DESERT SOUTHWEST USA & THE COLORADO PLATEAU
This is a list of all the hikes I have done. There is little info on each hike and would require some research. I give a very complete book list. First I list all the books that form the backbone of any trip to this area. There are so many places to go and many “secrets” known only to locals, but most can be found in the following literature list. Michael Kelsey especially tells most of the secrets, but he has few Anasazi ruins. “A Hiking Guide to Cedar Mesa” by Peter Tassoni and Internet searches are necessary here. Walk around a lot and meet the locals who really have the knowledge.
RESOURCES – BOOKS
This is a list of the books I have in my library on this area. They are an invaluable resource in planning any trip to this area.
Michael R. Kelsey. This author, born in 1943, from Salt Lake City has written many books on exploring the Colorado Plateau. He has been everywhere and his books tell all the secrets. Because of this, he is not well-liked. Some of this may be because of his personality but it is mainly that many feel he has removed any sense of discovery or adventure from exploring the area.
He is viewed as being very inaccurate, but I would disagree. His descriptions are on the vague side and do not give a step-by-step guide to each destination. But they are deadly accurate and I have really never found an error. His hiking times are incredibly fast and often the times listed must be almost doubled for ordinary folks, but he says the same in his forwards. All measurements are also given in metric, and I think this irritates many Americans. Conditions, especially in canyons change with each flood, and it is the responsibility of the individual to find out the current conditions. He is my hero.
He has produced many editions of each book. His most recent editions have color pictures and tend to give more elaborate detail about the local history. Many bookstores refuse to sell his books but that is where I have bought most of mine. The primary distributor is Brigham Distribution – brigdist@sisna.com.
Titles marked with an * are the most useful.
1. *Non-Technical Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau. 6th Edition. 2011 Covers four states and is a compilation of the best hikes included in all his other books. I have 3 older editions and some hikes have been removed at the behest of the National Parks (Inscription House, part of Navajo National Monument) and many canyons in Navajo country as the tribe closed several areas.
2. Hiking and Exploring Utah’s San Rafael Swell. 3rd Edition. 1999
3. Hiking and Exploring Utah’s Henry Mountains and Robbers Roost. 3rd Edition. 2009
4. *Hiking and Exploring the Paria River. 5th Edition. 2010 The only written material on Coyote Buttes. Lots of great info.
5. *Hiking, Biking and Exploring Canyonlands National Park and Vicinity. 1st Edition. 1992 Invaluable for some areas like the Maze and Virginia Park.
6. *River Guide to Canyonlands National Park and Vicinity. 2nd Edition. 2012 The only guide to have when doing the Green River or Colorado to Spanish Bottom.
7. *Boater’s Guide to Lake Powell. 5th Edition. 2008 The only guide to the canyons on the lake. Campground info is of no value due to wildly fluctuating lake levels.
8. Technical Slot Canyon Guide to the Colorado Plateau. 1st Edition. 2003
Steve Allen
1. Canyoneering 1 – The San Rafael Swell
2. Canyoneering 2 – Technical Loop Hikes in Southern Utah. Describes the
following hikes: Muddy River, Dirty Devil, Dark Canyon, White Canyon,
Escalente.
3. Canyoneering 3 – Loop Hikes in Utah’s Escalente.
*Utah’s National Parks, Ron Adkison. 2nd Edition. 2001
Wild Utah, Bill Cunningham and Polly Burke. 1998
Utahs Favorite Hiking Trails – David Day
*Hiking Grand Staircase-Escalente and the Glen Canyon Region, Ron Adkison,
1998
Trail Guide to Grand Staircase Escalente National Monument, David Urmann
Hiking in Zion National Park – the Trails, Zion Natural History Association, 1988
