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| Steven's Arch high above Coyote Gulch is an excellent detour! |
Starting at the Escalante River and then going in upstream order, I shall list the sights and give you my 2¢.
Stevens Arch:
The most important thing to know about Stevens Arch: it get better and better as you get closer. The view from the Escalante River is very fine but if you climb and get up close, you will be richly rewarded.
Like many days, the skies were clear in the morning, clouds gathers in the afternoon and then turned overcast. Hiking up in the morning allowed me to have mostly blue skies and just a few clouds here and there to add interest. I just waited a few minutes for a cloud to go right into the arch window.
Climbing through the bushes at the river is the most difficult part as there is no trail. Once through the bushes, the trail becomes apparent and easier. Not only is the arch spectacular, but the view down on the Escalante River is also fantastic.
Here I share a few pictures of our ascent to the arch.
Like many days, the skies were clear in the morning, clouds gathers in the afternoon and then turned overcast. Hiking up in the morning allowed me to have mostly blue skies and just a few clouds here and there to add interest. I just waited a few minutes for a cloud to go right into the arch window.
Climbing through the bushes at the river is the most difficult part as there is no trail. Once through the bushes, the trail becomes apparent and easier. Not only is the arch spectacular, but the view down on the Escalante River is also fantastic.
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| Stevens Arch from the trail to the top. Escalante River below. |
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| Approaching Stevens Arch: the massive size is more obvious and impressive! |
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| Under Stevens Arch as the clouds gather in later morning. |
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| Hiking to the other side of Stevens Arch put the sun behind the rock formation. |
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| Horseshoe Bend of the Escalante River |
Below the Coyote Natural Bridge are several lovely waterfalls that run all year. Many are surrounded by Cottonwoods, ferns and other vegetation. Waterfalls are typically better photographed in the shade, so a nice morning stroll is what I did. Even with that, I found sunlight beginning to touch one waterfall. You'll see that in the photos as it illuminated the leaves where I positioned my camera.
I went in late May so the flow may be more than summer but water does flow here year round. It had not rained so the deeper pools were pretty clear and undisturbed.
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| Cottonwood Falls: A cottonwood branch stretches horizontally across the rim. |
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| Lower Coyote Gulch Waterfall |
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| Lowest Waterfall in the Gulch: Notice the lovely desert varnish on the surrounding cliffs. |
Coyote Natural Bridge is the most unique things in this hike of wonders. The trail goes right through this natural opening like it was meant to be a tunnel. The water created a perfect arch for hikers. You may get your feet wet in the shallow water, which adds to the feeling of the fantastic here. My timing here made photographing looking upstream the best option so that's what you see here.
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| Coyote Natural Bridge in Coyote Gulch: perfect photo opportunity! |
Small but unique among waterfalls because of the deep sculptural patterns, crevices and polished nature, Swiss Cheese Waterfall is a great find. It's smaller than I imaged, and if I wasn't paying attention I'd walked right past it without recognition. However, once recognized, it's easy to spend a lot of time photographing this gem. I got my feet wet to get close-up compositions. The mid-morning hours allowed reflected light to glow on the canyon walls as a wonderful backdrop. We camped here on our second night, a wonderful choice.
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| Swiss Cheese Falls, a fabulous photo location in Coyote Gulch. |
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| Polished Sandstone and Water at Swiss Cheese Falls |
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| Wide view of Swiss Cheese Falls: pay attention or you may waltz past without knowing. |
Jacob Hamblin was an incredible explorer and diplomat to the Native Americans throughout the southwest. Many places are named after him including Jacob Lake, Arizona and this wonderful arch 200 miles to the north. I'm not sure why it's got his name as I've read his biography but I know he passed through this area many times.
History aside, the arch is another wonder that is too big to photograph. I've tried and others try by stitching together many photos. More people were camping right here than any other place along the canyon. So, if you want a quite place all to yourself, camp elsewhere. You can see a tiny tent pitched in my first photo. The arch is on the left! The alcove is like an arch on the right as it "arches" over a huge bend in the creek. I climbed the pile of rubble under the arch allowing me to see both sides. It's cool but also difficult to photograph.
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| Jacob Hamblin Arch with a tent pitched in photo center. |
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| Under Jacob Hamblin Arch: climbing the rubble pile to see both sides. |
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| Jacob Hamblin Arch: this window illuminated in the glow of sunrise. |
Coyote Gulch Depths and a Surprise:
Without an arch or waterfall, Coyote Gulch would still be a must-see destination in Utah because of the beautiful creek and canyon. Upstream from Jacob Hamblin Arch, there are some wonderful spots to enjoy the canyon beauty. The first shot shows my two daughters hiking in the depths of the canyon. The surprise came upon reaching Redwell Canyon, one of the exit routes. We found a short narrow section with waterfalls! This was a photogenic surprise I thoroughly loved.
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| Two backpackers in Coyote Gulch |
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| Trees in Coyote Gulch |
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| Beautiful verdant canyon! |
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| Redwell Narrows: a nice surprise! |
Gordon's hike rating:
Hike Difficulty: ★★★★ Moderate: long distances but gorgeous the whole way
Trail Condition: ★★★★★ Great, mostly easy to follow
Trail Hazards: ★★★ Moderate: long distances, a few boulder areas
Trailhead: Crack in the Wall to Redwell through trip
Time Required: 3 days
Distance: 17 miles
Off the Beaten Path: ★★★★ Yes
Scenery: ★★★★★ Extraordinary, 5 Stars
Photographic Potential: ★★★★★ Outstanding, 5 Stars
Hike Difficulty: ★★★★ Moderate: long distances but gorgeous the whole way
Trail Condition: ★★★★★ Great, mostly easy to follow
Trail Hazards: ★★★ Moderate: long distances, a few boulder areas
Trailhead: Crack in the Wall to Redwell through trip
Time Required: 3 days
Distance: 17 miles
Off the Beaten Path: ★★★★ Yes
Scenery: ★★★★★ Extraordinary, 5 Stars
Photographic Potential: ★★★★★ Outstanding, 5 Stars