In the winter of 1879 and 1880 an expedition of 250 Latter-day Saint settlers, with 83 wagons, spent months widening a crack in the rim of Glen Canyon so they could take the wagons down to the Colorado River. The road they drove to get there still runs southeast from Escalante, and you can follow it to the top of that crack.
Today it is also the way in to the canyons of the Escalante: Devils Garden, the Dry Fork slots, Coyote Gulch. The National Park Service (NPS) says most of the road can be driven in a high-clearance two-wheel-drive vehicle in dry weather, and recommends four-wheel drive for the last miles. Both agencies attach the same condition. When it rains, this road can stop you, whatever you drive.
What the road is, and why people drive it
The road is the western end of the trail left by the San Juan Mission. NPS tells the story. Sent to settle the country east of the Colorado River, the expedition chose what it thought was a shortcut and gathered south of Escalante in November 1879: 250 men, women and children, 83 wagons and over 1,000 head of livestock.
The shortcut ended at the Hole-in-the-Rock, a narrow crack in the canyon rim. The drop to the river was nearly 2,000 feet, at an average grade of 25 degrees and as steep as 45 in places. They worked on it through the winter with picks, shovels and blasting powder, and took the wagons down on January 26, 1880. A journey planned for six weeks took six months, and ended with the founding of Bluff.
NPS says most of the original trail is still visible and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, though about a third lies under Lake Powell. You can hike the passage itself, 0.5 miles each way. NPS says to allow at least an hour and wear sturdy shoes, because the way is very rocky.
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The route, mile by mile
BLM says the road leaves Scenic Byway 12 about five miles east of Escalante. NPS publishes a mile-by-mile guide from that junction, and warns that your odometer may not match it exactly.
The trailheads fall between those points. BLM puts the Dry Fork turnoff 26 miles down the road, with 1.7 miles more to the trailhead, and asks low-clearance vehicles to park at the first lot and walk the last mile. For Coyote Gulch, NPS lists Red Well at 30 miles, Hurricane Wash at 33 and the Fortymile Ridge junction at 35. It says the last two miles to the Crack in the Wall trailhead are deep sand and not suitable for low-clearance vehicles.
Numerous side roads leave the main road, and NPS says nearly all of them are recommended for four-wheel drive only. It also says to drive this one in daylight: the road ends at a long drop into Lake Powell.
From the NPS mile-by-mile guide
- 01Mile 0.0: the junction with Highway 12. Escalante, a few miles west, was the pioneers’ last chance for supplies.
- 02Mile 4.2: Ten Mile Spring, the first major camp.
- 03Mile 12.0: Devils Garden, about half a mile southwest of the road.
- 04Mile 14.0: Twenty Mile Spring, now called Collett Wash.
- 05Mile 36.4: Dance Hall Rock, a sandstone amphitheater where the expedition held dances.
- 06Mile 37.1: Forty Mile Spring, the expedition’s base camp.
- 07Mile 39.1: Carcass Wash.
- 08Mile 45.7: the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area boundary. NPS says the road worsens from here and recommends four-wheel drive only.
- 09Mile 48.7: Fifty Mile Spring.
- 10Mile 50.1: Hole-in-the-Rock Arch, with a plaque beside the road.
- 11Mile 55.3: Hole-in-the-Rock.
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Vehicle and driver requirements
NPS describes a rough dirt road that can usually be driven with high-clearance two-wheel drive, and recommends four-wheel drive for the last seven miles. Its history page puts it more cautiously: four-wheel drive is recommended, and will be required after heavy rains. It adds that the last few miles inside Glen Canyon are best traveled on foot, by bicycle or in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
BLM prints the same warning on its monument road maps. Most roads are unsurfaced and irregularly maintained. Soft sand, deep ruts and washouts are common, and high clearance or four-wheel drive may be necessary. Never drive beyond the limits of the vehicle. If you break down, stay with the vehicle.
Nobody is coming by. NPS says the road is not routinely patrolled by any agency, and that travelers should be equipped to get themselves out of any difficulty.
Stay on the road. NPS says off-road travel by any vehicle, mountain bikes included, is prohibited. BLM’s map is for auto touring, not navigation: it says to carry the 1:24,000 topographic map for any backcountry travel.
What BLM’s map says to always have
- 01One, preferably two, full-size spare tires
- 02A jack
- 03A toolkit
- 04A shovel
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Permits and camping along it
Driving the road takes no reservation, NPS says, and it lists no fee for the drive beyond the recreation area’s entrance fee. Staying overnight takes a free permit.
On the monument, BLM’s Plan Your Visit page says free permits are required for all overnight stays, from visitor centers or developed trailheads. Its Safety and Conditions page words it more softly, as free and highly encouraged, and gives the reason: the permit can become crucial in a search and rescue. Past the boundary, NPS requires a backcountry permit for all overnight stays in the Escalante District of Glen Canyon, from the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center or an entry trailhead. Day hikes need no permit, but NPS asks you to sign the trail register. The practical answer is the same on both sides of the line: get the free permit.
Neither agency lists a developed campground on the road. BLM’s Dry Fork page says the trailhead parking area is day use only and that dispersed camping is available in the region. BLM Utah’s dispersed camping rules apply: camp only in previously disturbed sites, not in the vicinity of trailheads or picnic areas, and stay no more than 14 days at any campsite.
