Capitol Reef Area Hiking
Upper
Muley Twist Canyon
Capitol Reef National Park |
 Distance:
18.1 miles (plus 5.0 miles by car or bicycle)
Walking
time:
day 1: 6 hours
day 2: 4 hours
Elevations:
1,000 ft. loss, 200 ft. gain
Lower Muley Twist Trailhead
(start): 5,640 ft.
Cowboy Camp: 4,770 ft.
The Post Trailhead:
4,860 ft.
Trail:
There is no trail for most of this hike, but the route
is easy to follow. You will be walking down the streambed
of a desert canyon for the first day, then 5.6 miles
back to The Post along an old abandoned wagon road.
The walk is easy, but unfortunately there is no water.
In hot weather you should carry 1.5 gallons of water
per person just for drinking.
Season:
Spring and fall. Summer hiking is possible, but it
is very hot. The hike can also be pleasant during
winter warm spells. For current conditions call the
Visitor Center, Capital Reef National Park, at (801)
425-3791.
Vicinity:
Capital Reef National Park, southern section
The
silence of Muley Twist Canyon was briefly broken in
the late 1800s, when it was discovered to be a feasible
route for getting wagons through the formidable Waterpocket
Fold of southern Utah. Getting around the rugged,
hundred-mile-long sandstone ridge had long been a
major problem for travelers in the area-especially
the Mormons, who were trying to settle the southeastern
corner of the Utah Territory. On their famous Hole
in the Rock expedition from Escalante to Bluff in
1879 it took the Mormon settlers six months to travel
around the southern end of the barrier, so when Muley
Twist Canyon was discovered two years later it quickly
became the preferred route. The narrow canyon was
said to have so many hairpin curves it could “twist
a mule”. Nevertheless, it was much shorter and
less hazardous than the notorious Hole in the Rock
Trail.
Muley Twist Canyon was
probably discovered by a man named Charles Hall, who
operated a ferry service across the Colorado River
thirty miles south of the canyon. Demand for his ferry
increased dramatically for two years after his discovery,
and his business thrived. However, in 1883 a new rail
link across Utah was completed by the DRG&W Railroad,
and communications between the eastern and western
parts of the state were greatly simplified. Halls
ferry service was shut down in 1884, and the winding
trail through Muley Twist Canyon was rarely ever used
again.
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Day
1
There are many short, steep
canyons running from the top of the Waterpocket Fold into
the Grand Gulch on its western side. Muley Twist Canyon
is unusual, however, because it runs in a southerly direction
for a substantial distance before turning into the Grand
Gulch. From its start at the Burr Trail Road, Lower Muley
Twist Canyon descends down through the center of the Fold
for some 10.7 miles before turning west. As you walk down
the canyon you will encounter two or three large side
canyons coming in from the west. Bear to the left in each
case to stay in Muley Twist Canyon.
After 4.1 miles you will
come to a junction, where a wooden sign marks the Cutoff
Trail leading to The Post. If you are looking for a shorter
hike you can take this two-mile shortcut and avoid the
bottom portion of Muley Twist. The most interesting part
of the hike, however, is the part below the Cutoff Trail.
Continuing on past the Cutoff
trail you will notice many huge alcoves higher up the
sides of the canyon. These would seem to be excellent
places to find Indian ruins, but the scarcity of water
makes it unlikely that Indians ever lived in the canyon.
1.7 miles below the Cutoff Trail the streambed makes a
deep swing inward on the left side of the canyon, creating
a huge overhang in the cliff above. For some 200 yards
the trail continues under the overhang. The cave-like
nature of the trail is enhanced by a 30-foot-high pile
of rubble on the right side of the streambed that extends
upward nearly to the top of the overhang. This stretch
of the trail feels like nothing so much as a subway tunnel.
Then, 1.4 miles beyond this tunnel the trail enters another
similar subway tunnel. The cool air under the overhangs
is a welcome relief. At times there may also be pools
of water under them, but don’t expect to be so lucky
during the hot months of summer.
Throughout most of the Muley
Twist Canyon there is no trace of the fact that it was
once a major wagon route. Only in the Cowboy Camp, 6.6
miles below the Cutoff Trail junction can one still see
a few relics of the pioneers that once passed through.
The Cowboy Camp is in another large alcove that has been
undercut into the west side of the canyon. This time,
however, the wide, flat floor of the alcove is about ten
feet above the streambed; hence it is an excellent camping
area. For over a century travelers and cowboys have broken
their journeys at Cowboy Camp, and now it contains abundant
signs of human occupation. The collection includes a pile
of old rusted tin cans, a few leaf springs from the wagons
and, above all, graffiti. There are many dated signatures
on the back of the alcove from the 1920s. Unfortunately
the camp floor is also liberally sprinkled with old cow
pies. There haven't been any cattle in the canyon for
many decades, but the normal decay of organic material
occurs very slowly in this dry desert country. |
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Day
2
Soon after leaving the Cowboy
Camp, Muley Twist Canyon finally turns east to begin the
final leg of its journey through the Waterpocket Fold
to the Grand Gulch. The towering canyon walls begin to
come together, then their height gradually starts to diminish,
and finally the impressive canyon is transformed into
nothing more than an insignificant desert gully. About
0.2 mile after leaving the Fold you will see another trail
crossing Muley Twist gully. This is the trail to Brimhall
Arch, and you will have to turn left at this point to
get back to The Post. Watch closely for the trail crossing
because there are no signs at the junction.
After you have turned onto
the Brimhall Arch Trail it is an uneventful 5.6 miles
back to The Post where your shuttle car or bicycle is
parked. Again, there is no water along the way. |
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Muley
Tanks
If you are desperate for
water when you reach the Grand Gulch, there are two small
water holes called the Muley Tanks 1.0 mile south of Muley
Twist. To get there just turn right instead of left when
you see the Brimhall Arch Trail and walk south until you
see a sign directing you to the Muley Tanks. Don’t
expect a clear mountain spring, however. The tanks are
little more than two muddy potholes at the bottom of a
large slickrock runoff. As their name suggests the tanks
are used primarily by pack animals, and the water is usually
pretty wretched. If you really plan to drink it you had
better have some way of killing it first. |
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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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We
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