Water and sand, water and sand, water and sand – it’s been a few years since I visited the canyon country of Utah and I forgot about the mix of water and sand here that can permeate one’s hiking shoes. I should have worn sandals. I read about walking the wet canyon bottom, but I stuck with my hiking shoes anyway. This time I arrived to explore Coyote Gulch, a photogenic but crowded canyon which cuts across Grand Staircase National Monument and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area of south-central Utah. After bouncing an hour down the 33 miles of dirt-covered Hole-in-the-Rock Road, my hike began at the Hurricane Wash trailhead. You can obtain a free permit here to cover your hike, if there are still some available.

My goal for this trip was to explore the Coyote Gulch area thoroughly from Hurricane Wash, connecting with Coyote Gulch and walking it to its convergence with the Escalante River Canyon. I’d then retrace my steps for awhile up Coyote Gulch and jutting right when Hurricane Wash juts left. I’d take this route back up the gulch until it meets up with the Red Well Trailhead, walking the road from here back to my car, and creating a large 30 mile letter “Y” of a hike.

A Coyote Gulch Backpacking Trip Begins

The hiking was easy enough at first, as the trail crosses sandy mounds of desert and dry wash beds. A few groups of backpackers were leaving as I walked in, but I was to see many more hikers before the day was through.

This is not the place to go for solitude; as a matter of fact I saw more people on this backpacking trip than all my 60-70 Utah canyon hikes put together (excluding Virgin Narrows in Zion National Park). That was ok with me. I had hiked many other canyons in the Escalante region, but this was still on my list to explore and photograph. As I walked onward, Hurricane Wash slowly deepened and the walls narrowed as I approached Coyote Gulch. A spring generated a small stream which grew deeper as I hiked downward, and it was here along the trail I began to find poison ivy. Since I’m horribly allergic to the stuff, I watched where my arms and legs were at all times. Water was never a problem on this hike, but because there is so much of it, I also felt more mosquitoes and chiggers than any time in canyon country.

Once Hurricane Wash converged with Coyote Gulch, the canyon widened and so did the creek. Here campers and tents were seemingly around every bend. Lizards scurried across last year’s fallen leaves, and you’d swear they were rattlesnakes – that took a little time to get used to. Coyote Gulch deepened and opened up to huge alcoves. From here to the meeting of the Escalante River, you can choose to try and keep your feet dry or just walk the sandy bottom of the creek (good luck keeping your feet dry). In a couple of miles the route passes by Jacob Hamblin Arch, and after a couple more miles you’ll walk through Coyote Natural Bridge. If you take the higher slickrock route (instead of the bowed canyon cascade route) you’ll get a good view of Cliff Arch. Along the way, you’ll pass a panel of Fremont Indian pictographs too.

In the lower part of Coyote Gulch the waterfalls begin, and with that the hike begins to lower off ledges and down benches. I wanted to spend time with these photogenic cascades and take advantage of some of the morning light bouncing off the canyon walls. The lower part of the canyon seemed more flower-filled too which added to the ambiance. Somehow I followed a rock cairn towards a ledge. Here I got off-route, until a Good Samaritan backpacker came along to direct me back up canyon. The trail at this signed junction actually goes south uphill between cliff faces. A few hundred foot slog in sand gives you a view of the large Stevens Arch across the Escalante River. Further uphill will bring you to a trailhead and also a junction with the Escalante below. A longer hike can be taken from here, but for me this was trail’s end. And a reverse route was begun.

I always like reversing my route in canyon country for the different perspective. I took a different route at times or walked the other side of the canyon for a change of scenery. Once I reached the confluence of Hurricane Wash and Coyote Gulch I continued my walk up Coyote Gulch to its beginnings. Every time I thought the canyon was about to peter out I’d round the bend and there would be another 500-foot alcove shading me from the sun. Once the trail passes through a gate at a barb-wire fence you start hiking through cow country. Cow pies litter the water and splatter the sand, and within a few miles the water turns to dust. From here it’s a dry hike back to the Red Wall Trailhead along sandy-bottomed washes and over slickrock. I followed the road from here for about 4-5 miles back to my car.

Need to Know

Information

Permits are available at the trailhead. Good lightweight footwear helped make my feet more comfortable, and get ready for wet and sand, wet and sand, wet and sand.

Best Time to Go

I recommend taking this hike in spring or fall. If you’d like more water along your walk, then go for spring; but if it’s the fall color of cottonwoods that you’re after, choose autumn for your seasonal hiking.

Getting There

From State Route 12 just east of the town of Escalante in south-central Utah, take the Hole-in-the-Rock road (may be impassible if wet) 33.5 miles to the Hurricane Wash Trailhead. Car shuttles can also be arranged ahead of time through local outfitters if you’d like to drop your car off at one end and shuttle to a starting point.

Maps

I used the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Canyons of the Escalante #710 Map. For getting to and from the trailhead and exploring other Utah hikes, an atlas like the Delorme Utah Atlas & Gazetteer can be useful.

Books

There are many hiking and canyoneering books covering the Escalante region of Utah, you might want to check out the Falcon Guide: Hiking Grand Staircase-Escalante & Glen Canyon Region by Ron Adkison.

All images in this article © David M. Cobb Photography.

Editor's Note: This article by contributor David Cobb originally appeared in Issue 9 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content. See more of David’s photography at dmcobbphoto.com.