NPS says there are no restrooms or shade structures along the road. BLM asks visitors to use the toilets at Devils Garden.
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Fuel, water and services
Escalante is the supply point. NPS describes it as a small town with most major tourist services, including motels, restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations with a towing service and auto mechanic. It has a medical clinic that is open Monday through Friday, and the nearest hospital is in Panguitch, about 70 miles west. Confirm hours before you go.
Neither agency lists any services on the road. NPS’s 62 miles is one way. The return doubles it and side roads add more, so leave Escalante with fuel for all of it.
NPS says to carry at least one gallon of water per person per day. It also warns that cell service in the area is limited, and asks you to leave your itinerary with someone who can raise the alarm.
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Hazards and season
NPS lists the season as year round and then qualifies it: the road will not be passable in inclement weather. It says temperatures can range from over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer to near 0 in winter. Summers are extremely hot with little or no shade, spring is windy and unpredictable, and fall is usually mild.
Rain is the hazard that matters to a driver. BLM’s map says clay-based roads become impassable when wet, that weather can render some roads impassable for days, and that you should never try to drive across a flooded wash crossing. BLM says flash floods can occur at any time of year but are most common in July, August and September, and that it is impossible to predict where heavy rain will fall.
There is a second reason to stay off wet clay. BLM says driving wet or flooded dirt roads cuts ruts that harden when they dry, and make the road very difficult for everyone who follows.
BLM’s advice for any trip here: know the extended forecast, plan your way in and your way out, travel in a group, and carry extra clothing, blankets, food and water.
Do not skipNPS warns that if a heavy storm catches you near the end of the road, you may not be able to get back to the paved highway, even with four-wheel drive. Carry enough to wait for the road to dry.
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Leaving it as you found it
Two agencies, one set of habits. These are the rules their pages state for the road and the canyons it serves.
- 01Pack out all trash, including toilet paper and food scraps. BLM says even orange peel can take up to a decade to break down.
- 02Carry out solid human waste. BLM requires a portable containment system such as a WAG bag on the monument, and NPS requires the same in Coyote Gulch.
- 03No fires in the drainages of the Escalante River or any of its tributaries. NPS says the rule is the same on the monument and in Glen Canyon.
- 04No pets in Coyote Gulch inside Glen Canyon. Elsewhere in the recreation area, NPS requires a leash of six feet or less.
- 05Do not build rock cairns, and do not write or carve on rock.
- 06Leave rock writing, artifacts and historic sites untouched. BLM notes that defacing them carries civil and criminal penalties.
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Who to check with before you go
The Escalante Interagency Visitor Center, on the west side of Escalante, houses the offices of the monument, the Escalante Subdistrict of Glen Canyon and the Dixie National Forest. NPS gives 435-826-5499 as the number to call for road conditions and permit information. In an emergency, call 911.
BLM publishes the Grand Staircase-Escalante road report, which grades each of the monument’s main roads, this one included, by the vehicle it currently takes. BLM says the report is typically updated weekly, and more often when conditions warrant, but it also cautions that updates are not always that regular. Read the report, then call.
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Questions people ask
Do I need four-wheel drive for Hole-in-the-Rock Road?
Not for most of it in dry weather. NPS says the road can usually be driven with high-clearance two-wheel drive, recommends four-wheel drive for the last seven miles, and says four-wheel drive will be required after heavy rains.
How long is Hole-in-the-Rock Road?
NPS describes a 62-mile drive, one way, from Escalante to Hole-in-the-Rock. Its mile-by-mile guide, which starts at the Highway 12 junction east of town, ends at mile 55.3.
Do I need a permit to camp along Hole-in-the-Rock Road?
Get the free overnight permit. BLM’s Plan Your Visit page says free permits are required for all overnight stays on the monument, and NPS requires a backcountry permit for overnight stays in the Escalante District of Glen Canyon. Both are issued at the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center and at trailheads.
Can I drive Hole-in-the-Rock Road after rain?
Plan not to. NPS says sudden heavy rains may make the road impassable, and BLM says clay-based roads become impassable when wet, sometimes for days. Check the BLM road report and call the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center first.
How far down the road are Devils Garden and the Dry Fork slot canyons?
BLM puts the Devils Garden sign 12 miles along the road, and the Dry Fork turnoff, for Peek-A-Boo and Spooky gulches, 26 miles along it, with another 1.7 miles to the trailhead.
Is there fuel on Hole-in-the-Rock Road?
Neither BLM nor NPS lists any services on the road. NPS describes Escalante, at the start, as having gas stations with a towing service and auto mechanic.
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US Forest Service (USFS)
National Park Service (NPS)
US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
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Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
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Road
Primitive Road
Road
Primitive Road
Trail
Roads open to all Vehicles, Yearlong
Roads open to all Vehicles, Seasonal
Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Yearlong
Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Seasonal
Special Designation, Yearlong
Special Designation, Seasonal
Trails open to all vehicles, Yearlong
Trails open to all vehicles, Seasonal
Trails open to vehicles 50" or less in width, Yearlong
Trails open to vehicles 50" or less in width, Seasonal
Trails open to motorcycles, Yearlong
Trails open to motorcycles, Seasonal
Special Designation, Seasonal
Trails Open to Wheeled Vehicles Only < 50" in Width, Yearlong
Trails Open to Wheeled Vehicles Only < 50" or Less in Width, Seasonal
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Wilderness Study Area