*Exploring the Backcountry of Zion National Park – Off-Trail Routes, Thomas
Brereton and James Dunaway. Zion Natural History Ass. 1988
*A Hiking Guide to Cedar Mesa, Southeast Utah, Peter Francis Tassoni. 2001
Hiking Ruins Seldom Seen, Dave Wilson. 1999
Hiking Great Basin National Park, Bruce Grubbs. 1998
*Moab Country Day Hikes, Fran and Terby Barnes. 1996
Hiking Arizona, Bruce Grubbs and Stewart Aitchison. 2002
100 Hikes in Arizona, Scott S. Warren. 1994
**Photographing the Southwest -Laurent Martres Great books with good access info.
1. Volume 1 – A Guide to the Natural Landmarks of Southern Utah & Colorado
2. Volume 2 – A Guide to the Natural Landmarks of Arizona & New Mexico
3. Volume 3 – A Guide to the Natural Landmarks of Colorado & New Mexico. 2nd Edition.
**Photograph America newsletter, Robert Hitchman.
This is a subscription newsletter with editions every 2 months. I have 106 editions up to August, 2008 but did not renew after that date. Mr. Hitchman often hires guides and gets access to local knowledge that he then writes about. The detailed guides give lots of great ideas about where to go and find many ‘secrets’. The guides cover all of the USA including Hawaii, and a few parts of Canada.
Southwest USA, The Rough Guide
*California’s State Parks, A Day Hiker’s Guide
*Yosemite, High Sierra Hiking Guide, The Valley and Surrounding Uplands.
*Coastal California, Moon Handbooks
Hiking and Climbing California’s Fourteeners
*Hiking California’s Desert Parks
Adventuring in the Rockies – A Travel Guide to the Rocky Mountain Regions of
Canada and the USA
Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park
Stone Canyons of the Colorado Plateau. Photographs by Jack Dykinga
Standing Rocks and Sleeping Rainbows – Mile by Mile through Southeast Utah
Wind in the Rock – The Canyonlands of Southeastern Utah, Ann Zwinger
HISTORY
The Exploration of the Colorado River and its Canyons, John Wesley Powell
*The Wetherills Friends of Mesa Verde
*Beyond the Hundredth Meridian, Wallace Stegner (John Wesley Powell and the
Second Opening of the West)
*Mormon Country, Wallace Stegner
*Cowboys and Cave Dwellers – Basketmaker Archaeology in Utah’s Grand Gulch,
Fred M. Blackburn and Ray A. Williamson
FICTION
Edward Abbey – Desert Solitaire, *The Monkey Wrench Gang, *Hayduke Lives
THE HIKES
Since 1994, I have made 37 trips to the desert southwest, primarily the Colorado Plateau. That area is the uplift in NW New Mexico, SW Colorado, South Utah and North Arizona that was incised by the Colorado River and the 300 canyons that drain into it. Centered on the Four Corners area, it is the most fascinating area in the world and offers an endless variety of areas to explore.
The prime time to come is in the spring (March to late May) and then in the Fall, the off-season for hiking in Southern Canada. The temperatures are more moderate, there are fewer thunderstorms, and insects seem to be at a minimum.
Drive. Most of my trips have been 2 weeks in duration – I usually left home on a Friday evening after finishing work for the week and made the continuous drive to my destination. One can drive almost anywhere in S Utah in less than 24 hours from Canada.
After the last hike on Saturday, we hit the road for the fast drive home to get to work on Monday.
Camping. The trips are always car camping trips and staying in a motel happens only occasionally. Showers are available in most parks. Carrying a propane stove, tree with a light, table and chairs, and coolers, I have camped everywhere including National Parks, State Parks, and on BLM Land where one can camp anywhere. I rarely sleep in a tent. It is simply unnecessary as the nights are dry with no dew, there are few biting insects at this time of the year, and it is rarely very cold. The sky is invariably cloudless and in this, the darkest place in America, the night sky is spectacular. Lay out your ground sheet and sleeping mat and enjoy the view overhead and nature. Occasionally it rains but dust storms are more often a problem. It is a tough night out when the wind is blowing 60 miles/hour.
Itinerary. The trip itinerary is roughly planned at home using my extensive library and the internet. But it invariably changes based on day-to-day occurrences. I often return to the same places over and over which is uncharacteristic for me. Angel’s Landing in Zion, Coyote Buttes, Spooky, Peakaboo, Neon and Coyote Gulch in the Escalente, Needles District of Canyonlands, and many of the Anasazi ruins on Cedar Mesa have seen many visits. Some adventures are so good, one can never see them too often. Occasionally I travel alone, but more often with one to three friends, and occasionally have ‘led’ big groups of friends on well planned trips. I have been obsessed.
