Boulder, Utah's, hiking trails offer some of the most exciting and breathtaking desert wilderness and canyon views in the United States. Hiking trails in the national parks areas are overseen by the United States Bureau of Land Management which has information about all hiking trails. You obtain required permits and maps from the Escalante Interagency Visitor Information Center. The land is rugged and pristine and spring and autumn -- March through May and September through October -- are the best times.
Calf Creek Falls
Calf Creek Falls is in the Calf Creek Recreation Area managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The round trip hike to the falls and back is about 5 1/2 miles. The trail is relatively level and sandy. Some sections of the hiking trail leading to Calf Creek Falls can be a bit strenuous in hot weather. A trip in the spring or autumn is advisable. Upon reaching the falls hikers are greeted by a welcome cool shady area. The cliffs along the trail are streaked with cream-colored to muted red-colored minerals in the Navajo sandstone that forms the canyon walls.
You will notice beaver ponds and pre- historic rock carvings that are a photographer's delight. The stream is unpolluted and flows year round, even during the hottest months of the summer. Utah juniper trees and pinyon pines provide food for wildlife and shade for the hiker. Ancient structures built about 1,000 years ago by Native Americans are visible on the cliffs. A campsite is located at the Calf Creek Recreation Site that provides picnic areas, playground equipment, toilets and camping spaces. The website Utah.com mentions that the camping fee is $5 per night, as of 2010.
Escalante Interagency Visitor Center
755 West Main
Escalante, UT 84726
435-826-5499
nps.gov
Horse Canyon
Horse Canyon is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because the Anasazi Indians lived in the area for many thousands of years. Ancient Anasazi art decorates the walls of the canyon and the ruins of their villages tell the story of their lives in the Boulder, Utah, area.
Hikers must have reservations and a permit to hike in the Horse Canyon area. They can drive up to Salt Creek to the road-end at Peekaboo Camp parking lot. Hikers will be greeted by ancient rock art painted by the Fremont Indians between 1000 A.D. and 1300 A.D. Beneath the Fremont paintings are pictographs painted by the archaic people that date from at least 6000 B.C. to 2000 B.C. There are fantastic arches throughout Horse Canyon and Anasazi ruins.
Escalante Interagency Visitor Center
755 West Main
Escalante, UT 84726
435-826-5499
nps.gov
Devil's Garden
The Devil's Garden is an area with many hiking trails and suited for a more leisurely walking adventure. The area is small compared to other hiking trails in Boulder, Utah, but some of the most astonishing geological formations in Utah are found there. According to the Escalante/Boulder Chamber of Commerce, the most recognizable of the geological formations is the Metate Arch, located just off the Hole-in-the-Rock Road and marked by a road sign.
Hikers can reach the site by driving along a dirt road for about 12 miles off Highway 12 and leaving their vehicle in a parking area. In addition to the Metate Arch, there are many hundreds of pillars of sandstone standing in the garden. The sandstone pillars are the result of millions of years of erosion. The area gets its name from the standing pillars that resemble a garden of standing stones. Some of the pillars are said to resemble gargoyles or gnomes. Other arches in the area include Navajo Arch, Black Arch, Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch. There is no clearly defined hiking trail and visitors generally hike as they please through the picturesque beauty of The Devil's Garden.
Escalante/Boulder Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 175
Escalante, UT 84726
436-826-4810
escalante-cc.com
Tags: Calf Creek, Boulder Utah, hiking trails, Horse Canyon, Calf Creek Falls, Creek Falls
