slot canyon and with the use of ropes and technical gear, descending the canyon until you get to the end. There are non-technical slot canyons, but we wanted a bit more adventure. We have been canyoneering for years, but never down in this area. Being the weak link in our family, I was a bit worried not knowing beforehand what to expect.
My worries were quickly put to ease when I met our guide and realized that he was an expert in this field. He had the first descent on something like 30 canyons in this area. A legend of sorts. The best part? He was safety conscious and that was important to me. Not only was he concerned about safety, but he took time to make sure everyone was reminded about safety measures and were comfortable. After assessing our ability level and physical capability, he decided on a canyon that would be just right for our family.
Heading down Hole in the Rock road, we finally reached our destination. We harnessed up at the car and we started our quick approach to the drop in. We had a great time rappelling, learning more down climbing techniques, squeezing through tight spaces, getting completely covered in mud and enjoying the amazing canyon views. Sometimes it is hard to get there, but every time I am in a canyon, I love it.
Exhausted and hungry we headed straight to Escalante Outfitters for their famous pizza and were not disappointed. Covered in mud, tired, eating great pizza, we couldn’t have asked for a better end to our day.
The next day we were supposed to hike into Lower Calf Creek falls, but due to some flash flood warnings in that area, we opted to move the hikes to the next day. Kiva Koffee house was calling our name. They offer a great breakfast with a view to die for. It sits off the road and overlooks the canyon below. We highly recommend eating here one morning before your head off to adventure.
We decided to visit the visitors center where we found they have an entire area dedicated to planning backcountry trips. There were all kinds of maps and a large area to pull them out to plan. The rangers are there to assist with any questions about areas or weather.
Petrified Forest State Park was the diamond in the rough of this trip. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the short but steep 2.1 mile hike in search of petrified wood. I had no idea that petrified wood was so colorful and so beautiful. It literally litters the area, especially the additional .75 Rainbow trail. I am so glad we didn’t opt to skip this section of the hike. It had an abundance of petrified wood. The whole petrifying process amazes me.
Driving to Boulder we ate at Magnolia’s Street Food in the parking lot of the Anasazi State Park Museum. Magnolia’s is located in the cutest bus and there is ample outdoor seating. After eating burritos and street tacos, we visited the museum.
The museum is small and is full of Indian artifacts. Out back there is an outdoor area where you can see some of the foundations from back when the Anasazi lived in the area. I read that they only lived there for about 75 years.
With the possibility of rain lessening, we hiked Upper Calf Creek Falls. It is a 2.1 mile hike that is rated difficult due to the need to route find by following cairns and the elevation descent and gain coming back out. If you do make it though, there is an oasis waiting for you . A small waterfall flows into a round swimming hole. The boys jumped off the cliffs and into the water. It was cold but felt great on this 100 degree day.
Georgie’s Outdoor Mexican Cafe was a welcome sight. The colors themselves make this a lively place to eat dinner. We ordered street tacos, visited with the owner for a bit and then sat outdoors under the canopy resting our tired legs and enjoying our dinner.
Circle D Eatery was open and serving breakfast so we hopped in there on the way to our last hike. The huevos rancheros were great.
Escalante River Trail was our last hike before heading home. We took our time walking along and crossing the river as we searched for Indian ruins, arches and bridges. We were successful in finding some, but not everything we set out to find. It gives us a reason to come back and visit Escalante in the future.
Some of our favorite hikes in this area are:
- Lower Calf Creek Falls – 6 mile round trip hike in sand. The destination is a beautiful waterfall you are able to swim in.
- Upper Calf Creek Falls – 2.1 mile round trip hike that is across slick rock, very steep and defined by cairns along the route. The destination is a small waterfall with a swimming hole and some cliffs where it is possible to cliff jump.
- Escalante River Trail – 6 mile trail with some arches and indian ruins along the way.
- Spooky and Peek-a-boo – 5.7 mile round trip hike. This hike goes into 2 tight slot canyons. It is a non-technical canyon, but make sure to download the route and check the weather before going.
- Singing Canyon – 0.3 mile walk into a slot canyon that echos. Great for all ability levels.
Our boys had a fantastic time in Escalante and now it seems this may become an annual tradition. What started years ago in college by two newlyweds has now become a family tradition. See you next year Escalante.