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GARFIELD COUNTY — Coyote Gulch is a wonderful sandstone canyon located southwest of the town of Escalante, within the boundaries of the Glen Canyon recreation area. The canyon is home to Jacob Hamblin Arch, Coyote Natural Ridge, Cliff Arch and several waterfalls, making it a gorgeous place to hike.
There are several trailheads that will take you into the canyon: Red Well trailhead, Hurricane Wash trailhead, Jacob Hamblin Arch trailhead and the Forty Mile Ridge trailhead.
The Red Well trailhead allows you to see the entire canyon and it's located 31 miles south of Hole-in-the-Rock Road just east of the town of Escalante. The road can be impassable during storms as noted on the sign at the beginning of the road. The road will also treat you to several sections that are washboarded so be sure to drive carefully while heading to the trailhead.
After driving 31 miles, you will take a left turn at the Red Well sign, and it will point you east to a parking area. The road is passable by car, but the road to the parking area has many ruts and requires a vehicle with high clearance.
Once at the trailhead, you'll find a registration box where you can obtain a permit to use the canyon. Make sure you have a good map and compass before you enter the canyon to help you find your way. The route is reported to be 13 miles one way on the National Geographic Canyons of Escalante map.
The trail starts out in a dry wash and it is a mile or so before hikers encounter water. From that point, water runs through the entire canyon. The deeper hikers travel into the canyon, the taller the walls become, sometimes reaching over 300 feet.
Jacob Hamblin Arch is located seven miles into the canyon and there are toilets located on both sides of the arch. This area has several large areas that are often used as camp sites and could be used as a base camp.
Near Jacobs Hamblin Arch there are many springs that produce sand-free water, but hikers should make sure not to drink the water without properly treating it. Although experienced hikers can finish the hike in one day, you can also spend several days exploring all that Coyote has to offer.
One recommended hike is to start at the Forty Mile trailhead and descend into the gulch through the "Crack-In-the-Wall," near the confluence of the Escalante River and Coyote. At this point, you can take a short detour to see the Steven's Natural Arch.
After Steven's Arch, you will make your way upstream to a small gorge with several waterfalls, directly below Cliff Arch. Further upstream, you will run into Coyote Natural Bridge and finally Jacob Hamblin arch. This is the recommended exit, but it requires climbing up a sandstone rock face and then crossing the desert back to the trailhead.
Ryan McClain is a avid backpacker and amateur photographer. Contact him at ryandmcclain@gmail.com
