Bullion Falls

The Trail 

This moderate trail is about one mile long with a 485 ft elevation change. However, if you have an ATV to drive up to the cabin area or beyond, you can cut the hiking distance dramatically and arrive at the waterfall in only 0.6 miles to 0.2 miles. Just be aware that most of the climbing in the trail occurs during this latter section of the trail, picking up mostly after the cabin. The trail will take you to a spectacular 75 ft tall waterfall and past another waterfall on your way there across the canyon from the trail.

Topographical Map (Blue Flag=Minors Park Trailhead)

 

Graph of Elevation

Trail in Google Earth

The trail starts at Pine Creek Bridge where there is a dirt parking area. There are also trail maps available here. After parking, head right up the rocky ATV road for about 0.4 miles. There is only about a 100 ft elevation gain during this section of road. If you have an ATV vehicle, you can drive up this part and park right after the old cabin...perhaps further but there is less parking area later on as far as we could see. Vehicles larger than an ATV should park at the Pin Creek Bridge. We walked around this area (shown in green in the maps above) to peer into the empty rooms of the cabin and peek into the dilapidated outhouse.

 

Peering into the cabin

Side of the cabin

Outhouse

Right after the cabin appears to be a trailhead of sorts with a sign signifying the distances of different trails.

Distance listed here to Bullion Falls at least is
inaccurate; it is only 0.6 miles from this point

The trail continuing on from here still appears to be a wider ATV trail until you reach the Miner's Park Trailhead (marked by the blue flag in the topographical map above). There are some other trails turning off of this one, but hikers should stay on 074 to reach Bullion Falls. About 0.8 miles from the Pine Creek Bridge Trailhead (and about 0.4 miles from the old cabin) hikers can view Cascade Falls across the canyon. Since we were there in November, there simply wasn't much to see there, but it is a nice bonus waterfall at other times of the year.

074 trail marker...this is the right trail!

Bench along the trail

Cascade Falls across the canyon

 Soon after Cascade Falls hikers will reach Miners Park Trailhead. From here the ATV trail stops and a normal hiking trail begins. In another tenth of a mile, Bullion Falls appears. Bullion Canyon Trail (indicated in red in the maps above) continues to the right, but a spur takes hikers to some great views of the falls. Be prepared for some rock scrambling, especially if you plan to get down to the base of the falls (which we did not). Others have said a rope is available to help those who want to go down get there, though we didn't see one during our trip. As always, be very cautious when using ropes left by others and test them before trusting them.

Miners Park Trailhead

Trail heading up

Bullion Falls

Dogs and horses are permitted on this trail. There are no restrooms at the trailhead.

Directions

This trail is located just outside Marysvale in Piute County, Utah. To get there, head to Marysvale along Hwy 89. Once in Marysvale, turn west on Bullion Ave. (When we were there, this street was not well labeled; it is one street south of 100 N and one street north of Rio Grande Ave.) Continue just past a church on your right and turn left onto Bullion Canon Rd. Continue along this road up the canyon to the trailhead. There is a dirt parking area at Pine Creek Bridge and trail maps are also available here. Keeping left and continuing that direction will take you to Miner's Park, but the ATV road to the right will take you to Bullion Falls. Please note that only small ATV's are permitted on the ATV road. Most people hike up from the parking area at Pine Creek Bridge. GPS Coordinates: N38° 24.859' W112° 19.635'

Upper Calf Creek Falls

The Trail

This moderate mile long trail (one-way) has about a 540 ft elevation change. The trail ends at a small pleasant waterfall dropping into a rocky pool.

Topographical Map

Graph of Elevation

Trail in Google Earth

The trail starts from a sandy parking area. Be careful where you park, especially if you don't have four wheel drive, as the sand is deep in some spots. From the trailhead, the path begins with a steep descent down slickrock that gradually gives way to a trail mixed with rock and sand. The canyon where Calf Creek runs is clearly visible from the top.

Trailhead

Heading down steep slickrock; notice
the line of shadow where the canyon runs

The trail grows less steep as it goes and levels off overall as it draws near the canyon and Upper Calf Creek Falls.

As the path cuts closer to the canyon rim, the alcove near Lower Calf Creek Falls can be seen, and soon after that the falls also appear.

Alcove near Lower Calf Creek Falls

Lower Calf Creek Falls

The trail takes hikers right up to the top of Lower Calf Creek Falls, but to view this waterfall from its base you must take a different trail.

 

Above the top of Lower Calf Creek Falls sits a series of pools feeding the waterfall.

Follow the water streaming into these pools a short distance further to find the much shorter Upper Calf Creek Falls at the far end of a larger pool.

