Obscure Hikes Around Capitol Reef

The Ant Hill at top center

1. Loa has a Family Dollar and the best supermarket. Torrey and Hanksville have smaller stores and all have gas.
2. ⦁ CAPITOL BENCHMARK el 7614 is in a remote area of northern Capitol Reef NP. A hikers route climbs out of Spring Canyon at point 5935. Take highway 24 to the Chimney Rock TH at mp 76.3 and follow the signs to Spring Canyon. It's 2.25 air miles from the start. Go upstream to the exit trail at N38 19839, W111 15834. There's just one way up a long chute that is easy class 3 and some might label it class 2. When it opens up there are various routes. The unsteepest is to stay low to a drainage at 19799, 15645 el 6300 and go up that then work over to another drainage at 19894, 15621 el 6500. Go up that bending right to 19926, 15556 el 6600 and keep going up the easy ground into another drainage with a cliff in the way. Several routes go thru the cliffs but I used one on the right at 20029, 15311 el 6750 to get in the saddle el 6800 east of peak 6981. Then just go down the canyon on the other side to el 6700 then cut over on the right bank to a canyon at 20412, 15400 el 6700. Go up that to a bridge then pass it on the left and stay in the canyon to the head at 20746, 16025 el 7000 and pass thru a gap east of peak 7238. All hikers tracks had ended by then but I had 2 bars of Verizon. Next, drop a little for easy walking all the way to a cliff band at 21338, 16996 el 7100. Go right along the cliff base for nearly a tenth mile to an easy drainage that goes up to the next level then rim walk around the east side of the peak to the NE ridge at 21741, 17106 el 7200. Go up to the summit at 21644, 17251. I couldn't find the reg that was there a decade earlier. The BM is at the west end of the summit but tricky for a solo hiker to get on. It took 5 hours, 12 minutes to the summit and 4 hours, 50 minutes for the return. There is 300 noticeable gain at the start then about 1000 to exit the canyon and another 400 at the final ridge. The app has this at 16.4 miles.  Backpackers could cut 7 miles by setting up in cottonwoods a fifth mile downstream from the exit in Spring Canyon. Then slog up the canyon for a mile to a spring in an alcove at 20121, 16658. That would cut the hike to the peak to under 8 hours. I posted a track on peakbagger. Posted May, 2021.
3. ⦁ THE ANT HILL el 9291 is 5 miles NW of Torrey. I followed the route by Ryan Davis on peakbagger up the NE ridge but I parked short of his starting point to avoid crossing a deep draw. Take the Sand Creek Rd out of the west end of Torrey for nearly a mile to the end of pavement then go left and stay on FR 207 until you come to an aqueduct. Stay along that to a gate at N38 21334, W111 28021 el 7800. It's easy 4wd to there. ATVs and cycles can get thru for another mile to a steep hill at a stream el 8200. Walk up the stream for 400 feet then go left up a steep side draw then work left thru a gap at 21861, 28856 el 8450.  Level off then walk along the left side of rough slickrock and on up to a saddle at 21830, 29062 el 8700. Then go right around a bump and the rest is in view. Some rough slickrock is in the way. A route goes around the right crossing sandy gullies. I prefer to go over it at 21544, 29135 el 8550 then move far left to get down the other side then up to the summit at 20902, 29432. No reg but there was an ant hill. 3 hours, about 1500 gain. Add an hour if starting from the gate. This is a top notch hike with pines and slickrock. I could have a rode a fat tire ebike in on the nearly 6 miles of dirt road that day.  BROWN BENCHMARK el 8964 is nearby. Stay right at the first fork after leaving pavement and proceed to the correct road at 19728, 26398. Take that to a foot trail #154 at 21747, 26570 el 8200. Walk the trail for a third air mile or so then head for a low ridge at 22167, 25811 and it will bend right to 22144, 25636 el 8300 to get up slickrock then it levels off. Stroll on north to 22357, 25433 el 8300 where the rest is in view. It's easy to walk across a piney flat then up the SW slope to the summit at 22424, 24833. I stayed left around some scrub near the summit. 4 hours, nearly 1500 gain. The roads and trail are on the topo. Some maps show a second trail forking toward the peak but it's fake. The nearly 6 miles of 4wd road is mtn bikeable but half of it is very bumpy.  Posted 2021, 2023.
