Hamblin Arch and Bicknell. Utah Hiking in Spring, May 2022

Utah Biking May 2022

La Grande/Boise || Richfield and Cedar City || St George and the Mesas || Red Canyon || Grand Junction and Navajo Rocks

After our ride at Thunder Mt we drove to Escalante and at about 80km down the desolute Hole in the Rock Rd to camp. We found the one shady mesa to camp behind and stayed there one night. It was Fricken HOT and desolute. Did I mention it’s desolute? We did a hike to Hamblin Arch. This is a popular hike for people to overnight or just day trip to. We went via the longer Hurrican Wash at the Hurricane TH, 63km down Hole in the Rock Rd. This is a big slog. Next time we’ll chance the sneaker route which is shorter but requires a rope or good scrambling skills.

The hike was 25km total on my Garmin, took us 5:47 hrs. 1450m climbing. My feet…

Hurricane wash was 9km, 300m up, 160down. Out to the arch was another 4km of meandering through the red rock cliffs and Coyote Gulch. Next time we’ll try the shorter sneaker route.

We left Hole in the Rock and Escalante on a Sunday so not much was open in Boulder. We ate at the Burr Trail Grill. We hear the Hell’s Backbone Grill is very good but it wasn’t open.

We then looked for camping along the Burr Trail. The small Deer Creek Campground was full, so we continued driving down the Burr Trail, took the Wolverine Lp Rd and pulled off near the Horse Canyon TH. More people were camped here closer to Wolverine Rd. Nice Spot. The next day we drove down the Burr switchbacks to Capitol Reef National Park. While on this drive there were 19 full on Off Road trucks having a gathering and driving this road. As they caught me FAST I’d move over and they’d rail on by. Pretty cool trucks.

When we left Capitol reef we camped at Bicknel. This is a nice campsite with trails around it but they can be catagorized in the We Rode It so YOU DON”T HAVE TO catagory. Would be a nice out and back hike.

Direct from the Sunglow campground at Bicknell Utah was a loop seemed like such a good idea. Maybe a 1 hour pleasant ramble? 4.5 hours later…

Sandy at the start. After 1km from the Middle Ranger intersection going south and crossing a gully the trail fades and is lost for over 2kms marked only by endless fields of cholla and sand. You’ll finally pick it up again, we found it via the Cow Tracks, to be faced by 3kms of eroded bike sized counter. Enjoy your bike destruction. The exit is on an OHV road, then the Hwy back to camp.

Here’s the track so you know what NOT TO RIDE.

Seemed like forever.