Capitol Reef Area Hiking
Upper
Muley Twist Canyon
Capitol Reef National Park |
Distance:
9.4 miles (plus 4.8 miles by bicycle)
Walking
time: 6 hours
Elevations:
740 ft. gain/loss
Upper Muley Twist Trailhead:
5,860 ft.
top of Waterpocket Fold:
6,600 ft.
Trail:
There is no developed trail for this hike, but the
route is not too difficult to follow. Initially it
follows the bottom of a desert canyon, then it loops
back across the slickrock of the Waterpocket Fold.
Where needed, the way is well marked with rock cairns.
There is no water, so carry plenty.
Season:
Spring, summer, fall, winter. Capital Reef is very
hot in the summer and cold in the winter. The ideal
times for the hike are spring and fall. For current
conditions call the Visitor Center, Capital Reef National
Park, at (801) 425-3791.
Vicinity:
Capital Reef National Park
No
other hike in Capital Reef National Park offers as
many scenic geological features as the loop through
Upper Muley Twist Canyon. The canyon has been cut
through a particularly interesting part of the Waterpocket
Fold where the deep red Wingate Sandstone formation
slopes down from the west, dipping under the eastern
wall of white Navajo Sandstone. The Wingate Sandstone
in this area has a tendency to erode into arches,
and if you are observant you will see at least five
arches on the west side as you hike up the canyon.
The return portion of the hike is along a high slickrock
ridge of Navajo Sandstone above the eastern side of
the canyon, and the views from the top are magnificent.
From this vantage point you will be able to see a
large part of the hundred-mile-long wrinkle in the
earth’s crust that geologists call the Waterpocket
Fold.
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From
the end of the road at the bottom of Upper Muley Twist
Canyon you should begin this hike by walking north along
the Muley Twist streambed. Another trail on the right
side of the parking area leads east to the Strike Valley
Overlook, but don’t be confused. This is not your
trail. As you proceed be sure to scan the left side of
the canyon occasionally, and after 1.6 miles you will
see the first of five natural arches about 200 feet above
the canyon floor. Another few hundred yards will bring
you to a large crack in the canyon wall, with the second
arch above it. This one is called Saddle Arch, and it
is the only one of the five that has been given a name.
Just below Saddle Arch you should also see a sign on the
right indicating the beginning of the Rim Trail. You will
be joining the Rim Trail farther up Muley Twist, and this
is where you will later drop back into the Canyon.
Continuing up the wash for
another 1.3 miles will bring you to a break in the red
Wingate Sandstone where, again, you should be able to
see two arches. The arches are about 200 yards on either
side of the break, but this time they are higher up on
the side of the wall. The fifth and last arch is another
0.8 miles upcanyon. This one is just at the bottom of
a slot canyon joining the main canyon from the left and,
unlike the others, is easily accessible.
A short distance beyond
the last arch the canyon narrows and is blocked by a pouroff.
In order to avoid the obstacle the trail climbs up the
right side of the canyon to a shelf about 100 feet above
the streambed. Watch for the rock cairns that show the
way. The trail stays high for 0.6 mile before dropping
back down to the bottom of the wash. Then, after only
0.1 mile more you will see another sign that says “Rim
Trail”. This is where you will finally leave the
canyon.
It is very easy to loose
the way climbing out of the canyon on the Rim Trail, so
be sure to watch carefully for stone cairns. There are
plenty of markers, and if you walk for more than a hundred
feet without seeing one you are probably off the trail.
Most of them, however, are small and hard to spot. The
trail goes straight up for a while and then doubles back
through a break in the sandstone cliffs. Finally, after
an altitude gain of only 200 feet, it breaks out onto
the top of the Waterpocket Fold. The view comes upon you
with no warning, and it is extremely impressive. One minute
you are threading your way through the juniper forest,
and the next minute you are on top of the world looking
fifty miles down the Grand Gulch.
For the next two miles the
view is nonstop. On one side of the slickrock ridge is
the Grand Gulch, with Tarantula Mesa and Swap Mesa beyond,
and on the other side is the Wingate Formation, containing
all of the arches previously seen. In between, the top
of the Waterpocket Fold seems to go on forever in both
directions.
After about an hour you
will come to another small sign saying “Canyon Route”,
and from there the trail drops back down to the bottom
of Muley Twist Canyon near the Saddle Arch. Again, pay
attention to the rock cairns-it is easy to loose the way.
From Saddle Arch, you will have to retrace your steps
back to your car or bicycle at the trailhead. |
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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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