The Colorado Plateau is a fascinating area nearly devoid of water though it has been shaped almost entirely by water. A large part of the plateau lies in Utah, parts of which are protected in numerous parks and monuments. I’ve commented about Zion National Park and Monument Valley in previous posts.
Recently I had the opportunity to pay another visit to southern Utah. While there I spent some time in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM), a relatively new National Monument and a place that I had never visited before. Many of the roads in GSENM are unpaved and not recommended for vehicles without 4-wheel drive. Since my rental car was not up to the task, I restricted my explorations to the more accessible parts of the monument.
If you’re short on time, a nice introduction to the area can be had by hiking to Lower Calf Creek Falls, which is one of the most popular hikes in the Monument. This 3-mile canyon trail (6 miles round trip) follows Calf Creek upstream to where the canyon ends in a 126′ high waterfall that plunges from the orange cliffs into an emerald pool below. Along the trail the canyon walls take on a variety of interesting shapes and, in some locations, are decorated in fascinating patterns with desert varnish. In one location petroglyphs can be seen on the walls, adding a connection to the early dwellers of this region.
The trail isn’t steep, but it does have its ups and downs and the loose sand can make walking a bit more tiring. But, if you carry water to slake your thirst along the way, you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful, cool, shady spot to relax and enjoy the falls.
(Click on any photo to enlarge, then use arrows to scroll through the images.)