4. ⦁ MEEKS MESA el 7850 has a well traveled trail to the top as the topo shows. Take highway 24 to mp 72.9 and pull into a camp area. The trail starts out steep at N38 19671, W111 21921 el 6500. It levels off at el 6800 and runs NW for a mile and a half then turns right into a canyon and goes up the top of the mesa el 7576. Then just stroll to 21047, 22201 el 7700 and follow the high ground as it bends left and on to the high point at 21363, 23236. No sign of humanity at the high point, not even tracks. There is no way down to the west from the high point. 5 hours, 1500 + gain, easy terrain. This is allegedly a cattle trail but I saw not one sign of cattle anywhere. ALTERNATE DESCENT - a class 3 route drops off the mesa to the north into Spring Canyon. Head for the rim at 21403, 22061 next to point 7521 where there is a view into what looks like a wide drainage. The route angles down to the far side of the drainage then zigzags down to the key waypoint at 21466, 22082 el 7250. At first, I went too far left of it down an easy shelf and had to come back. Then I dropped straight down on minor class 3 and only had one way to go. Tracks and cairns were showing up by then that led me down to the right into a drainage and then the smooth canyon floor. Going down canyon there are a few minor drops right away but all easily passed on the left. At 21163, 18426 I came to a side canyon on the left with the first water. Intermittent water in the main canyon started south of peak 6930. The best water is up a side canyon at 20121, 16658 in an alcove. A tiny stream drops over a ledge. I didn't filter it. At 19489, 15846 there is a trail on the right  bank that leads into a right fork. I went up that staying left at main forks until I hit the main trail then I went right on that to the Chimney  Rock TH at mp 76.3. I did this as a separate hike over the mesa and skipping the high point. It took 8 hours. It takes 2 hours to get to the descent point off the  mesa. If you get stymied it would be easy to follow your own tracks back out. There's nothing dangerous about the class 3 parts. I had a rope with a hook but never used it. The descent route is detailed at bluugnome.com for Pandoras Box. Posted 2021.
5. ⦁ SOUTH CAINEVILLE MESA el 5980 has a trail. Park at a gate on highway 24 at mp 100.2. Step over the gate and get in a trench at N38 20609, W110 59046. Cattle walk down the trench to the river. Wade across and aim for a gap at 20373, 58782 that leads into a valley. Go up to a left fork at 19624, 58756 el 4650 then stay right in that and the trail will appear and lead up to the rim el 5800. The high point is a mile and a half away at 19406, 56829. Cain Benchmark is out on the point 2/3 mile away. Cliffs along the way to it have a class 3 route on the east rim. It took 2 and a half hours to get to the high point with 1200 noticeable gain. The river was shin deep in late May. The land along the river is private but not posted yet. I had 2 bars of Verizon on top. Posted 2021. ALTERNATE DESCENT - another trail drops off the south rim. In 2023, I went up the north trail then headed straight for a stone cabin at 17713, 58478 el 5900. A corral is a tenth mile before it. The cabin is habitable for now. Then I went to the south trail at 17597, 57979. It goes down with cairns then switches left then right then fades but goes straight down a ridge to 17450, 57967 el 5350 where it shows up again. It goes on down to a creekbed where a cairn was the last I saw. That hiker must have followed the creekbed out. But I went down it and under a boulder to an easy gully on the right where I could walk up then angle left onto the rim. I was reading  17253, 57979 there.  