Coyote Gulch is located in a remote section of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. It is one of the most valued hiking destinations in southern Utah. The magnificent natural beauty draws backpackers in and makes it worthy of its renowned status.
The gorgeous Navajo Sandstone canyon walls, glittery streams, two arches, a natural bridge, Fremont Indian pictographs, and quite a few waterfalls will make this hike a favorite spot. However, it is relatively easy to understand why this rousing canyon is by far the most admired hiking destination of all the canyons of the Escalante. But because of this, I plan on encountering several other hikers in Coyote Gulch during the spring and fall months.
Though some experience the canyon as a day hike, most travelers select to spend two to four nights backpacking in Coyote Gulch to take in the maximum experience the canyon is offering. To reach the trailheads for Coyote Gulch, drive on State Highway 12 until you reach the Hole-in-the-Rock Road (officially the Glen Canyon Recreation Area Road) and the “40 Mile Bench turnoff sign where the road makes a big U curve.
This is around 5 miles southeast of Escalante, Utah, and 41 miles east of the Bryce Canyon turnoff. At the bottom of the U, exit the highway to the south on a large, well-maintained dirt road. Escalante is the nearest city with your last available services. But make sure that these dirt roads may be washed out or have stretches of soft sand, so a four-wheel-drive vehicle is highly suggested.
This is one of the most popular canyons, full of adventures, exploration, wonder, worth, and sufficient time required for special efforts to visit this worthy and famed spot. While exploring Coyote Gulch, you will see the landscape much the same way that the Anasazi culture and early Western explorers, soldiers, and settlers did. Navajo Sandstone is characterized by sparkling streams, impossible arches, and daunting vertical walls.
You will be raving about this canyon for years after your trek. Well, you’ve got to be physically fit to plunge yourself into the heart of geologic time as you contemplate the eons that have preceded your insignificant life span. How will you navigate these emotional floods of humility and adventure as you gaze over the matchless beauty before you?
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Coyote Gulch Escalante, Utah
