Upper Boulder Creek

Dogs Unknown

Features River/Creek · Views

This is a typical Boulder/Escalante-area hike – in other words, it's awesome. It is particularly beautiful in the fall when the aspens are turning yellow.

I highly recommend finishing with a meal at the Burr Trail Grill (Zomato Review). Arguably they have the best pie in Utah. Sure it is $7 per slice but try it and and see if you don't agree that it's worth it.

There isn't an obvious trailhead. Park by the side of the road and head about a mile generally east, passing various potholes, some of which will likely contain water. The drop into the river isn't too difficult but may require some scoping. Look for a column of lava covered sandstone in a bend in the river. Head upstream.

There isn't necessarily a trail, but with a little scouting you should do fine. The exit point was not obvious when we hiked the route, but in returning on the western side of the loop, we followed a wash for a good portion of the way, until a small but obvious cut led us back to the top of the wash. Keep an eye out for this, and it will help you to make your way back to the car.

Our evidently out-of-date guidebook mentioned heading up after nearing an old telegraph line which we later discovered had been chopped down leaving only one-to-two foot posts. The route shown here has been edited slightly to represent a good exit rather than the exact route we took. Once on the Hogsback, multiple routes are possible as long as you are generally headed south. Eventually, you should be able to see your car before beginning the final descent.