Death Hollow (2 nights), Escalante National Monument, UT

muir_mountain

Wilderness Seeker
Joined
Apr 16, 2016
Messages
121
As some of you know, I took the entire summer off to go backpacking all over the Rocky Mountains. This has always been a dream of mine, and as a 21 year old single guy, I didn't have much weighing me down. I saved up some money over the previous few months, quit my job, and basically said YOLO!!

Starting in early June, I knew the high mountains would still be snow-covered. My plan was to spend my first two weeks in Utah, going through every national park in the state. Having already been to Canyonlands and Arches NP the previous weekend with a close friend, I planned a trip through Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Arches.

My stay in Capitol Reef only lasted a day, and I spent it doing the day hike down Sulphur Creek. It was absolutely beautiful, and I would definitely like to go back to Capitol Reef someday. The next day, I drove west to the Boulder Airstrip...
Thanks to all the wonderful information and recommendations from BCP, I chose Death Hollow as my first backpacking trip of the year! And let me tell you, it was probably my favorite trip of the whole summer.

IMG_2691.jpg
About a mile down the Boulder Mail Trail, headed to Death Hollow! Other than a couple of day hikers I met about a couple miles in, I didn't see a single person until out of Death Hollow and in the lower Escalante! 2 days completely alone...

IMG_2709.jpg

Looking down into Death Hollow from the canyon rim. The trail gets pretty steep in places as it traverses down to the bottom.

IMG_2714.jpg

IMG_2728.jpg

Swimming holes are out of this world! The water temperature was perfect. Death Hollow, despite the name, is truly a paradise.

IMG_2738.jpg

Yeah... ^ Just look at that and tell me you don't want to be there right now...

IMG_2741.jpg

No tent needed in Death Hollow. This is my first campspot, just a few feet from the previous picture.

IMG_2745.jpg

Day 2! I mostly walked IN the river in the lower portions of the canyon.

IMG_2753.jpg

IMG_2764.jpg

IMG_2828.jpg

IMG_2836.jpg

Believe it or not, that is looking back at the TRAIL. By far the hardest section, I had to scoot forward in the water and jump to the rock ledge on the right, landing on my chest, all to avoid the deep water (it's at least 7 feet deep there). This was the only small section in the entire canyon that may scare off an average backpacker. With two or more people, it wouldn't have been bad to hand off backpacks.

IMG_2846.jpg

A little further downstream, I decided on this place as my 2nd night's camp. It's about a mile and a half from the confluence of the Escalante River. It was the place just behind the trees there, that made this camp special.

IMG_2849.jpg

This picture doesn't do it justice, but I called this part of the canyon the Zen Pools. There's a series of pools carved into the rock. The deep one in the foreground was at least 10 feet deep, big as some hotel swimming pools, and had a couple of fish in it. The small round one just above it is about 3 feet deep and about the size of a small hot tub. It was blissful to soak in.

IMG_2843.jpg

Sitting in the hot tub Zen Pool. At this moment, it felt like everything was right with the world.

IMG_2850.jpg

A closer look at the Zen Pools. The swimming pool on the left, the hot tub in the middle-top of the picture. You can see why it reminded me of a hotel pool and hot tub combo... just carved in the middle of a beautiful canyon and miles from the nearest person.

On day 3, I had a beautiful but uneventful hike out to the Escalante River parking lot. On the way I took a selfie in front of the Escalante Natural Bridge:

IMG_2862.jpg

In summary: Death Hollow is a place of unimaginable beauty and discovery. It's easily my favorite place in Utah (so far!), and made for one of my, if not THE favorite backpacking trip of my whole summer.

Thanks for reading, and until next time,

Gabe
 
You're right... I'd love to be there right now. Great place for solo time.
 
Great pictures. We did a trip down the Escalante from the town to the bridge taking side trips up into death hollow and sand creek. Beautiful country. If you ever get a chance in late Fall go down Hole in the Rock Road and do Coyote Gulch. It is just gorgeous when the cottowoods are turning.
 