Upper Calf Creek Falls

After reaching the pool and waterfall, hike back the way you came.

This trail is open to leashed dogs. There are no restrooms at the trailhead.

Directions

This trail is located in Garfield County close to Boulder, Utah. It is also not far from Escalante, Utah. From Boulder, the trailhead is about 5.6 miles south along Hwy 12 and will be on your right. It is not well marked from the road, so you will have to watch for it, however signs will be visible after you drive down the dirt road to the parking area. To get there from Escalante, drive about 21.5 miles along Hwy 12 from the middle of the town and find the trailhead on the left near the top of the ridge the road follows. It will be about 10 minutes/5.8 miles from the turn off for Lower Calf Creek Falls. GPS Coordinates: N37° 51.559' W111° 26.262'

Sign in the parking area

Petrified Forest and Trail of Sleeping Rainbows Loop

 The Trail

This moderate trail is about 2.2 miles round trip with a 250 foot elevation change. However, there is about twice as much climbing as the overall elevation change indicates due to the up-and-down nature of the trail. When I did this trail, I went counterclockwise around both loops, staying right at the intersections all the way through, so that is the approach shown on the graph and other information below. This is also the direction that hikers following the points of interest explained on the nature trail guide available to borrow at the trailhead.

Topographical Map

Graph of Elevation

Trail in Google Earth

This trail starts on the other side of a short stone wall next to the parking area. It heads uphill with the help of a few switchbacks for about a half mile before leaving off some.

Trailhead

Another entrance to the trail

A short ways from the trailhead is an interesting rock balanced awkwardly at the edge of a drop-off. It stays suspended in the air by a small section that has not eroded away like the rest of the material under it.

Balanced Rock

Hikers will need to continue up through the pygmy forest and near the top of the hill before coming across any of the petrified wood that is abundant along this loop. A spattering of specimens lies along the sprawling landscape to the sides of the trail, but perhaps the most impressive along this section of path is a longer stretch of these fossils that appear to make up the broken segments of a once fallen tree.

Stretch of petrified wood segments

Right next to this line of petrified wood the path splits. In order to continue along the Trail of Sleeping Rainbows, stay straight as shown in the sign. When you come to the next sign, stay right to continue around the loop in a counter-clockwise direction. This trail descends down sharply, levels out some at the bottom near an overlook of the wash below, and then ascends back up an equally steep section before heading back to the main Petrified Forest Trail.

Trail Split

While The Trail of Sleeping Rainbows is not part of the main trail and nothing along it is included in the Nature Trail Guide, there are far more petrified wood specimens here than on the other trail. These incredible fossils literally line the path, and huge pieces present themselves at nearly every turn. I believe the largest pieces of  this wood-turned-to-rock are found along this section of the trail.

 

 

View looking down in the wash at the
west-most point of the trail

Very large pieces of petrified wood -
probably the largest I saw along the trail

Side view of the largest piece of petrified wood
I spotted on this trail

Heading back up the trail

After rejoining the main trail again, head right to continue that loop in a counter-clockwise direction. As you continue, enjoy the expansive views of the surrounding area. A sign post with the number twelve indicates the largest piece of petrified wood found along the Petrified Forest Trail (though there are larger specimens along The Trail of Sleeping Rainbows), and sign post 14 shows a remarkable specimen on which the tree rings are clearly recognizable.

Largest piece of petrified wood along the
Petrified Forest Trail

Remarkable Specimen on which the tree rings
are clearly visible

The trail ends where it starts after a descent along the same section of trail you came up. Enjoy nice views of Wide Hollow Reservoir and the surrounding area on your way back.

Either before you head up the trail, or after you get back, don't miss checking out the very long petrified tree fossil just north of the trailhead and parking lot!  

Long petrified tree near the trailhead

This trail is part of a state park and a fee is required to use the area. Restrooms are available as part of the park, but not directly at the trailhead. Leashed dogs are permitted on the trail as long as you clean up after them. This trail is under surveillance to help prevent theft of the rocks. Either way, please do not take anything with you from the park in order to leave it for others to also enjoy. (Furthermore, some say that a curse sticks with anyone who dares to steal the fossils from the area.)

Directions

This Garfield County trail is located only a couple of miles west from the center of Escalante, Utah. To get there, take Hwy 12 to Reservoir Rd. There is a clear brown recreation sign marking the turn off for "Escalante Petrified Forest State Park/Wide Hollow Reservoir." Turn north here and head past a rock shop and ranch land to reach the park. Stay right (away from the reservoir) where the road splits and head east a short ways to the parking area. GPS Coordinates: N37° 47.219' W111° 37.829'