Southern Utah Backpacking Loop Help

[Devin Ashby]

Hey everyone, I am trying to plan a trip June 23-25 to backpack before I start my last semester of school. Kind of a last hoorah before I finish school and get some pack time before @WasatchWill and I head out to do a Kings Peak/Red Castle Loop.
I was originally hoping to hike into Squaw Basin/Shamrock lake in the Uintas, but am afraid the Uintas will be socked in with snow till mid July. Meaning I wouldn't be able to get into Shamrock lake.

So I am looking for suggestions for a Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon loop I can do down south. Not really wanting to drive too far, cause I considered Coyote, but that'd be my last choice. I also don't want to carry much water, so somewhere with available springs/water. I want to go do Chessler again, but there's no water there.

Thanks!

 

[WasatchWill]

I know some others on here have done some stuff with Death Hollow and the Escalante. Not sure if there's a safe passage across Slickrock Saddle between Sand Creek and Death Hollow, but if there is, that might be a mighty fine loop with water galore, starting and finishing with the Escalante River at the highway crossing.

 

[WasatchWill]

Looking closer at the area, you should definitely be able to traverse across Slickrock Saddle northwest to join the Boulder Mail Trail and drop into Death Hollow there. That all said, I'm not familiar with these specific canyons, but I imagine Sand Creek is much tamer than Death Hollow. That all said, perhaps the mileage would be way too much to make it a relaxing and enjoyable trip over 3 days, given the terrain. You'd also have to take precautions for poison ivy if you're one who reacts to that.

 

[LarryBoy]

Second the suggestion of Death Hollow. You could also take the bus down to Rainbow Point and hike the Under the Rim trail northward in Bryce.

 

[Jackson]

Someone should verify this since I've never been, but I recall reading that Sand Creek is a bit of a challenge due to pretty thick brush in places. I think I may have seen that here somewhere.

 

[LarryBoy]

Someone should verify this since I've never been, but I recall reading that Sand Creek is a bit of a challenge due to pretty thick brush in places. I think I may have seen that here somewhere.

Even if Sand Creek is a total slog, as long as you're willing to hitchhike, you can just hitch from the Highway 12 bridge back to the car outside Boulder.

 

[Kyle P]

Someone should verify this since I've never been, but I recall reading that Sand Creek is a bit of a challenge due to pretty thick brush in places. I think I may have seen that here somewhere.

You are correct. I have hiked up the lower portion of Sand Creek for a little over a mile and it was considerably thicker brush than Death Hollow. I also recall the post you are likely referring to. Someone was following the BMT and continued down Sand Creek when they thought it was Death Hollow.

 

[Nick]

Someone should verify this since I've never been, but I recall reading that Sand Creek is a bit of a challenge due to pretty thick brush in places. I think I may have seen that here somewhere.

I haven't hiked the length of it, but I've hiked enough of it to know this is very true. You can't stay near the watercourse for a lot of it.

 

[Devin Ashby]

Thanks for the info all!

 

[regehr]

I've poked around the portion of Sand Creek that you can get to from the end of the McGath Point Road. These specific parts weren't too brushy but there's plenty of swimming. Unlike Calf Creek, Sand Creek has some fish in it.