I then walked the rim and soon hit a spotty trail that goes on to 16833, 57230. I stayed on the right side of the rim for another .3 air mile and found the trail going down a point to Sweetwater Creek. There are several routes back to the highway. The shortest but dull is to go east to a 4wd or ebike spotted on the good Town Wash road. There is a cow trail on the north side of peak 4561 at 19129, 54214 that exits up the Sweetwater rim. The road goes to a paved ford at highway 24 at mp 106.7 but has some minor sand. A second way back is to walk stinky cow trails down Sweetwater Creek. Forget that. The best route is the near pristine wash running parallel west of Sweetwater. I got there by walking Sweetwater just a little past a side canyon then coming back over my left shoulder on flat ground into it reading 19089, 55233. It took me along the south side of peak 4806 then I went north over a low divide at 19267, 55506 and followed washes downstream to the river. I waded the river precisely at the confluence then went upstream staying left of tamarisk along some cottonwood trees on a game trail for a third air mile to a side canyon. I went up that to my cycle at mp 105.1 on highway 24. Figure on 8 hours and 15 miles. An option is a game trail at the mouth of the canyon going up to the right.  Some very light brush is along the river near the end but I got thru in shorts. The river there was knee deep at 56 CFS. A BLM register is a tenth mile in from the rim on the north traiL. It goes back to 1998. One person backpacked up but I would only do that after rains have filled potholes on the rim. Taking a backpack down the rocky south trail is strictly for the hardcore. Sweetwater had intermittent water but heavy cattle impact. This is one of the great hikes in the universe. Take a GPS and the track I posted on peagbagger.com. This hike starts on private land but no posted yet. Posted 2022, 2023.
6. ⦁ NORTH CAINEVILLE MESA el 6122  has two trails that can be used for a traverse. Leave a 4wd or fat tire ebike on highway 24 at mp 100.1. Then drive to mp 97.8 and follow an easy 4wd road around to the north side of the mesa in 7 or 8 miles. Park when close to the trail which is at N38 24145, W110 58259 el 5200. Walk over a low ridge to get at it. It goes up to the cliffs to the left of a crack then crosses to the right of the crack but a slide has hit it. It's best to just go on up to the crack from the left side. Once on top, it's a third mile to a cairn at the high point reading 24231, 57804. Then walk to the south rim at 23384, 58388 and along that then head for a wash at 22819, 59050 that leads back to the rim. Stay on the rim or near it to south trail at 21373, 59036 next to point 5429. It goes down a crack then under some boulders and on down to a flat el 5400. It drops off the flat at 21280, 59054 and goes straight down a ridge losing 700 feet in a quarter mile. At bottom, it goes over tedious hills to a cement truck ruin, but it's better to drop down to the right on the first easy little ridge just before a huge boulder then stroll to the highway. It takes nearly 5 hours to traverse the mesa with nearly 1000 noticeable gain. I didn't want to fool with no stinkin' shuttle so I parked at mp 99.3 and walked the wash around the west base to the TH. That part took 2 and a half hours then I had nearly a mile to walk on the highway when I got down. I had a about a 7 hour hike with not much loose sand. I had 2 bars of Verizon on top.  Posted 2021.
