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Calf Creek Recreation Area
One of Utah's premier hikes is the Lower Calf Creek Falls, a delightful oasis in the desert landscape of southern Utah.
Tourists enjoy wading in the pool below Calf Creek Falls.
Tom Smart, Deseret News |
The five-mile round-trip hike to the 126-foot-high waterfalls is a "must" for serious hikers or families traveling between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Park on Scenic Byway U-12.
The trailhead to the falls is on U-12 about 15 miles east of Bryce Canyon or 15 miles south of Boulder. The Calf Creek Recreation Area is within the borders of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.
There are two dozen numbered signs along the early portion of the trail that correspond to an informative nature pamphlet. There are also some wooden benches along the way, and the path follows Calf Creek. The site even features a picnic area near the trailhead.
There's only one section of the trail with an altitude gain. As the vegetation changes from desert to forest, you can readily tell when you're nearing the waterfall.
There are some delightful pink sandstone walls in the area, as well as some Indian ruins. In the summer, however, the waterfall is a cool retreat and the highlight of the hike.
The box canyon nature of the waterfall and the many trees near it make it difficult to get a good photograph of the entire height of the falls.
The name Calf Creek comes from the box canyon's natural barriers that made it an excellent place for turning cattle, especially young calves with little supervision or fencing.
Quick hikers can reach the waterfall in 45 minutes to an hour. Families may require 90 minutes to two hours. Because of sand along the trail the hike is moderately difficult.
Winter, late fall and early spring are the best times to make the hike. Blistering temperatures of the summer make the hike more difficult.
There is also an "upper" Calf Creek Falls that is 95 feet high, but it is located more than two miles upstream and is not accessible from the regular Calf Creek trailhead.
If you want to try and reach the upper falls, the trick is finding the trailhead farther up U-12, toward Boulder. Look for a small dirt road found between mileposts 81 and 82 on the west side of the road. The trailhead is at the end of this short dirt road. If you're lucky enough to find it, the trail is rough and goes over slickrock, though it is much shorter than the trail to the lower falls.
More information if available by calling the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument at 1-435-865-5100.
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