Are you doing anything special to get your vertical oriented pics to orient that way or does it just happen auto for you? All my pics go horizontal upon attaching.
Thanks.
John
 
Are you doing anything special to get your vertical oriented pics to orient that way or does it just happen auto for you? All my pics go horizontal upon attaching.
Thanks.
John
All my picture were taken with my phone, and it correctly orients automatically.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
F Little Death Hollow Backpack Trip Planning 2
climbhigh1119 How doable is the sneak route out of Death Hollow with kids and a dog? Trip Planning 6
Duketogo13 BMT- Death Hollow-Escalante Triangle loop Trip Planning 20
Janice Cosmic Ashtray via Wolverine/Little Death Hollow & Escalante River? Trip Planning 16
Bob Death Hollow - Top Half a revist..... Backpacking 0
RyanP Conditions (water/bugs) for Escalante/Death Hollow Trip Planning 27
J Trip first week of April 2021 Southern UT/Anywhere AZ - Death Hollow, Coyote Gulch, or other suggestions? Trip Planning 9
R Boulder Mail Trail to Death Hollow Trip Planning 1
norwegianxplorer Death Hollow from Hells Backbone road 7 day loop with My Own Frontier Canyoneering 0
Mountain of Youth Death Hollow Loop in mid-September Trip Planning 11
Mikjik86 Flooded out in Death Hollow, Utah. May - 2019 Backpacking 4
RyanP Lower Death Hollow next week (late May/early June), miscellaneous questions Trip Planning 16
piper01 Little Death Hollow, GSENM Hiking & Camping 3
Boognish Lower Death Hollow Narrows April 2018 Backpacking 17
N Noob from CLE, headed to Death Hollow Noobs: Introduce yourself! 12
Kullaberg63 Upper Death Hollow - blitz descent Backpacking 8
Kullaberg63 Death Hollow 6-21 to 6-24 Meet Up (Members Only) 0
Strawsome Lower Death Hollow at it's finest Backpacking 3
J Escalante Natl Mon. Wolverine and Little Death Hollow and overland routes April 22-25, 2018 Backpacking 0
RyanP Lower Death Hollow, mid-April Trip Planning 8
M Escalante- Little Death Hollow Loop conditions? Trip Planning 14
dhertbag Looking for info on Death Hollow Trip Planning 13
Devin Ashby Upper Escalante Canyon / Death Hollow Info? Trip Planning 15
Jackson Death Hollow from the Boulder Mail Trail Backpacking 18
Skiwi Boulder Mail Trail to Death Hollow questions Trip Planning 8
George_Washington_Hayduke Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument: Little Death Hollow/Horse/Wolverine Loop Backpacking 0
DiscGo Confessions of Stupidity: Little Death Hollow Hiking & Camping 6
K Poison Ivy Levels in Death Hollow Trip Planning 5
Kyle P Death Hollow in Early May Backpacking 4
K Question on Death Hollow Approaches Trip Planning 9
J Death Hollow Trip Planning 6
Joey Upper Death Hollow and the Old Bowington Road, From Hell's Backbone down to the Escalante River Backpacking 24
Kyle P Death Hollow In the Spring Trip Planning 22
A Anyone been to Death hollow/ escalante recently? Trip Planning 2
BJett Part 2. BMT - Death Hollow - Escalante River Backpacking 14
BJett Part 1. BMT - Death Hollow - Escalante River Backpacking 9
J Will be in Death Hollow in 2 weeks, had a question...... Trip Planning 28
Bob Death Hollow - From Hells Backbone Road to the BMT Backpacking 14
bscuderi Escalante Death Hollow Backpacking 11
Bob Death Hollow .... some pics Backpacking 4
BJett Death Hollow/Bowington Road Trip Planning 7
J Back again, looking for different access points for Death Hollow...... Trip Planning 9
J History Teacher here planning a backpacking trip for my students to Death Hollow...... Trip Planning 14
J Anyone been through Death Hollow recently? Trip Planning 25
J Planning to do Death Hollow for the 2.5 time.... Trip Planning 12
Nick Death Hollow Trip Planning 0
slc_dan Little Death Hollow-Wolverine Loop, GSENM June 5-8 2013 Backpacking 16
Nick Death in Birch Hollow General Discussion 0
J Apologize, but asking for more Death Hollow tips.... Trip Planning 23
Tyler Need some Death Hollow tips Trip Planning 8

Similar threads

Back
Top