Initially when I was heavily involved with photography, that was a focus of every trip. Getting up well before dawn and often driving to a location, sometimes sleeping through the middle of the day and then spending the evening taking more pictures was common. I have rarely taken a picture since 2008, when digital arrived, and still feel no urge to lug around heavy cameras, lenses and tripods. I have found that I look at things in a different way that I find quite satisfying. The trips have become less work and I now sometimes sleep in.
The trips sometimes extend well beyond the Colorado Plateau. I have travelled through Idaho, large parts of west Wyoming, west and central Colorado, all of New Mexico, most of Arizona, parts of Nevada, and the east and south of California. I love travelling in desert environments. A list of all the places I have visited follows. Note there is no information or rating on any of these. You must do your own research to find them.
I have been to all of the following locations or done the hikes during my 34 trips.
IDAHO
1. Craters of the Moon NM
2. City of Rocks N Reserve
3. Bruneau Sand Dunes
MONTANA
1. Little Bighorn Battlefield NM
2. Glacier NP: Iceberg Lake/Peak; Mt Cleveland x2; backpack Goat Haunt→Boulder Pass→Mt Forum→Akamina, climbed Cameron, Custer, Forum; backpack Logan Pass: Highline Trail→Granite Park→Many Glacier, climbed Gould; Chief Mt.
SOUTH DAKOTA
1. Mt Rushmore N Memorial
2. Jewel Cave NM
3. Wind Cave NM
4. Badlands NP
WYOMING
1. Yellowstone NP. All the hikes.
2. Grand Teton NP
3. Wind River Range. Climbed Square Top
4. Flaming Gorge Nat. Recreation Area. Nice CG on the west shore.
5. Devils Tower NM. Circumnavigated.
COLORADO
1. Devils Causeway, Flattops Wilderness. Day hike
2. Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs. Day hike in red rock formations.
3. Rocky Mountain NP: Gem Lake Trail. Day Hike out of Estes Park.
3. Mesa Verde NP: Cliff Palace Ruins, Long House, Spruce Tree House, Balcony House, Square Tower House, Spring House (special 100th-anniversary hike). Many day hikes to spectacular Anasazi ruins.
4. Colorado NM, Grand Junction. Drive.
5. Canon de Pintada rock art. Drive with several pull-outs to see pictographs and petroglyphs.
NEW MEXICO
1. Aztec Ruins NM. National Monument. Good reconstruction of the huge kiva.
2. Bisti Badlands x2. Day hikes, millions of hoodoos of all sizes, odd erosional features.
3. De-Na-Zin Badlands
4. Chaco Culture National Historic Park x2: Pueblo Bonito, Kin Kletso, Penasco Blanco, Pueblo Alto, Tsin Kletsin. One of the best Anasazi Ruins. Has a great campground. Easy to occupy 3-4 days doing all the great hikes. Regular programs of astronomers and telescopes.
5. Bandolier NM.
6. White Sands NM. Backpacked into a desert campsite for the night and got kicked out by a missile launch.
7. Carlsbad Caverns NP. Spectacular.
8. Petroglyphs NM
9. Taos Pueblo
10. Santa Fe museums, square. All wonderful museums.
11. El Santurio de Chimayo
12. Los Alamos
13. Cumbras-Toltec Railroad day trip
UTAH
1. Salt Lake City. Tabernacle Square. Antelope Island
2. Mt Timpanogas, climb
3. Nine Mile Canyon Rock Art Tour. Drive.
4. Vernal area and Dinosaur NM. The Quarry x 2. McKee Springs Rock Art in Island Park. Rock Art on the road to Josie Ranch.
Fantasy Canyon – spectacular erosion. McKonkie Ranch Rock Art.
5. Arches NP: Devils Garden/Primitive Trail, Fiery Furness, Delicate Arch, The
Windows, Klondike Bluffs, Petrified Dunes
6. Canyonlands NP:
Island in the Sky: White Rim Trail drive, Upheaval Dome and Canyon Grand View Point, Mesa Arch, Green River Overlook, Musselman Arch, driven White Rim Road,
Maze District: Pictograph Fork (Harvest Scene) and South Fork, Chocolate Drops, Shot and Water Canyons, Sweet Alice Canyon, Surprise Valley, Confluence Overlook.
