Merry Piglet Trail

Who doesn’t enjoy a little slot canyon fun?!…Not far from Hanksville, Utah is this 1-mile round trip hike to one of Utah’s less visited slot canyons. Although Blarney Canyon is generally known for its canyoneering route, you can follow either the West or East Fork wash to get to the slots. You’ll only be able to hike up to a certain point, so once you take the short hike to the slot canyons, an...

Mount Ellen is considered an Ultra Prominent Peak. What's that you may ask? Well, Ultra Prominent Peaks are determined by how high the summit rises above its surroundings. Rising 5,812 feet above the desert floor with a summit elevation of 11,527 feet, Mount Ellen is the third most prominent peak in Utah behind #2 Mount Peale in the La Sal Range, and #1 Kings Peak in the Uinta Mountains. In cas...

McMillan Springs Campground is south of Hanksville, Utah and within the Henry Mountains, which run north and south between Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks.  Situated at 8,400 feet, McMillan Springs Campground has moderate temperatures and is managed by the BLM, so fees are donation based. The campground has 15 spots, two outhouse toilets, and water. As of June 2017, they were updat...

The Ancestral Puebloan Ruins found up Forgotten Canyon can only be described as awe inspiring and humbling. The small adobe brick homes are known as the Defiance House. It is believed that there were a couple of families (15-20 people) who dwelled in these homes circa 1200 A.D. These ruins can only be reached by boat either from Halls Crossing or Bullfrog. Forgotten Canyon is located 12 mile...

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 roundtrip). High profile, 4-wheel drive, vehicles can be driven the three additional miles to the trailhe...

Note that this is not the same as Backpacking Reflection Canyon. This trip is done by boat, and can be done in one day. To begin, you'll want to leave Bullfrog Marina somewhat early in the day, since it will be a long trip to the canyon. I recommend doing this in addition to something else in the area, such as Rainbow Bridge and/or Clear Creek Canyon. Regardless of what you do before or after, ...