7. ⦁ THOMPSON MESA el 6040+ is 5 miles east of Notom. An abandoned jeep road goes up out of Blue Notch. Take the paved Notom Rd south out of Notom to a sign for Burro Wash Rd at N38 11212, W111 05611. Turn on that good road for 2 and a half miles  to the bottoms at Sandy Creek where there is room to camp. Then it's an OHV trail for another 3 and a half miles thru Bloody Hands Gap to a steep hill at 09806, 00767 el 5200. A fat tire ebike could make it. I parked there and walked the road to a fence at the top then left along the fence and on up to the top of the mesa. The road soon tops out on a rim el 5680 and goes in the wrong direction so I went left toward the main west rim at 10700, 00431 el 5750. Then I shortcutted a bend in the rim by heading for 11427, 00936 el 5900 then walked the rim for nearly a half mile where a bright hill got in the way. I stayed right around that then back to the rim and on to the high point at 12874, 01531. No sigh of humanity. I kept going to Thompson Benchmark at 13470, 01642 el 5975 then kept following the rim to a good view at 13770, 00533 el 5800. I then stayed on the easy ground to a break in cliffs at 13203, 00233 el 5750 then moved to the north rim when I had an easy path. I stayed on the rim around to point 5572 and then came back west following a canyon on the best part of the rim. I crossed the head of the canyon and stayed right of litttle mesa then on to 12388, 00896 el 5850 then 12080, 00888 el 5800 then 11758, 00842 el 5800 and then soon merged back to the starting route.  5 hours, 500 noticeable gain just for the high point and back. 10 hours for the whole loop with not much more noticeable gain. No recent grazing and most of the mesa has never been grazed.  This is the best mesa in the long line stretching from Caineville to Swap Mesa. Next time I'll pass by the BM to the east and cut it down to 9 hours.  A 1919 marker is on the north rim at W38 13052, W110 59464. I had 2 bars of Verizon on top. Posted 2021.
8. ⦁ WILDCAT MESA has a road until the last half mile. Go south from Notom for 9 miles to the Sandy Ranch Junction. Turn east on a main road there and go about 6 miles to the top of the mesa el 5700 then go left on road #14025. That's easy 4wd for 2 and a half miles then walk up rocky slopes to the Sandy BM at N38 07240, W111 01652 el 6050. TARANTULA MESA is farther out on the main road. Stay on it and keep right at main forks to road #14240 at N38 00580, W110 51767 and follow it up to el 7050 then walk a fifth mile to the high point at 00512, 52942 el 7194. A longer hike to do is the skinny north ridge. Keep driving SW on the mesa for 6 miles to a T. Go right for 3 miles to a rim el 6450. I had 2 bars of Verizon there. I walked nearly level on the high ground for 90 minutes to a neck at 02475, 59999 el 6400. It's only 150 feet wide with sheer cliffs on both sides. An ancient fence crosses it. I went on another 2/3 mile past the fence to peak 6459 where I could see the rest of the ridge. Nice pj forest and nearly pristine. Take a topo. All roads are easy 4wd but it's over 30 miles back to pavement. These are good cycle roads. The road on Stevens Mesa is sandy. I went as far as Indianwater Seep. A crack on the west rim goes down to the seep and a cave. All I found was one circle pecked into the rock to the left of the cave. Posted 2021.
9. ⦁ PEAK 6380 is on the west rim of Tarantula Mesa. Take the Notom Rd south into Capitol Reef NP and go nearly 5 miles south of the entrance to a cattle trail at N37 58582, W111 04238 el 5600. Walk it to a canyon at 58490, 03626 and go up that to a fork at 58582, 02683 el 5650. Go left and stay left at the next forks and the route up will be obvious. The summit is at 59153, 02916. No sign of humanity. 3 and a half hours, 800 noticeable gain. Good views because it's the highest spot around. Posted 2021.
10. ⦁ SWAP MESA is south of Tarantula Mesa. Sheer Benchmark el 6158 is the high point and can be accessed from the Notom Rd. Park along the road near N37 50663, W110 59613 el 4950 which is a route thru a minor cliff. Keep going NE into a major canyon cutting thru the cliffs of the mesa. An obvious ridge goes up to the right out of the canyon. It goes parabolic but not loose. Upon topping out on the rim, it's easier to drop to the flats because the rim is rough at first. Climb back to the rim at 50937, 58577 el 5650 then it's a cakewalk on to the BM at 49984, 56947.  6 hours and about 1000 noticeable gain and half of that is steep. Cattle graze until the last half mile. They come up an ancient road out of Swap Canyon. I had 1 bar of Verizon at the BM. I went back later and made a loop around the BM. I walked along the south base to the east canyon then up that to a side canyon at 51476, 56475 el 5250. I went west up that for .44 air mile then up the left slope to the top. I walked a nice pj forest to the descent ridge at 51166, 59161 el 5600. That took 6 hours with about 500 noticeable gain. I could have saved a half hour or more with a bike shuttle on the Notom Rd. Cattle graze on most of the route.  MESA BENCHMARK el 7102  is an easy one to the west. Drive the Burr Trail to the top of the switchbacks then on to the park boundary where pavement starts. Go another 2 miles then left on a jeep road for a mile to a fork at N37 51873, W111 07494 el 6800. The road soon turns bad but it's easy to walk to the west side where it switches up to the left to the next level el 6900 where it splits. The right fork runs level then up to the next level then goes left to the north rim and on to the reg at 51973, 08035. It takes an hour to the summit using the road. This peak is a contender for high point of the Studhorse Peaks. Good views with minimal effort. Posted 2021.
