Capitol Reef Area Hiking
Cohab
Canyon Cassidy Arch
Capitol Reef National Park |
 Distance:
7.0 miles (plus 3.6 miles by bicycle)
Walking
time: 4 1/2 hours
Elevations:
1,040 ft. gain, 1,060 ft. loss
Cohab Canyon Trailhead
(start): 5,420 ft.
highest point: 6,460
ft.
Grand Wash Trailhead:
5,400 ft.
Trail:
Popular, well maintained trail
Season:
Spring, summer, fall, winter. There is snow on some
parts of the trail during the winter months. During
the summer months the trail is very hot, with temperatures
often exceeding 100 degrees F. There is no water along
the way so be sure to carry plenty. For current conditions
call the Visitor Center, Capital Reef National Park,
at (801) 425-3791.
Vicinity:
Capitol Reef National Park, near Fruita
Sixty-five
million years ago, while forces inside the earth were
pushing up the Colorado Plateau, a 100-mile-long wrinkle
in the earth's mantle was formed in southern Utah.
Thousands of feet of subterranean sedimentary rock
was forced upward as the fold developed, twisting
and buckling to form a convoluted range of mountains
we now call the Waterpocket Fold. Today, after a great
deal of erosion, the mountains rise less than two
thousand feet above the desert floor, but what remains
is a fairyland of geologic sculpture. The ancient
mountains, most of which are now part of Capitol Reef
National Park, have been carved into a tangle of hidden
canyons, monolithic spires, and towering cliffs. The
hike described here starts in the Fremont River Valley,
near the pioneer settlement of Fruita, and crosses
a portion of the Capitol Reef to Grand Wash. It offers
a good representation of the unique landscape of the
Waterpocket Fold.
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From
Cohab Canyon Trailhead the path begins by switchbacking
up the clay bentonite mounds of the Chinle formation.
Finally, after about 0.3 mile, it arrives at the base
of the reddish cliffs that can be seen above the road.
These sandstone cliffs are part of the 370-foot-thick
geological formation known as the Wingate Sandstone. The
trail then skirts around the west side of the cliffs and
soon drops into a shallow, hidden drainage called Cohab
Canyon. Cohab Canyon and its trail continue all the way
to the Fremont River, on the east side of the Capital
Reef, but you won’t be following it that far on this
hike.
About 0.6 mile after entering
Cohab Canyon you will come to a trail junction with a
sign indicating the way to two overlook points. You should
turn left here before continuing down the canyon and make
a side trip to one of them. After 0.2 mile the overlook
trail splits again, and you are given a choice between
the north and the south overlooks. If you are interested
in taking photographs, take the south overlook trail (0.3
mile). It leads to a high vantage point above the Fruita
area. But if you like adventure bear right to the north
overlook (0.1 mile). This trail leads to a small overhang
at the top of the cliffs above the Fremont River with
a shear 400 foot drop below.
When you are finished with
the overlooks, backtrack to the Cohab Canyon Trail and
continue onward for a short distance toward Highway 24.
After just a hundred yards you will come to another trail
leaving Cohab Canyon to the south. This is the Frying
Pan Trail, the one that will lead you to Grand Wash. The
Frying Pan Trail winds over a tortuous route along the
top of the Fold, twisting through piles of sandstone and
working its way around gullies and drainages. In some
places only rock cairns will tell you that you are still
on the path, and you will probably wonder how you would
ever be able to find your way through the obstacle course
if you lost the trail.
Finally, after a long tiring
climb, you will reach the highest point on the Frying
Pan Trail and start down again toward Grand Wash. Then,
1.5 miles later, you will see a sign marking the short
spur trail across the slickrock to Cassidy Arch. Cassidy
Arch is a large and impressive arch only a ten minute
walk from the main trail. It was named after the outlaw,
Butch Cassidy, who is thought to have used Grand Wash
occasionally as a hideout. The path ends on the plateau
above the arch, and if you have a hiking partner and a
camera it is easy to get a picture of someone standing
on top of it. Getting to the bottom of the span, however,
requires some rock climbing.
From Cassidy Arch junction
the Frying Pan Trail continues for another 1.1 miles before
reaching the bottom of Grand Wash. Once you get to the
bottom of the wash turn right and walk for another 0.2
mile to the end of the Grand Wash Road, where your shuttle
car is parked. If you look to the right as you drive back
towards the Visitor Center you can see Cassidy Arch again
from the bottom of Grand Wash. It should come into view
about 0.5 mile from the end of the road. |
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Content
from the book
Utah's Favorite
Hiking Trails
by David Day |
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Utah's
Favorite Hiking Trails
access
info for 113 trailheads
75
detailed trail maps
250
photographs
loads
of hiking tips
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