Needles District: Chesler Park and the Joint x 2, Druid Arch, Confluence Overlook (from the
Colorado River and the Needles D.), Newspaper Rock, Cave Springs Loop Trail, Scenic Loop Trail, Lost Canyon/Squaw Canyon loop. Virginia Park
Horseshoe Canyon: the Great Gallery
7. Green River kayak: Crystal Geyser to Spanish Bottom: Three Canyon, Bowknot Bend, Two mile Canyon, Needles confluence overlook from Colorado
8. Moab Area hikes: Fisher Towers, Negro Bill Canyon, Corona/Bowtie Arch, pictograph tour, Pritchard Canyon to try to find the Snake Petroglyph.
9. Grand Gulch: a. Bullet Canyon to Kane Gulch Ranger station backpack, Yellow House in Shieks Canyon. b. Bullet Canyon to Collins Canyon May 9-13 2015.
10. Road Canyon: Ceiling Ruin, Seven Kiva Ruin, The Citadel x 3
11. McCloyd Canyon: Moon House Ruin x 3. Walk down canyon to investigate route.
12. Butler Wash: Sand Island Panel, Wolfman Panel, Double Stack Ruin, Split Level Ruin, Progression Panel, Monarch Ruin, Fish Mouth Cave, Butler Wash Ruins, Ballroom Cave, Eagle Nest*
13. Arch Canyon: Lewis Lodge Ruins
14. Lower Mule Canyon
15. Natural Bridges NM: Sipapu Bridge, Kachina Bridge, Owachomo Bridge, Big 2-ledge Ruins, Double Deck Granary and Kiva
16. Hovenweep NM x 2
17. Valley of the Gods. Camped several times.
18. Goosenecks Overlook.
19. Capital Reef NP: Hickman Bridge, Frying Pan Trail, Fremont River Trail, Rim
Overlook/Navajo Knobs x2, Chimney Rock Loop Trail, Cohab Canyon, Capitol Gorge to the Tanks (Pioneer Register)
20. Bryce Canyon NP: Fairyland Tr., Fairyland Point to Bryce Point, Queens
Garden T, Peekaboo Loop T, Navajo Loop T
21. Red Canyon (near Bryce)
22. Zion NP: Emerald Pools T, Scout Lookout and Angels Landing, Weeping Rock to Hidden Canyon, Observation Point, Narrows: North Fork of Virgin River (Chamberlain Ranch to Temple of Sinawava backpack)x2, Subway (Kolob Terrace to the Subway), West Rim T (Lava Point to Angels Landing), La Verkin Creek and Bear Trap Canyon, middle fork Taylor Creek and Double Arch Alcove, Kolob Arch
22a. Cedar Breaks NM
23. Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
24. Grand Staircase Escalente NM
a. Zebra and Tunnel Slot Canyons
b. Egypt 3 slot
c. Neon Canyon and Ringtail Canyon x 2
d. Peek-a-Boo, Spooky, and Brimstone/Dry Fork Coyote Gulch – several times
e. Coyote Gulch: Water tank→Crack in the Wall →Gulch→Stevens Arch→Jacob Hamelin Arch→Water tank x6. Water Tank→Hurricane Wash→Coyote Gulch→Crack→Water tank
f. Sunset Arch
g. Devils Garden
h. Upper Calf Creek Falls
g. Lower Calf Creek Falls
i. Boulder Mail Trail→Death Hollow→Escalente R.→Escalente town backpack
j. Hole-in-the-Rock drive: Hole-in-the-Rock, Battey Pass Caves
k. Smokey Mountain Road drive
l. Burr Trail drive
25. Cottonwood Wash Road
a. Kodachrome Basin State Park
b. Grosvenor Arch
c. Round Valley Draw
d. Castle Rock Traverse
e. Cottonwood Wash
f. Hackberry Canyon
g. Yellow Rock→Yellow Rock T→Red Top→Box of the Paria→Hidden cache.
