I'd appreciate advice on some day hikes along Hole-in-the-Rock Road. There's some useful information on the forums here and elsewhere, but since we'll be hiking with children (ages 7 and 10), I'm trying to find the easiest routes possible. In particular:
- Neon Canyon: There seem to be a few different routes, of varying difficulty and length, to the Golden Cathedral. Any recommendations for the best route to take when hiking with children? We will have GPS navigation, so a poorly marked route should not be problematic. Can anyone who has done this hike with young children comment on the difficulty?
- Islomania Dome (aka Escavolcano, Red Breaks Crater, Cosmic Navel, or Cosmic Ashtray): One can hike South from a trailhead on Old Sheffield Rd, or North from a trailhead off Harris Wash Rd (itself off Hole-in-the-Rock Rd). Based on postings on these forums, it seems that the Old Sheffield Rd trailhead is at 37.709191,-111.344671, but it was not clear from the discussion whether Old Sheffield Rd is actually open up to this point. The situation on the Harris Wash Rd is even less clear. The official trailhead is at 37.6346,-111.340384, but that is quite a bit further from the dome (37.683141,-111.315494) than the Old Sheffield Rd trailhead. There are reports, however, that it is possible to drive further along the Harris Wash Rd as far as 37.662234,-111.328261, or even to 37.666616,-111.327016; these would be closer than the trailhead on Old Sheffield Rd, but there was also some debate as to whether the road is open past the official trailhead. Can anyone who has recent experience comment on which of these trailheads is indeed accessible by car, and which is the most convenient?