Off-Road Hole in the Rock Trail (Westside), Utah

Add to My List Check Off

The Hole in the Rock Trail (officially the Glen Canyon Recreation Area Road) is a historic road running west of the Escalante River in southern Utah in the western United States. Running almost 200 miles (320 km) from near Escalante to Bluff, it travels within the borders of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the adjacent Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The road is named after an unusual geologic feature at its southeastern end, Hole in the Rock. The best time to visit is Mid-March through May and September through October. The Hole-in-the-Rock road can be devided into two sections, one which runs from Escalante, Utah to the Hole-in-the-Rock on the western shore of Lake Powell. This section is about 62 mile (100km) drive (one way). Most of this road is in Grand Staircase-Ecalante National Monument, however the last approximately 5 miles are within the boundaries of Glen Canyon NRA. Most of the road on BLM land is passable to high-clearance, two-wheel drive vehicles in dry weather. The last few miles within Glen Canyon are best travelled by foot, bicycle, or four-wheel drive vehicle. There are numerous side-roads that leave this main road. Nearly all of these are only recommended for four-wheel drive. The other section of this trail is on the east side of Lake Powell. For the most part, these eastern sections are much rougher, requiring well-equipped four-wheel drive vehicles. The road closely follows the historic route used by the Mormon San Juan Expedition to colonize an area to the east of the Colorado River. It is an important access route for visiting the Canyons of the Escalante and the Devil's Garden. The portion of the trail below the Hole-In-The-Rock is now flooded by Lake Powell. After the river crossing the trail continued past the Register Rocks, where the settlers recorded their names, now covered by the lake. The road rises through the Chute and across slickrocksandstone to Grey Mesa. Another difficult descent was required from Grey Mesa, requiring the party to cut a road from one ledge to another on the face of the mesa, taking a week. Another week was spent in constructing a road down Clay Hill Pass. Further on, blocked by Comb Ridge, the trail follows Comb Wash to San Juan Hill, where yet another road was built up the hill. The trail ends in Bluff. The trail is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, being added to that list in 1982. Persons travelling this road should carry plenty of water (at least one gallon--4 liters--per person per day) and be equipped to get themselves out of any difficulty they might encounter. This road is not routinely patrolled by any agency. Temperatures can range over 100° F (38°C) in summer to near 0° F (-17°C) in winter. Sudden heavy rains, especially in summer months may make this road impassable. If you are caught near the end of the road during a heavy storm, you may not be able to make it back to the paved highway, even with a four-wheel drive. Check with the Interagency Visitor Center in Escalante for latest road conditions and travel information. Camping along the 62-mileHole in the Rock Roadin Utah offersextensive, free dispersed camping on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. Popular spots are found within the first few miles in the trees, or further down near trailheads for hikes like Coyote Gulch. Sites are primitive with no services, requiring strict Leave No Trace practices. Points of Interest along the road: Mile 0.0, Junction of Hole-in-the-Rock road and Highway 12: The town of Escalante is a few miles west of this junction Mile 4.2: Ten Mile Spring Mile 12.0: Devil's Garden Mile 14.0: Twenty Mile Spring Mile 33.0: Hurricane Wash Trailhead Mile 33.8: Turn-off for Sunset Arch Mile 36.4: Dance Hall Rock Mile 37.1: Forty Mile Spring Mile 39.1: Carcass Wash Mile 45.7: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Boundary - From here to the end, the condition of the road worsens and is recommended for four-wheel drive only. Mile 48.7: Fifty Mile Spring Mile ~49.2: Reflection Canyon Trailhead Mile 50.1: Hole-in-the-Rock Arch Mile 55.3: Hole-in-the-Rock

Write a Review

No Ratings Yet

Flag as inappropriate ›