h. Cockscomb Overlook
i. Old Paria and Paria Movie Set
26. Bull Valley Gorge
27. Willis Creek
28. San Rafael Swell
a. Wildhorse Creek/Bell Canyon
b. Ding/Dang
29. Paria Canyon. 4-day backpack, 5 miles up Buckskin Gulch
30. Paria Ranger Station Area
a. Toadstools x2
b. Rimrock Toadstools x3
c. Wahweep Creek Hoodoos
d. Coyote Buttes Overlook
e. Middle Exit Buckskin Gulch x2, Steamboat Rock
f. Cobra Arch
31. Wire Pass and Upper Buckskin Gulch
32. Coyote Buttes x9: The Wave, Wave II, Top Rock (Wind Room, Coyote Buttes Arches), Teepees, Coyote Buttes South, Coyote Buttes backpack, Notch, petroglyphs
33. White Pocket
34. Lake Powell x3 – kayak. Launch Bullfrog or Hall’s Crossing km152
Rincon Overlook km125,
Escalente River Inlet: canyons from the top down to the lake: Cow Canyon, Fence Canyon, Explorer Canyon (Zane Grey Arch, petroglyph panels, magnificent wall), Willow Creek (Broken Bow Arch in Willow Gulch), Fortymile Gulch, Bishop canyon with 270° alcove), Fiftymile Creek, Davis Gulch (La Gorce Arch, stock trail, petroglyphs, Bement Arch, kiva, hike to narrows), Clear Creek
Hole-in –the-Rock km106
Llewellyn Gulch km101: cowboy camp, petroglyphs x3
San Juan Arm km92: Cha Canyon km18: 10 boulders with Navajo etchings
Cottonwood Gulch km91
Music Temple Canyon km90
Rainbow Bridge Canyon km79 toilets and floating docks
Dangling Rope Marina km66
West Canyon best canyon in Colorado Plateau
Labyrinth Canyon km29 great slots
Antelope Canyon km6 most photogenic canyon on plateau
Wahweep Bay and Marina
ARIZONA
1. Antelope Canyon: Lower and Upper: most photogenic canyon on C. Plateau
2. Rainbow Bridge backpack, boat out
3. Navajo National Monument: Inscription House, Betatakin, Keet Seel*
4. Kaibito Creek. Day Hike. Canyon now closed
5. Starting Water Wash. Day hike. Canyon now closed.
6. Monument Valley: circle drive
7. Canyon de Chelly: jeep tour, White House, Spider Rock Overlook
8. Petrified Forest NP
9. Grand Canyon NP
North Rim: Nankoweap to overlook, Rim to Rim dayhike
South Rim: South Kaibob, camped Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Trail x2
Raft the Grand Canyon from Lee’s Ferry to Diamond Creek at mile 225. Oct 6-21, 2016. Many day hikes from the river followed by milage from Lee’s Ferry: North Canyon 20.5, Saddle Canyon 47, Nankoweap Granaries 52.6, Carbon/Lava Loop 64.5, Phantom Ranch, Trinity Canyon 92, Shinumo 108, Elves Canyon 116.5, Blacktail Canyon 126, Stone Creek 132.6, Thunder River 133.7, Granite Narrows 135.2, Deer Creek 136.1, Havasu 157, Fern Glen Canyon 168, Parashant Canyon 198.5,
10. Havasu Canyon, Colorado River. Backpack 8 hrs, camp, Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, hike to Colorado.
