Day Hikes between Vegas and Escalante?

[blueeyes]

I might be around and available to hike when you are in the Zion area. Just depends on the day. Weekdays working so weekends best. But at the very least we could might drive out that way and have dinner in Zion. Kids love the pizza place out there.

 

[jdgibney]

I've seen some beautiful photos from Kanarra creek, is that something that would be worth checking out at that time of year? Would water even be flowing?

 

[John Fowler]

Well, there's Little FInland, which takes the prize for bizarre formations, IMO. It's off the Gold Butte Byway and requires 4WD, high clearance. So that might take it off your list. But there's Whitney Pockets, on the way to Little FInland, which is paved. Take exit 112, I think, off I-15 onto Riverside Road. Just after crossing the Virgin River, in a mile or so, turn south on New Gold Butte Road, and follow it for about 20 miles until you reach Whitney Pockets. There the road takes a left turn and a dirt road continues on straight. Whitney Pockets is a nice place to explore the little caves and rock formations. But to get to Little Finland, you continue south down the dirt road for about 5 miles until you reach the signed jeep trail to Devil's Throat. It's only about 1/4 mile to Devil's Throat, and just before you get there another jeep trail heads off to the right (northwest). You follow this for about a mile until it descends into a dry stream bed. Take the stream bed north for another mile or so. When you pass a corral on the right you will be almost there. After another mile the trail turns east and then back south. In another mile or so it ends at the base of Little Finland.

If anybody needs better directions and can't find them on the Web, just ask me.

John

 

[jdgibney]

I might be around and available to hike when you are in the Zion area. Just depends on the day. Weekdays working so weekends best. But at the very least we could might drive out that way and have dinner in Zion. Kids love the pizza place out there.

it'd be great to meet up at some point, we'll definitely be in touch!

 

[jdgibney]

Well, there's Little FInland, which takes the prize for bizarre formations, IMO. It's off the Gold Butte Byway and requires 4WD, high clearance. So that might take it off your list. But there's Whitney Pockets, on the way to Little FInland, which is paved. Take exit 112, I think, off I-15 onto Riverside Road. Just after crossing the Virgin River, in a mile or so, turn south on New Gold Butte Road, and follow it for about 20 miles until you reach Whitney Pockets. There the road takes a left turn and a dirt road continues on straight. Whitney Pockets is a nice place to explore the little caves and rock formations. But to get to Little Finland, you continue south down the dirt road for about 5 miles until you reach the signed jeep trail to Devil's Throat. It's only about 1/4 mile to Devil's Throat, and just before you get there another jeep trail heads off to the right (northwest). You follow this for about a mile until it descends into a dry stream bed. Take the stream bed north for another mile or so. When you pass a corral on the right you will be almost there. After another mile the trail turns east and then back south. In another mile or so it ends at the base of Little Finland.

If anybody needs better directions and can't find them on the Web, just ask me.

John

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John, that looks awesome... I'd love to check out little Finland someday, but this will probably not be the trip for that... Whitney Pocket, however, looks like a pretty cool place to spend a day! Thanks for the suggestion

 

[blueeyes]

I've seen some beautiful photos from Kanarra creek, is that something that would be worth checking out at that time of year? Would water even be flowing?

Worth checking out. Not sure how much water will be flowing but it is a great hike.

 

[John Fowler]

John, that looks awesome... I'd love to check out little Finland someday, but this will probably not be the trip for that... Whitney Pocket, however, looks like a pretty cool place to spend a day! Thanks for the suggestion

Also, of course, there's Valley of Fire State Park, which is an awesome place.

 

[jdgibney]

Also, of course, there's Valley of Fire State Park, which is an awesome place.

I definitely plan on spending some more time there, I've spent a few hours there on 2 different occasions, but haven't done any hiking other than to the fire wave for sunset..

 

[Seldom Seen Anderson]

Lots of cool petroglyphs near Whitney pocket! Devils Fire (aka little Finland aka hobgoblins playground ) is AWESOME I made it without 4wd but thats been about 3 years ago! No one has mentioned snow canyon state park or the red cliffs national conservation/recreation area. Both are great fall destinations!

