Information
Landmark: Coyote GulchCity: Escalante
Country: USA Utah
Continent: North America
Coyote Gulch, Escalante, USA Utah, North America
Overview
Tucked inside the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument near Escalante, Utah, Coyote Gulch is a striking desert canyon where red sandstone walls curve above a clear, shallow stream.Coyote Gulch, with its sheer sandstone walls, sculpted arches, green ribbons of willow and cottonwood, and a creek that loops lazily through the canyon, blends striking geology with a living desert oasis-and it’s a place hikers, backpackers, and photographers return to again and again.The gulch cuts deep into layers of Navajo and Entrada sandstone, its sheer walls soaring hundreds of feet above the dusty canyon floor.Over millions of years, Coyote Creek carved the rock with its steady flow, shaping narrow corridors, shaded alcoves, and broad canyon bends where the air smells faintly of wet stone.Warm bands of red, orange, and cream run through the sandstone, broken by sharp striations and curves worn smooth like skin.Natural arches like Jacob Hamblin Arch and Hickman Natural Bridge break the horizon, standing out as bold landmarks against the canyon’s sheer, sunlit walls.Getting to Coyote Gulch usually means hiking 7 to 10 miles from trailheads off Hole‑in‑the‑Rock Road, like Crack‑in‑the‑Wall or Hurricane Wash, where you’ll start out on dusty red sand under a wide blue sky.Strong hikers can tackle the trail in a single day, or stretch it into a multi-day trek, camping at rough spots beside the murmuring creek.The trail winds through sandy washes, crunches over loose rock, splashes across shallow creeks, and sometimes forces you to scramble over a sun-warmed boulder.Exploring Coyote Gulch treats visitors to a mix of trails-tight canyon slots where sunlight barely reaches, wide-open desert paths, and cool, green riparian corridors.Hikers might stumble across clear pools, brief bursts of waterfall after rain, and cool cottonwood groves that stand out against the sun-baked red rock all around.Spotting deer in the meadow, bighorn sheep on the rocky slopes, and a flash of bright wings overhead deepens your bond with the wild around you.Narrow corridors twist between sheer cliffs, then suddenly open into wide, sunlit gaps, turning the landscape into something that’s always shifting.In the gulch, solitude hangs in the air, timeless and still, while a creek murmurs softly nearby and cottonwood leaves whisper above.In the tightest passages, the high walls seem to press in, their shadows cool against your skin, but then the trail opens to sweeping views of cliffs, stone arches, and sunlit desert plains.The seasons shape the mood-spring sends streams rushing past fresh green leaves, summer drapes everything in warm light and sharp shadows, and winter fills the air with a crisp hush.Look closely and you’ll see ripple marks etched into the sandstone, thin streaks of mineral running through it, bits of fossilized wood, and tiny alcoves the wind has worn smooth.Moss, ferns, and bright wildflowers crowd the creek’s edge, and in the still shallows, the cliffs above appear in perfect, rippling reflection.In the sandy stretches, footprints mark where others have passed, while sunlight slips through the canyon’s tight walls, casting patterns that drift and change as the hours go by.Coyote Gulch offers rugged trails, red rock walls that glow at sunset, and the quiet grace of a stream winding through green willows.Towering cliffs, sculpted arches, a creek that twists through the sand, and secret pools tucked in shadow make this spot one of the standouts in Grand Staircase–Escalante, drawing visitors deep into one of southern Utah’s most remarkable desert canyons.