11. Toroweap: Lava Falls Trail*
12. Chiricahua NM
13. Pipe Spring NM
14. Wupatki NM
15. Sunset Crater Volcano NM
16. Walnut Canyon NM
17. Montezuma Castle NM
18. Organ Pipe Cactus NM
19. Saguero NP
NEVADA
1. Great Basin NP: Wheeler Peak, Bristlecone-Glacier Trail
2. Valley of Fire State Park
3. Red Rock Canyon N Preserve: Turtlehead Mt
4. Mt Charleston Bristlecone Trail
CALIFORNIA
1. Death Valley NP: Bad Water, Dantes View, Natural Bridge, Desolation Canyon, Eureka Dunes,
2. Mohave National Preserve: Teutonia Peak, Kelso Dunes
3. Joshua Tree NP: Lost Palms Oasis, Mastodon Peak Loop, Cottonwood Spring Nature Trail, Cholla Cactus Garden Nature Trail, Keys View Loop/Inspiration Peak, Skull Rock Nature Trail, Cap Rock Nature Trail, Wall Street Mill, Wonderland Wash, Barker Dam Nature Trail Loop, Eureka Peak
4. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Box Canyon Overlook, Ghost Mountain, The Morteros, Pictograph Trail, Kenyon Overlook Trail Loop, Cactus Loop Trail, Yaqui Well Nature Trail, Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail
5. White Mountains Bristlecone Pine – Bristlecone Pine
6. Salton Sea State RA
7. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
8. Devils Postpile NM
9. Yosemite NP: Vernal Falls→Nevada Falls→Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Glacier Viewpoint
10. Pinnacles NM
11. Redwood National and State Park
12. Mono Lake Tufa Atate Reserve
13. Humboldt Redwood State Park
14. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
OREGON
1. Oregon Caves NM
2. Crater Lake NP
3. John Day Fossil Beds NM
4. Fort Clapsop N Mem
WASHINGTON
1. Mt Ranier NP climbed 1980
2. Olympic NP: 2 long backpacks
3. Lake Roosevelt NRA
ON MY LIST – FUTURE HIKES
Salt Creek, Horse Canyon Needles District, Canyonlands. Do only in fall as roads awful until June.
Grand Gulch Backpack – down from Collins Canyon
Dollhouse Ruin, Hammond Canyon ruin, Elk Plateau.
Dark Canyon Backpack
Beef Basin
Anasazi Ruins – Road, Slickrock, Lime canyons, Cedar Mesa.
Keet Seel. Opens long weekend May and closes by about Sept 12th each year. There are no other choices of dates.
Rochester Rock Art Panel
Shamans Panel, Tuckup Canyon north rim. AZ 389 west to mile 24-25 and turn south onto Mount Trumbell Road #109 (good gravel and improved county road) for about 52.2kms. After 1km will be June Tank & Corrals, turn right just after the cattle guard and head due south. Cross the GCNP boundary at 16.9kms. Continue on the most used track to the end of the road at 26.6km and the Schmutz Spring TH 1756m. For all these drives, you must have the BLM Arizona Strip Visitor Map. Bring gloves, a wool hat and warm clothes. Trail – many crinoid fossils along the trail. Tuckup Trail is an old livestock route that begins near Toroweap Point and ends ends at the head of 150 Mile Canyon. At the halfway point there’s an entry/exit beginning above Schmutz Spring going into Tuckup Canyon. It is relatively easy to follow as it contours along the Esplanade Sandstone which forms a natural bench. It has been rerouted and now goes down into the creek bed and right past the Shaman’s Gallery. Seven miles and back. 1800’ elevation gain.
Toroweap, Lava Falls hike. Drive: AZ 389 west to mile 24-25 and turn south onto Mount Trumbell Road #109 (good gravel and improved county road) for about 87.7kms to the Toroweap Ranger Station and get updated information. Drive south 5.5kms to road junction. Turn right or SW for 3.8kms on HC/4WD track to Lava Falls TH at 1268m. To get to Toroweap, at the road junction, turn left for 4.3kms to the end of the road. This road can be impassable and has varied maintenance.
Kanab Canyon – 3-5 day backpack.
Snow Canyon, St George area
Soldiers Pass/Brins Mesa loop, Sedona
Snake Gulch, Arizona Strip – 2nd best canyon for pictographs in CP P.368
Burnt Canyon – great rock art panel in Arizona Strip south of St George.
Robbers Roost – Happy Canyon Narrows.
Muley Twist, Lower Hall’s Creek, Brimhall Bridge
Forty Mile Creek and Willow Creek (Broken Bow Bridge)
Pleasant Creek (Capital Reef)
Mill Creek Canyon, Snake Petroglyph in Pritchard Canyon (near Moab)
Canyons of the Ancients, Sand Canyon (Colorado)
Crack/Chute Canyon, Black Boxes in San Rafael Swell
New Mexico/Texas: Inscription Rock, Gila Cliffs, Guadalupe NP, Franklin Mountains SP, Hueco Tanks SP, Davis Mountains SP, Big Bend NP (Chisos Mts South Rim Loop). El Paso (Little Diner). Tent Rocks NM slot and loop trails.
California: Soldiers Pass/ Brins Mesa loop