Miles: 2.4 miles RT
Elevation Gain/Highest: 796ft/5512ft
Map: USGS Calico Peak
Favorite Eats After Hike: Pack A Cooler
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
My hike:
3/27/2018
At the beginning of our overnight backpack into Hackberry Canyon, we had time to do a fun side trip to Yellow Rock that can be accessed from the same trail head by following the trail across the creek and immediately turning left and following it along the creek .3 miles to a gully that leads up to Yellow Rock. (You can read about how we missed this turn and came in from a scramble up Hackberry Canyon here).
It is a little hard to spot as the trail from this direction is more of a boot path up the boulders and loose scree but look for a smooth swath of white sand leading up to the gully that will most likely be marked with the footprints of earlier trekkers. If coming from the road off Brigham Plains, the trail to Yellow Rock is easier to follow.
The trail switchbacks tightly up about 100 feet to a more solid path but continues to climb. Here is a picture of the trail from on our way down:
Once you reach about 5030ft (300ft gain from the creek) the trail levels about a bit and begins to weave between boulders, jagged fins and hardy pines along the undulating waves of sedimentary rock with the impressive half mile dome of layered and twisting sandstone looming in front of you.
On the dome of Yellow Rock itself, the path is diminished and hikers travel to the summit at will. It is interesting to follow the pale white, lemony yellow, and peachy orange striations that make up this monolith and wonder at the forces that moved the sediment that you are walking on.
The views from the top at 5512ft are vast and expand out into Paria Canyon to the west, Grand Staircase Escalante to the north and Vermillion Cliffs to the south. Calico Peak, Molly’s Nipple, Canaan Peak, No Man’s Mesa, and Cockscomb were just a few we could distinguish from the many prominences lining the horizon.
If you are willing to drive the 14 miles off US 89 to this little gem, you won’t be disappointed. Just make sure to check in on conditions as to avoid flash flooding and the mud road will be impassable after rain. The creek you cross at the beginning is the only source of water and there is very little shade so plan to bring your own water and sun protection.
Directions: From US 89 in Southern Utah near Big Water (MP 18, 17 miles from Page, Arizona), turn north onto Cottonwood Drive and go 14.3 miles into the Paria River Valley on a gravel road to the trailhead for Lower Hackberry Canyon. The trail starts out by crossing the shallow Hackberry Creek and then turns left before you enter the canyon itself and skirts the sandstone walls by following the creek .3 miles. You can also access the trail off the junction with Brigham Plains Road .2 miles before the parking lot for Hackberry but parking is along the road. There is a disturbed area on the north side of the road that heads west towards the Cockscomb and cottonwood trees. From HWY 12 and Cannonville, UT, drive 32 miles south on Cottonwood to the trailhead.
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