Calf Creek Falls Trail - Calf Creek Recreation Area, Utah

Address:Trailhead at north end of Calf Creek Campground
Utah
Tel: (435) 826-5499

Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail is a beautiful hike leading to a breathtaking oasis – a picturesque waterfall plummeting 125 feet from a steep cliff in the middle of an arid desert. The trail is located in the vast wilderness of one of the largest National Monuments in the continental USA – Grand Staircase Escalante, named after a series of stairs in which the Colorado Plateau descends southward, into the Grand Canyon.

Calf Creek Falls Trail starts at the Calf Creek Recreation Area, 15 miles east of the small town Escalante, off Hwy 12 (between milestone 75 and 76) in the state of Utah. The length of this trail is 5.5 miles in and out. Although elevation gain is minimal, this trail is not easy: walking on the soft sandy riverbed may be strenuous. The trail ends beneath the waterfall, where a wonderful natural pool provides a delightful opportunity to cool down. Few Indian petroglyph sites can be viewed along this trail making for interesting stops along the way.

If you plan to hike this trail during the summer, be sure to carry plenty of water and to start walking early in the morning since large portions of the trail (mainly the first part) are exposed, and provide very little shade. If the forecast suggest rain, do not hike this trail since flash floods are common in the area and are extremely dangerous. But on a sunny day, the hike along Calf Creek Falls Trail can be extremely pleasant and rewarding.