Hike Hole in the Rock

Hole in the Rock is a historic site in Utah where the Mormon Pioneers had to dynamite a path down the mountain to get through to the Colorado River. The pathway at Hole in the Rock is still cleared out, and you get to hike through the path that these enduring people traveled, bringing wagons down with all of their stuff and their oxen.

The Colorado River has now become part of Lake Powell, so you can hike down to the lake and swim around and cliff jump as well. The hike takes about 30-45 minutes to reach the lake, and about the same amount of time to get back up. Part of the hike is pretty open, but there are areas where rocks have fallen and it can seem like you're in a slot canyon. The view is amazing from the top all the way down to the lake.

Jumping in the lake after a good hike on a hot summer day feels amazing! Lake Powell is an incredible place to be, and there are a few places down on the lake, depending on the height of the water, where you can cliff jump. Some people will have someone meet them with a boat at the bottom, and they will spend the day or a couple of days on the lake, then hike back out at Hole in the Rock.

There's still so much to explore in this area near the Escalante Grand Staircase, so get out there and explore!

Getting there: The road from Escalante, UT (called Hole in the Rock Road) is a washboard dirt road that takes about two and a half hours to get to the end of. The geo-coordinates for the beginning of the road are 37°43'39.4"N 111°31'53.2"W and it's found just south-east of Escalante. It's a 51 mile journey to the end of the road, but along the way there are dozens of turn offs to incredible slot canyons. I would suggest going to Hole in the Rock, then spend a couple of days camping along the way back and hiking through the slot canyons there.