Hike the Gooseberry Trail in Canyonlands
Moab, Utah
Details
Distance
4.2 miles
Elevation Gain
1548 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Description
Added by Annelise G
A breathtaking climb down the side of a cliff into the heart of the Canyonlands.
This hike will take your breath away—literally. You will experience stunning views of Canyonlands National Park while literally stepping down the side of a cliff. Once you get to the valley floor, continue on to the smaller cliffs of the White Rim.
To get there, follow Grand View Point Road down towards the middle of the park, then turn left at the sign for the White Rim Overlook. Park in the parking lot, and go to the sign marking the start of the trail. This is the same trail as the White Rim Overlook at the start. Pretty soon you'll hit a kind of small hill—go to the LEFT. (Unless you want to take a quick detour to go see the White Rim Overlook first, then go right.)The trail isn't really visible a lot of the time, so follow the cairns.
This hike is not for the faint of heart—if you are scared of heights, do not go! The trail begins and ends by hiking narrow, rocky steps pretty much straight down and then back up the side of a 1,500 ft cliff. Also, don't forget to bringwater—always bring more than you think you'll need when hiking in the desert!
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Reviews
A few friends & I wanted to do this trail on our trip to Canyonlands. We heard it was hard, but we accidentally started out going to the White Rim Overlook—which is very easy. Eventually we found the Gooseberry trailhead, but we were so underwhelmed by the Overlook's difficulty that we were not as well prepared as we should have been... This is a crazy hike! You literally hike down THE SIDE OF A CLIFF. Literally, we saw the cliff from the Overlook & I never in a million years would have guessed that humans would be able to hike down it. Anyways, we made it to the bottom and started walking along to the White Rim Canyon cliffs. This part of the trail is pretty easy, however one of my friends was starting to feel the effects of dehydration. We turned around early & actually sent a friend up ahead to get more water from the car & bring it back down to us. Thankfully we all made it out safe & alive, but learn from our mistakes: hiking in the desert = bring LOTS of water!!!
4.0
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