The Adventures of Lewis and Clark in the 21st Century: Hiking the Hoodoos at Bryce Canyon and Cascade Falls

We had sort of planned our Thursday around hiking the Hoodoos at Bryce Canyon.

A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland. Hoodoos, which may range from 4.9 to 147.6 ft, typically consist of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. They generally form within sedimentary rock and volcanic rock formations.

The hoodoos at Bryce are amazing. We had gotten great views from the rim of the canyon and we had scouted a hiking option that would allow us to hike through them.

A VIEW OF THE HOODOOS FROM THE RIM

Hikers have a few options for dropping below the rim for the hike through the hoodoos. We started at the Lodge. We could have also have chosen to start at Bryce Point or Sunset Point. Starting at the Lodge allows hikers to begin on the Navajo Loop. Navajo Loop quickly takes you into the canyon via a fairly steep trail riddled with switchbacks .

THIS PORTION OF THE TRAIL IS LOADED WITH SWITCHBACKS

It is important to note that the only way out is back up one of the three trails.

We worked our way well into the canyon and then came to a split. One option is to continue on Navajo Loop and end up back at the lodge.(this was closed due to rock fall so hikers had to go back the way they came). The other option was to continue on Peek-A-Boo Loop Trail. We had already decided on this option because this was the part that would take us all the way to, through and around the Hoodoos.

This hike is quite strenuous and the estimated time to complete it is 4 hours. We got started and the hard work is rewarded with each turn, hill or descent. The trail is loaded with steep ascents followed by descents. We had sun and shade and because we got an early start, it was incredibly peaceful. We did see a few people at the start but many turn around when they come to the split in the trail. Committing to the Peek-A-Boo Loop significantly extends the hike. It is not something I would want to do without water, snacks and good shoes.

THE WINDOWS

MORE SWITCHBACKS

Hiking the hoodoos is hard but worth it. Being in the depths of the canyon is a bit surreal and it is especially so when you look up at the viewing areas. Those viewing from the top are just tiny little specks.

We finished the loop, made the final ascent and got to the top winded but satisfied. This hike definitely will go in the books as one of the better ones.

We got to the car, drove back to Lewis and we were greeted by two happy dogs. Our hike had only taken 2.75 hours so we were not gone too long. We are pretty sure that Penny Lane knew we went hiking without her (no dogs allowed) and she pretty much had herself a tantrum when we returned. It took a bit of time to get her settled but all was soon forgotten and we sat outside for a bit of rest.

After lunch, we loaded the girls and drove to a hiking area in the Dixie National Forest. We made our way to the Cascade Falls trailhead.

Cascade Falls is a 5.8 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Alton, Utah that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from June until October. The trail is a bit narrow at points and parents would want a good hold on small children and dogs should be leashed. One misstep could make for a fatal fall.

YOU CAN JUST SEE THE TRAIL ALONG THE SIDE OF THE CLIFFS

ROB AND PENNY WORKING THE TRAIL

The falls are sourced by Navajo Lake and are the beginning of the Virgin River. We drove through the Virgin River Gorge on our way to Lake Powell. The water comes through the mountain and comes out through a hole in the rocks.