Looking for Assistance to Introduction to Escalante Area

[swmalone]

I have been reading a lot of trip reports and going through Utah hiking books looking for hikes that would be a good introduction to the Escalante area. We are looking at sometime late March to Mid-April most likely just a 3 day, 2 night trip. We are open to a variety of day hikes or if there is a good overnight trip that is highly recommended fitting that in.

One of the main problems I have been running into is determining which of these hikes/trips can be reached by a passenger car. I have been primarily looking at the following hikes: Lower Calf Creek, Zebra Canyon, and the Upper Escalante Canyon. It looks like the Upper Escalante Canyon should be okay with a passenger car but we would most likely have to hire a shuttle service. Are the other trails accessible by passenger car or would we need high clearance or 4x4. I'm also open to suggestions of other trails to check out. At the moment the only restriction placed on me by my wife is no required swimming or deep wading.

Thanks.

 

[slc_dan]

I have been reading a lot of trip reports and going through Utah hiking books looking for hikes that would be a good introduction to the Escalante area. We are looking at sometime late March to Mid-April most likely just a 3 day, 2 night trip. We are open to a variety of day hikes or if there is a good overnight trip that is highly recommended fitting that in.

One of the main problems I have been running into is determining which of these hikes/trips can be reached by a passenger car. I have been primarily looking at the following hikes: Lower Calf Creek, Zebra Canyon, and the Upper Escalante Canyon. It looks like the Upper Escalante Canyon should be okay with a passenger car but we would most likely have to hire a shuttle service. Are the other trails accessible by passenger car or would we need high clearance or 4x4. I'm also open to suggestions of other trails to check out. At the moment the only restriction placed on me by my wife is no required swimming or deep wading.

Thanks.

You can get around with a passenger car for most of the area, as long as you have good weather. I've taken a Honda Civic as far down the HITRR as 40-mile.

Lower Calf is paved. Zebra is more involved than many other canyons, it often has a waist-deep pool. The Upper Escalante is a PERFECT introduction to the area, I recommend it as at least an overnight. A shuttle service is a good idea.

 

[swmalone]

Thanks for the info. I think I may look primarily at the Upper Escalante, it looks like there are enough side canyons off of it that it could easily make for a 3 day 2 night trip just going from the town trailhead to the Highway 12 bridge. Are you familiar with any shuttle services in the area? The only one I have come across so far is High Adventure Rentals, Tours, and Shuttles.

 

[Nick]

What Dan said. Just don't take your car past the water tank on the Fortymile Ridge Road if you're trying to access the trailhead to go down Crack into Coyote. Deep sand.

I'm pretty sure all of the outfitters also will offer shuttles if they're available. We picked one up same day after failing to hitchhike.

 

[regehr]

The area around Zebra is pretty great, I'd be tempted to take a chance on it. I've been there twice and once it was bone dry. The moki marble zone up above there is spectacular. Tunnel slot is fun too, but was waist deep both times I walked through.

Give Lower Calf Creek a miss if you're looking for any sort of solitude, I'd personally save that one for a rainy day when the dirt roads are looking like bad idea and the sandy trail is wetted down a bit.