 Distance:
8.9 miles (round trip)
Walking
time: 5 hours
Elevations:
300 ft. loss/gain
Green-Colorado River
Trailhead: 5,100 ft.
overlook point: 5,000
ft.
Trail:
Easy, well marked
Season:
Spring, early summer, and fall. This hike is very
hot in the summer and cold in the winter. The best
times are during the spring and fall. The road to
the trailhead may be impassible, even with a 4WD,
after a heavy snow or rain. For current conditions
call the Hans Flat Ranger Station, Canyonlands National
Park, at (801) 259-2652.
Vicinity:
Canyonlands National Park, Maze District, near Hite
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For
colorful desert scenery it is hard to beat this popular
hike. The normally light colored Cedar Mesa Sandstone
has a rich red layer running through it in this area,
which makes it much more colorful than the same formation
in the nearby Maze. Beginning with the impressive Doll
House, at the beginning of the trail, the rock formations
along this hike are truly magnificent. They are particularly
pretty in the late afternoon when the sunlight tends
to enhance the red bands in the sandstone.
From
the trailhead the trail winds northward, through clusters
of sandstone formations similar to those found on the
other side of the Colorado in the Needles District of
the national park. Within 0.8 mile you will see the
small Beehive Arch on your left. The trail winds down
the slope a little ways and then back, passing right
beside it.
About a mile beyond the
arch start watching for pieces of flint scattered on
the ground, particularly at the base of the sandstone
cliffs on the left side of the trail. This glassy stone
was brought here by prehistoric Indians from other locations
in the park. Look carefully at the smaller pieces and
you will see that most of them are actually flakes that
have been chipped from larger stones. These flakes are
especially prevalent in a few alcoves along the trail
where prehistoric Indians must have worked, chipping
the hard rock into points, scrapers, and other tools.
Halfway to the overlook
point the trail skirts past the head of a large canyon.
Although you can’t see it from this perspective
the Colorado River is below you, over a thousand feet
down at the northern end of Cataract Canyon in an area
called Spanish Bottom.
A mile beyond the canyon
the trail enters a large open meadow, similar to Chesler
Park in the Needles District. In the center of this
meadow you will encounter another trail coming in from
the northwest. This trail leads to Water and Shot Canyons,
and ultimately back to the Chimney Rock Trailhead.
Continue east and soon
the overlook trail splits into a 0.9 mile loop the goes
past the overlook points. If you bear right here for
another 0.4 mile you will arrive at the western rim
of the Colorado River Gorge. The river is only about
400 yards away at this point, at the bottom of a nearly
vertical wall. From there the path bends around to the
west again, passing by a fine view of the Green River.
You might want to do a little off-trail hiking before
you leave this loop in order to achieve better views
of the rivers. Soon after the trail leaves the Green
River viewpoint it drops back into the meadow to complete
the loop. From that point back to the trailhead is 4.0
miles.
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