Upper and lower Calf Creek Falls, easy day hikes

[donny h]

Calf Creek is in the Escalante, the lower falls trail heads out of a little BLM campground, located off hwy12, the campground is about 15 miles south of the town of Boulder.

Check the road closures, coming from the north, hwy12 over Boulder Mountain sometimes isn't cleared of snow until late spring or early summer.

The southern access is through the town of Escalante, if you come this way, stop at Kiva coffee house, it's just a couple miles from the campground, and has the best Utah location for a coffee house I've seen yet.

Calf Creek campground is small, but sweet. The lower falls trailhead is in the campground, it is an easy trail, under 6 miles round trip, and well worth it. The lower falls is a 130' drop, with a beautiful pool at the bottom, and may be the crown jewel of the Escalante. There are many online reviews of this trail, so I will focus on what those reviews don't tell you:

It gets very crowded. I have seen half a dozen schools buses at a time off loading school kids on field trips, along with senior and tourist tour buses.

Mid-week visits don't work to beat the crowds here, so hit the trail EARLY.

That works out well, because the canyon is in afternoon shadows. If you want pics or to take a swim under the falls, early in the day is much better, anyways.

Staying in the campground is very nice in itself, the creek is crystal clear, and with a sandy bottom, it's a great one for a 'splashabout'.

Best spots: head for the back, cross the creek and camp in the back half of the campground, these spots are more mellow because of the intense foot/vehicle traffic in the front half.

Remember, this spot is insanely popular, crowded during the day, but all those folks will go away at night, I believe the place has 14-15 sites, so it's small and quite at night.

When you tire of the crowds, head for Upper Calf Creek Falls: No road markers, but the trailhead is just north of mile marker 81, along the west side of hwy12, it's a dirt track a few hundred feet long that leads to a nice parking area. It's just a few miles north of the campground.

This section of hwy12 is one of the most awesome roads in America, I promise, seriously... it is pretty gnarly, you may miss the trailhead the first time, no worries, just don't go over the edge looking for it.

The falls are about 1 mile below you from the trailhead, the trail was fairly well marked the last time I was there, but washed out in some
spots. The trip before, the trail was poor.

As you drop in, pay attention to where the top of the trail starts above you, I lost the trail on the way up several times, but there are good landmarks right where you drop in.

I've seen this trail rated as difficult, I'm not sure why, maybe that is because of route finding, I guess it is a little steep from a hiking point of view, but I would still call it easy.

The falls are not as impressive as the lower falls, but still very nice, you can go to the top, there is some great sun bathing on a big, slickrock beach right at the top of the falls.

Other trails split and head for the bottom of the falls, there is a large pool, which is another swim spot, and there is a big, shady hollow next to the pool, it's a nice lunch spot, and a bird watching Mecca.

I hear you can follow the creek down to the lower falls, and give yourself a chance to fall 130' off of it, but when I tried to go down creek from the upper falls my Tevas were not enough footwear, too much ooze. Maybe with boots, or high top sneaks.

Go, go to the Escalante, go to Calf Creek, go to the Kiva coffee house, (not just coffee, food and snacks also) go to Boulder, go to Hells Backbone Grill in Boulder, and since the grill is right at the beginning of the Burr Trail, now paved through Long Canyon, go up the Burr Trail, too.

You won't regret it.

[James_B_Wads2000]

I agree that is one badass area. I was there last year over the 24th of July weekend. After driving over Hell

[James_B_Wads2000]

Oh I almost forgot here is some beta:

http://canyoneeringusa.com/utah/esca/calfup.htm

http://canyoneeringusa.com/utah/esca/calflow.htm

(in fact when I was signing the trail register to hike Upper Calf Creek last 24th of July I saw that none other than Tom Jones had hiked it the day before. I got the privilege of following his self righteous 5.10 Canyoneer foot prints the whole way. It was even cooler than the time I saw J. Lo.)


James

[James_B_Wads2000]

in fact when I was signing the trail register to hike Upper Calf Creek last 24th of July I saw that none other than Tom Jones had hiked it the day before.

James

Well hot nuts! Look what I found:

http://canyoneeringusa.com/rave/0507esca/index4.htm

Looks like Tom and gang were there to hike from the upper falls down and rappel over the lower falls. Damn that looks fun! No wonder I didn't see any foot steps heading back up to the trailhead. He even has a few pictures of that cool jumpin

[jumar]

Back in highschool we rappelled off the overhang to the right of the falls. I've always wanted to come right down falls. Perhaps this year...

[Iceaxe]

Here is a video I took of the falls.

http://climb-utah.com/Escalante/calfcreek-v.htm

Great family hike.

[donny h]

Great replies, folks.

I knew I wasn't the only one who loves that area.

I really like the beta about camping off Hells Backbone and hiking in from the other side. Sweet.

I also missed the better swimming pools, a FANTASTIC excuse for yet another trip south.

One thing I didn't mention, last time I was there, the creek was massively overpopulated with stunted trout, and you would be helping the situation by catching and keeping some of those little guys.

Check with the rangers to see if that is still true when you visit.

If the head looks too big for the body, then they are stunted from overpopulation, and culling is helpful.

If the head is correctly proportioned, then they are just small fish.

[ugly]

I have got to interject something here. (This is the tourists perspective).

I was roadtrip vactioning through there a couple years ago and hiked the Lower Falls, it was cool as everyone has described.

I went on in to Escalante that night, and as part of my routine I went to pick up a poster at the local visitor center (as I do each place I visit).
--Photos are great and all but a big poster hanging on the wall helps appease me in the large span between trips.-- So was I the first to notice that the one and only poster of the Lower Calf Creek Falls that Escalante National Monument Visitor Center has to offer is a reversed image? In thier poster the Falls are coming off the wrong side of the rock! I called them on it when I purchased it, so it may have been corrected by now but the one that hangs in my den is wrong!