You can also download my hike on Caltopo here. In the map below you can see my rough path out which I do not recommend (Red), and my return trip which was more on the “trail” (Green). The picture above was taken early on in the hike, and I am way to far off to the east, I should be more west and closer to the plateau. The Canyons off to your left when you start the hike may look interesting, but it was safer and smarter to stay high and to the right. With the warning out of the way, I must admit I did not take the best route on the way out to the Canyon.
#Reflection canyon utah how to#
Also never rely solely on a GPS, no how to navigate with a map and compass. There are large sections of this hike over large rock formations with no markings. If you rely on following this “trail” as your only means of navigation, you will probably get lost. There are at times throughout this hike where it may look like a “trail,” but it is just a bunch of footprints from others who probably downloaded the same GPS route as yourself. There was also no designated “parking lot.” I brought along custom made maps and had marked the starting location on the maps, to know where I should start.īefore you venture out on this hike, I want to give a little bit of a WARNING: This hike does not have an established marked trail. When I parked, there were no signs saying this was the start of the reflection Canyon hike. I smiled at the fact that I only saw Wranglers at the end of the road, but other vehicles eventually made it down that far too. When I got to the area I would be parking at, I saw two other Jeep Wranglers already there. There were a bunch of quads driving down the road, which I was initially worried that they were going to be annoying but everyone seemed nice, and they all let the cars pass them.Īs I got closer to where the Reflection Canyon hike would start, the road became a bit more technical, and I recommend a 4×4 with high clearance if you are traveling this far down the road. The road starts out nice and wide and allows for pacing slower cars if you are comfortable in your 4×4. Other than the cows crossing Hole in the Rock Road, I saw plenty of non 4×4 low clearance cars driving towards their own adventures. Unless of course, you run into a herd of cows. Hole in the Rock road starts out pretty easy, just a regular calm dusty dirt road. Hole in the Rock Road to Reflection Canyon Drive The map as pictured below also has some (not all) other trailheads and sights to see while on the road. You can also check out my custom map on Caltopo of Hole in The Rock Road. The beginning of Hole in the Rock road can be found on Google maps here. Just about a mile or so from the visitors center is Hole in the Rock Road, which begins a 50-mile drive down to the start of the hike. How do I get to the Reflection Canyon Trailhead? You can find the Escalante Visitors center on Google maps here. The permits are free, and it's always great to let a 3rd party know your location and your plans. If you are going camping in the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument, you will need to obtain permits from the visitors center. Reflection Canyon was the high point of the trip, but it was one heck of an adventure to get there! Backpacking to Reflection Canyon OverviewĪ roughly 10-hour drive to Escalante Utah from San Diego, brought me to Hole in the Rock Road where I drove 50 miles down a dirt road to hike 10 miles through the desert to see the beautiful Reflection Canyon.
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