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Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah

Looking for the best backpacking in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

Top Backpacking Spots in and near Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

  • Kane County, Utah

    Coyote Gulch Loop

    4.7
    10.59 mi / 4354 ft gain
    Easy hiking, water availability, and spectacular scenery make this a "must do" hike. Three days are best to see all this canyon has to offer. You can either make this a 3-5 mile hike or a longer 10-15 mile hike. The perfect trip down Coyote Gulch is three days and two nights. Hike in to Jacob Ham...
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  • Kane County, Utah

    Reflection Canyon

    5.0
    15.24 mi / 1368 ft gain
    Backpacking Reflection Canyon is not for the faint of heart. It's an intense, challenging hike that takes you through slot canyons, climbing up and down shifty sandstones and traversing rugged terrains and ravines. Although the elevation gain is almost nothing, the up and down climbs from one rav...
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  • Kane County, Utah

    Hike to Broken Bow Arch

    4.7
    6.28 mi / 732 ft gain
    The trailhead starts at the Willow Gulch Trailhead, located just off of Hole in the Rock Road in the Grand Staircase -Escalante National Monument. The coordinates for the trailhead are 37.324812,-111.023019. To get there head east on highway 12 out of Escalante, Utah until you get to Hole in the ...
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  • Garfield County, Utah

    Golden Cathedral Trail

    4.5
    9.27 mi / 1398 ft gain
    From highway 12, drive south down the hole in the rock road for about 17 miles to a dirt road on the left that is well marked for Egypt. Follow that dirt road 9.9 miles to the Egypt Trailhead. There is a BLM trail register at the trail head. After that, take one of the numerous ways down to the E...
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  • Garfield County, Utah

    Hike in the Upper Muley Twist Canyon

    4.5
    10 mi / 750 ft gain
    This hike is by far my favorite trail I've been on. To begin, you access Upper Muley Twist Canyon Road from the top of the Burr Trail Road switchbacks. Regular vehicles can be driven a little less than half a mile to the trailhead (adding about 3 miles to get to the trailhead, about 6 miles round...
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  • Kane County, Utah

    Backpack to Rainbow Bridge

    5.0
    17 mi / 2800 ft gain
    This incredible trip isn't only about Rainbow Bridge. Honestly, the Bridge is just icing on the cake.The scenery is breathtaking along the way, changing and evolving as you pass through epic canyons and climb over rocky ledges to be rewarded with spanning vistas. It really is amazing. There's eve...
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  • Escalante, Utah

    Escalante River Trail: Escalante to UT-12

    12.97 mi / 3373 ft gain
    Escalante River Trail: Escalante to UT-12 is a point-to-point trail that takes you by a river located near Eggnog, Utah.
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  • Escalante, Utah

    Backpack the Escalante River

    14 mi / 400 ft gain
    The Escalante River trail is an easily accessible, moderately strenuous hike within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The national monument encompasses over 2 million acres of wilderness, choc-full of large canyons, narrow slot canyons, rivers, hoodoos, arches, natural bridges and more...
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  • Boulder, Utah

    Backpack Death Hollow in Grand Staircase-Escalante

    22 mi / 1600 ft gain
    The most popular route into Death Hollow is from the Boulder airstrip near the town of Boulder, Utah.  The trailhead for the Boulder Mail Trail begins, or ends here depending on which way you are hiking.  Leave a car at the Highway 12 bridge over the Escalante River for the thru hike, or get luck...
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