 

[jdgibney]

Lots of cool petroglyphs near Whitney pocket! Devils Fire (aka little Finland aka hobgoblins playground ) is AWESOME I made it without 4wd but thats been about 3 years ago! No one has mentioned snow canyon state park or the red cliffs national conservation/recreation area. Both are great fall destinations!

Damn, another beautiful place to add to my list. Show canyon looks pretty sweet. Thanks for that suggestion, Matt!

We're you talking about red rocks NCAA just outside of Vegas? We checked that out a bit before returning home at the end of our last trip, but there are probably some good hikes I can do there too...
Few more days til we find out about our lotto for coyote buttes north permits...

 

[Yvonne]

Lots of cool petroglyphs near Whitney pocket! Devils Fire (aka little Finland aka hobgoblins playground ) is AWESOME I made it without 4wd but thats been about 3 years ago! No one has mentioned snow canyon state park or the red cliffs national conservation/recreation area. Both are great fall destinations!

I love Snow Canyon, a lot of nice hikes there. And you can combine them all to a long loop :twothumbs:

 

[jdgibney]

I love Snow Canyon, a lot of nice hikes there. And you can combine them all to a long loop :twothumbs:

I do like a good loop

 

[jdgibney]

Though initially we were apprehensive, I think we are leaning towards trying to do an overnighter in Coyote Gulch. Still waiting to see if we can get CBN permits (We both struck out with the lotto held on Sunday, but not all hopes are lost (yet)...

I know I've asked some about Coyote Gulch, and there has been a fair amount of discussion on it. Is it doable in one night with still having time to enjoy the sites and take some good photos? Anyone want to come join us for a trek through? (within the next 2 weeks, once I find out about CBN permits, I will begin to formulate an itinerary)

 

[uintahiker]

Coyote Gulch can be done with 1 night in the canyon and not feel rushed. I camped at the trailhead (left Salt Lake late), hiked down the crack in the wall, went up to Stevens Arch (must see!), then up to Jacob Hamblin Arch and exited up the fin just below the arch. So much to see and do along the way- it's a great place!

After the night at the trailhead, we left before 8 to get down the sand escalator before it really got hot. One night in the canyon. Coming out was probably 3 or 4 in the afternoon and we weren't rushing.

 

[Seldom Seen Anderson]

Can be done! Here is my story with Coyote. My plan was to get an early start, go down crack in the wall spend two nights, and hike out crack early in the AM on day 3. Unfortunately my muffler fell off my jeep right at the hurricane wash trailhead. After spending two plus hours trying to figure out what I was going to do (ended up "borrowing" some wire off the fence and wiring up my muffler) at this point it was 1 in the afternoon. So I headed up hurricane wash, set up camp near hamblin, booked it down to coyote, headed back to camp. The next morning I was afraid my ghetto wire rig wouldn't hold up and i might need hours to make it to escalante so I packed up and headed out. Basically i was in coyote for 8-10 daylight hours before hiking out. I saw the many of the things I wanted to see and while I would have loved another day there I still felt I saw many of the highlights. I was even offered some shroom by a couple from Colorado which I politely had to turn down!

 

[jdgibney]

Wicked cool news, we ended up getting permits for coyote buttes north on Friday October 12. I'm pretty psyched to go back and see a lot of the stuff I didn't get to the first time I was out there in jan 2011, and my friend is overjoyed to see it for the first time!

Now I can slowly start to build an itinerary around that...

Thurs, Oct 4 - Arrive in Vegas at 1:30p
Fri, Oct 5 - Karen Arrives in Vegas at 10:40p (yuk)
Sat, Oct 6 -
Sun, Oct 7 -
Mon, Oct 8 -
Tues, Oct 9 -
Weds, Oct 10 -
Thurs, Oct 11 -
Fri, Oct 12 - Coyote Buttes North/the wave
Sat, Oct 13 -
Sun, Oct 14 -
Mon, Oct 15 - Drop off Karen at McCarran by 1:00p
Tues, Oct 16 - Get to Airport to fly home by 11:00a