14 Amazing Grand Staircase Escalante Hikes: Southern Utah
To make your Southern Utah adventure planning easier, we have created a list of the 14 best Grand Staircase Escalante hikes that you don’t want to miss! Grand…
Located in the vast remote land of Grand Staircase Escalante in southern Utah, the hike to Big Horn Canyon is an off-the-beaten path adventure that provides the opportunity to find some solitude while exploring two incredible slot canyons. While many people visit Grand Staircase to explore the more popular Zebra, Peekaboo and Spooky Slot Canyons, Big Horn Canyon remains off the radar of many. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to plan your hike to Big Horn Canyon in Escalante, and hopefully, convince you this hidden gem is worth adding to your itinerary!
Hi there! We’re Sarah and Matt, two nomads road tripping across the United States with our cat, Fitzgerald, making a new place our home month to month while working full time and adventuring as much as possible. We spend any free time we can get hiking, camping, backpacking, and exploring new places! We hope that our experiences will help you plan for your next adventure and inspire you to be an outlier!
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Big Horn Canyon is located in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, a massive area of protected land encompassing over 1 million acres in Southern Utah. In fact, Grand Staircase Escalante is the largest area of protected land in the United States. It was the last area to be cartographed in the U.S. and it still has that rugged, adventurous spirit that characterizes the American West.
You won’t find long entry lines or throngs of tourists. Instead, you may come across unsuspecting cows, who are only slightly more timid than they are curious, and large tracts of land filled with some of the most unique and diverse geological formations in the country.
We’ve rounded up all the details on 12 of the best hikes in Grand Staircase Escalante if you are looking for other awesome things to do in the area:
To make your Southern Utah adventure planning easier, we have created a list of the 14 best Grand Staircase Escalante hikes that you don’t want to miss! Grand…
Find this hike on AllTrails: Big Horn Canyon Trail
While Grand Staircase Escalante itself is less visited than nearby national parks, like Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, Big Horn Canyon is off the beaten path even by Escalante standards.
Typically overshadowed by the more popular Zebra Slot Canyon and Peekaboo and Spooky Slot Canyons (P.S. these are popular for good reason – both are incredible and we highly recommend adding to your bucket list!), we think Big Horn Canyon deserves a place on any Escalante itinerary. While perhaps less visually stunning than its neighbors, Big Horn Canyon offers something that other slot canyons in the area cannot: solitude!
When we hiked Big Horn Canyon, we were entirely alone in both slot canyons and only passed one other group of hikers on the entire trail. So if you’re looking to explore a slot canyon without bumping elbows, waiting in line to pass, and jostling for photos, Big Horn Canyon is the hike for you!
Remember to Leave No Trace. Pack out what you pack in, stay on trail, be well-prepared, leave nothing behind, take only photos and memories with you, treat the area with respect and help preserve this beautiful spot for generations to come.
Big Horn Canyon is a moderately difficult hike due to the distance and a few very minor rock scrambles, namely one large boulder blocking the slot canyon which must either be crawled under or climbed over. While the trail is fairly flat, much of the hike requires walking through sand, which adds to the difficulty level.
The most challenging part of the hike is staying on the trail, as the nature of the wash makes it hard to follow. We highly recommend downloading the trail map in advance for offline use, using an app such as AllTrails Pro or Gaia.
As with any slot canyon in Grand Staircase Escalante, you shouldn’t attempt to hike Big Horn Canyon if there is any rain in the forecast, as flash floods are possible in the canyon. Additionally, beware that heavy winds are possible, which can cause sandstorms in the canyon (so be prepared to cover your eyes and run!).
Before you head to Escalante to hike Big Horn Canyon, make sure you are prepared with the following essentials:
The trailhead for Big Horn Canyon is located 4.5 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock Road, a roughly 20-30 minute drive from Escalante, Utah. Exact driving time depends on how fast you are willing to drive down Hole-in-the-Rock road, a bumpy washboard dirt road.
There is a small parking area on the right side of Hole in the Rock Road. Given that this hike is less popular, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting a spot. Note that the trailhead starts from the left side of the road.
To start the hike, cross over to the lefthand side of Hole-in-the-Rock Road and head towards the wash to pick up the trail. When you first start the hike, you may be greeted by a herd of cattle, perhaps more living creatures than you’ll see for the duration of the hike!
The trail to Big Horn Canyon meanders through Harris Wash, crossing the water or dry creek bed a few times. The trail can be difficult to follow, so keep an eye out for cairns and check your downloaded trail map every now and then to make sure you are on track.
At 1.7 miles into the hike, you will come upon a wooden cattle guard. Walk through the cattle guard and turn left towards Big Horn Canyon, continuing about 0.3 miles until you reach a fork.
There are two sections of Big Horn Canyon to explore that branch off in different directions – the main section of Big Horn Canyon to your right and the West Fork to your left. Both canyons are worth exploring, and you can start with either!
The main section (or East Fork) of Big Horn Canyon branches off to the right from the trail. Inside Big Horn Canyon, you will find a few obstacles to climb over and uniquely striped and swirled orange rock walls. Big Horn Canyon gets narrower in the middle section, but never quite as narrow as other slot canyons in Escalante, like Zebra, Peekaboo, and Spooky.
Continue for about half a mile through the slot canyon until the canyon walls start to level off. At this point, you can take a short spur trail to the right-hand side of the canyon up to a viewpoint looking down over Big Horn Canyon. Then retrace your steps back to the entrance of Big Horn Canyon.
Branching off to the west (lefthand side of the trail), is the West Fork of Big Horn Canyon, a much shorter and narrower slot canyon compared to the East Fork. The rippling orange walls of the West fork are reminiscent of a much smaller version of Antelope Canyon.
Once you’ve finished exploring both forks of Big Horn Canyon, return the way you came following the Harris Wash back to the trailhead.
Planning a trip to Grand Staircase Escalante in Utah? Be sure to check out these other great hikes in the area!
For all things Utah: Utah Travel Guide
Have you hiked Big Horn Canyon in Escalante, Utah? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!