11. ⦁ SOUTH FORK OAK CREEK CANYON - I made a loop down the north rim then back up a trail in the canyon. Take highway 12 to mp 100.8 and turn on FR180. Follow that down 4 or 5 miles to FR1967 as the topo shows. Jeeps and high powered ebikes can make it that far but FR1967 is narrow and covered with bumpy little rocks. I parked at roads end in Cons Hole at the TH sign reading 03260, 17049 el 7700. I then walked north on an OHV trail to get on the rim then went over peak 7952 and used a topo on my phone to stay on the rim. There is some light brush at first then at el 7200 there are stands of ponderosa pines and I could wear shorts the rest of the hike. When I arrived on the ridge NW of peak 7210, I veered toward it to get down a cliff band then resumed going north to a game trail at 04512, 13484 el 7000. I followed that down to a cliff band then it goes left and down a crack to a flat el 6800 and no more cliffs. But a scrub barrier is along the creek so it's best to aim for a gap in it at 04663, 13139 el 6450. Then I walked an ATV trail down Oak Creek for nearly a mile to a sign pointing up the South Fork to Cons Hole in 5 miles. A stream runs for about half of it with a swim hole at 03500, 13626 el 6550. That took 7 hours, 14 minutes with maybe 1000 noticeable gain. The creeks were jumpable. The rim is in pristine condition except for some ancient cow shit. The canyons are lightly grazed and no cattle were there on June 9, 2021. SHORT VERSION - there is a possible route off the north rim south of peak 7252 at 03661, 14881 which would cut the hike in half. ONE WAY VERSION - I could drive in on FR180 for half a mile or so then walk it down to the canyon and follow trails to Lower Bowns Reservoir where a second car or ebike would be parked. That would eliminate all the nasty road driving. Posted 2021.
13. ⦁ BLACK MOUNTAIN el 6308 is along the Cathedral Valley road. I did a loop over then back along the west base. The road departs highway 24 near mp 98 and goes easy 4wd for a bit over 10 miles to a sign for Caineville Wash. I went another 2 miles on the road and stashed my Zizzo bike then came back and went up the wash and then up a ridge at N38 26977, W111 05663 to get on the easy SE ridge of the peak. I went over the summit then down the north ridge to 28224, 06771 then down to a huge clearing. I walked another clear corridor from there to 28422, 06650 then down that ridge to el 5250 where I crossed a wash to the next ridge on my right then on to a gully at 28528, 05968 el 5200 where I could drop into a chasm. I strolled up that to the base of a 200 foot fall then made a U-turn and headed for Middle Desert Wash. I cut a huge gooseneck at 28746, 06466 then checked out a good side canyon at 28841, 07030. The next big gooseneck has a faint road cutting it at 28287, 07564 then I hit water on the other side but that didn't last. I had a nearly straight shot to my bike. 6 hours, 1000 noticeable gain and all easy, 12 miles. The chasm is the highlight. Willow Seep is 8 miles or so in on the road and it had a tiny stream. No recent cattle. Posted Oct, 2023.
