Hopsage Canyon is a short gem of a canyon with nice interesting options for exploration. The walk to the mouth of the canyon goes past Red Slide and past Fountain Tanks, both of which are interesting on their own. This is a good side trip for hikers headed down Halls Creek.
| TIME: | 7-9 hours. |
| ELEVATION GAIN: | 1100 feet. |
| DIFFICULTY: | Easy route finding. Moderate scrambling. |
| MAPS: | Deer Point |
| GEOLOGY: | Significant! |
| PLANTS: | Interesting Observation trip. |
| CIRCLE TRIP: | No. |
| ACCESS: | From the visitor Center drive 9.2 miles east on Utah Highway 24 to the signed Notom Road. Turn right (south) and drive 13.6 miles to the Sandy Ranch Junction. Bear right (south) and drive 19 miles to the Burr Trail Junction. Go straight (south) and drive 11 miles toward Bullfrog to a signed junction. Turn right (west) on pavement and drive 0.8 miles to a signed junction. Turn right (west) toward Halls Creek Overlook. CAUTION If this road is wet do not attempt it even with 4-wheel drive. The road is a bit rocky in places and has lots of clay on hills. Park near the pavement if the ground is wet, else drive 2.6 miles to another signed junction. Turn right (west) and drive 0.3 miles (of bad, high clearance road) to Halls Creek Overlook (H). |
Walk down the Halls Creek overlook trail (one mile) then turn left (south) on the main Halls Creek Valley trail and go 5+ miles to Hopsage wash. Along the way the route goes through Red Slide where Halls Creek has scoured out a channel. Just south of Red Slide, Fountain tanks are nestled in the slickrock above the trail on the west side of the valley. Check them out but do not put anything (including yourself) in the water. To cool off, take water out of the tanks and down stream to a place that does not drain back into the tanks.
Just under two miles south of Fountain Tanks, (PN) Hopsage Canyon enters (J) Halls Creek Wash. Turn right (west) up the wash. Soon after the wash bends north and just before it narrows down there are lots of Cliff Rose bushes along the wash. In the same area there is a wispy grey species of Sage brush. When you get to a chock stone, back up some and climb out to the east (right when headed down stream). Go along up stream until just above the stone, then drop in and proceed with ease through the Navajo formation.
At the end of the Navajo formation the canyon turns from going west to going north. A high wall of Navajo continues west up the slope, a rubbley slope is to the northwest and a vertical high Navajo cliff goes north (E).
Three possibilities are worth mention here (In addition to turning back). One would be to follow the base of the wall north. It is an experience, requires energy and is fun. Second, would be to go up the rubble slope to the top of the bench. That slope and bench are covered with Spiny Hopsage bushes from which the canyon gets its name. This Hopsage community is common in the Mojave Desert but not anywhere else around here. The bench is a very interesting feature as is the view from the bench. Third, would be to go west part way or all the way to the top of the Waterpocket Fold by walking just north of the Navajo wall that climbs to the west. From where you stand the top is 2600 vertical feet up. The first 1600 feet or so can be walked almost entirely on slickrock ramps making the climb as easy as possible. Some water holes exist at about 1600 feet up. Water? Who knows? There is a nice surprise feature at the upper end of the Navajo wall.
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23June2017
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