April 24-25, 2025.
Since we didn’t have a ton of time to explore Southern Utah, I reached out to friends who knew the area well in order to get some advice. My to-do list was far too long, and being unfamiliar with the place, I knew I’d get bogged down in planning. Lucky for me, my friend gave me a strong recommendation to scramble up Yellow Rock. We could park at the trailhead overnight and also do another hike from the same spot the next day.
Yellow Rock
4.9 miles | 1020′ ele. gain | 4:30 hr.
There was no rain in the forecast and temperatures were manageable, so it seemed like perfect timing to do this off-trail, slickrock hike. We drove in at night on a long gravel road to the trailhead, pulled in and camped there. I did a little route research ahead of time and found a description from Summit Post. From the parking area, we followed some cairns that brought us to a use trail that led up a steep hill and through the scrubby desert vegetation. I stopped to photograph the unusual (to me) wildflowers I noticed along the way. It gave us an excuse to catch our breath, anyways.
Once we reached the slickrock, we took a more freeform route. Since we could see our destination, we chose whatever path looked the most interesting between there and the trail. We angled over to a viewpoint over the adjacent canyon, where we’d hike the next day. Then we followed some cracks in the rock, where I found some paintbrush blooming! On the upper ridge, we wandered left and right as we felt like it. Ahhh, the freedom of rambling over bare rock.
At the summit, I stopped to paint. These landscapes that already look like a painting are the hardest to capture on the page. I did my best, shrugged, and continued on with the hike. We chose a different route down to maximize our wonder. On the way down I found a small pocket of sand, from which the most spectacular little garden had sprouted. It was like being in paradise.
Our lovely solitude was shattered by a group of people shouting as they ascended the use trail. We picked up our pace and hurried back down to camp. Although we got a little disoriented on our way down, we figure out how to get back to the trail and were soon drinking cold bubbly waters in the van.
Lower Hackberry Canyon
6.7 mi | 410′ ele. gain | 4:20 hr.
We slept in and enjoyed a leisurely 10 am get out time. The canyon walls provided deep shade at this time of day. It was quite chilly, especially since we had to walk in the water. But I knew it would warm up, so I quickly forgot about the mild discomfort.
As the day wore on, sunlight streamed into the ever-widening canyon. Narrow, towering walls gave way to bushy cottonwoods backed by distant cliffs. The flowing creek was the only constant. It was fun to do a long barefoot hike again. But, we were still a little sore from the previous day’s hike, so I let Aaron call a turnaround point whenever he felt like it. There, I found a place to sit and try to capture the immensity of the landscape in watercolor. Again, I did an okay job, but I knew my memory would fill in the blanks. We returned the way we came, passing many more people heading in. Still, it felt quiet for a weekend. We weren’t completely off the beaten path but it was no Zion National Park.
Planning a visit
Both hikes can be found in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (at least at the time of this writing). It is a remote and outstandingly beautiful place among pretty places in southern Utah. It includes deep slot canyons, huge plateaus and cliffs that reveal the layer-cake like geology that is usually hidden below the surface. Within its 1.8 million acres lies countless sites where indigenous people historically lived, hunted, traveled, made art and traded. It remains important to these people today. It is also home to many unique plants and animals such as burrowing owls, desert bighorn sheep, western rattlesnake, pinyon pine, sego lily and numerous species of cactus.
Before visiting, be sure to look up a weather forecast, know if the roads are safe to drive on and pack plenty of supplies and emergency supplies. Here are some tips from Visit Utah. While it’s geared toward novices, even experienced folks should review the basics every year. There are pros and cons to being off the beaten path: but most of the pros come only to those who are prepared!
