Escalante River Trail

The colors of the canyon walls contrast nicely with the clear blue sky

This beautiful hike, one of my favorites in the Escalante area, travels through a gorgeous canyon beneath towering white Navajo and red Wingate sandstone walls.
See Trail Detail/Full Description

• Distance: 14.0 miles (round trip) to Death Hollow
  14.0 miles (one way) to Escalante River Bridge
  
• Elevation: 5,760-ft. at Trailhead
  5,390-ft. at Death Hollow
  5,190-ft. at Escalante River Bridge
  
• Elevation Gain: -370-ft. to Death Hollow
  -570-ft. to Escalante River Bridge
  
• Difficulty: moderate
• More Hikes in:
  Escalante / South Central Utah

Why Hike Escalante River Trail

This is one of my favorite hikes in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The Escalante River trail traverses a stunning canyon with soaring white Navajo and red Wingate sandstone walls. As you progress down canyon the scenery gets better and better.

The canyon can be explored on a day hike – going as far as you wish and then turning around -- or as a point-to-point backpack. Both options are extremely worthwhile and make for a memorable trip. Backpackers will want to allocate extra time for side trips up Death Hollow and Sand Creek.

Be forewarned that the hike requires frequent river crossing so be prepared to get your feet wet. That being said the walking is generally easy leaving you plenty of time to appreciate the scenic canyon.

Elevation Profile

Trail Resources

Trail Detail/Full Description / Trail Photo Gallery / Trail Map

Basecamp(s) Information:

Region Information:
South Central Utah

Other Hiking Regions in:
Utah