14. ⦁ TROUGH BENCHMARK el 6516 is high on the Moroni Slopes. A good loop up ridges starts from the south. The Factory Butte road goes north 11 miles from highway 24 to a main fork. Left goes to Salt Wash south of the peak as the topo shows. I strolled down the wash past peak 4783 then up a slope on the NW side of it at N38 30472, W110 56873. Then it's an easy ridge walk all the way. At el 6100 there is minor drop with a bypass on the left at 31541, 58792. It's class 3 and 6 feet high. No more obstacles to the summit. I descended the rim of the canyon to the west known as Cable Canyon. At el 6200 there are two crags with a sheep trail along the left side. Then there is a deep dip to cross to peak 6121 then down to a hidden ridge at 30822, 59164 el 5850. Near bottom it gets convoluted but I stayed right on a natural road at 30193, 57842 then to 30048, 57664 then the final slope at 29978, 57214. I stayed out of drainages for the whole loop. 5 and a half hours, 2200 gain, rarely steep. The drive in is easy 4wd and a car might get close enough to ebike it. Posted 2023.
15. ⦁ NEILSON WASH crosses highway 24 at mp 106.2. It's an easy loop up then back on the west rim.  I strolled up it staying left at forks but hit a 12 foot fall with a pool a quarter mile before the Factory Butte road. I retraced back to the last fork and took it to N38 23393, W110 53274 where I could exit and walk to the road at 23410, 53567 where it skirts the west fork then walk the rim back. The shortest route back to the start is a crack at 22005, 52870 but it has a 4 or 5 foot drop. The chicken route is to aim for the highway at 21995, 53248 then it's a third mile back. 2 and a half hours and hardly any strain. This would make a good moonlight walk. Posted 2023.
16. ⦁ COAL MINE WASH is a good one for a loop down then back on the far north rim. I rode my cycle in from highway 24 at mp 105.5 for 9 miles to a kiosk at the wash, but kept going 1.7 miles to N38 29860, W110 55369 and parked. Then I rode my folding bike back to the  kiosk and locked it there. I strolled down the wash for half a mile to a drop with a huge pool. A route goes down left of it and I went on to a side canyon at 28977, 52623. I went up that staying right at a main fork and in the streambed when I could to minimize eyesore tracks. Near the head of the canyon I took a left fork for 300 feet or so to a tiny gully on the right at 29587, 52794 and got out then took a game trail to the next level. I walked north on that rim along the 4800 line and eventually the 5000 line. In the last mile or so I pulled away from the rim to 30188, 54732 then to my cycle. 3 hours, 9 minutes with 100 noticeable gain. This is a great rim walk with views of the unspoiled badlands.  I would take long pants for itchy plants in the lower wash. This is so easy it makes pie look hard. The first half mile to the pool would make a good moonlight hike. Posted 2023.
17. ⦁ SKYLINE RIM  is along highway 24 between Caineville and Hanksville. I got lucky and found two routes thru the cliffs to make a one way hike. I locked my Zizzo bike to pole #565 at mp 107.8 on the highway. The I went east a mile on the highway to a ranch at a steel corral. I turned north there and stayed right at a fork for a mile to closure signs at a popular canyon. I walked to the west fork at N38 23556, W110 50212 and on up to the end where I could only go up a right fork with a minor fall. Just past that is a hidden slope up to the next level at 24037, 50186. I walked that a short way to an easy ridge to the main rim. Then I walked east to a cow trail at 24102, 49881 that goes to a point then down to the next level and then it's easy to walk a skinny peninsula until a drop blocks the way. I made a U-turn and walked the rim to a descent gully at 22688, 51560 that looked good on the sat image but hopeless in person. On second  glance I saw that I might have a shot. I dropped down then went right and had no trouble to the bottom then strolled out to my bike and had an easy 2 mile ride to the start. 3 and a half hours, 100 noticeable gain for the hike part. The west fork would be a good hike on its own. No sign of humanity in that. Posted 2023.
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Cabin on South Caineville Mesa

Inscriptions on South Caineville Mesa