Distance: ~9-10 miles RT Out & Back
Difficulty: Not easy- most rate it difficult and strenuous due to the distance, elevation gain, deep sand hiking, and exposure. Not for the faint of heart or sand-shy. Four-wheel drive to get to the trailhead is a must!
Elevation Gain: 1,581 ft
A well-hidden gem and one of the most dramatic and magical spots I’ve experienced in Utah. Well worth the considerable effort of driving nearly 30 miles of gnarly fire road and trudging through miles of deep sand. Almost the entire elevation loss/gain is in the first/last 2 miles. Imagine a deep sand slog, followed by a deep sand vertical climb, followed by a steep slickrock vertical climb, and you’ve imagined the final miles of the hike. About 80% of the hike is across exposed, arid desert, so take proper precautions! Dehydration, heat stroke, or worse, are real dangers, especially when the temperatures are high. Neon Canyon is susceptible to flash floods, so check your forecast before you go.
Navigation is a challenge as there is no trail per se. Cairns loosely mark the routes. Route finding, GPS, and backcountry skills are highly recommended.
Check out the magical, mesmerizing reflections at the Golden Cathedral!
Fortunately, the tortuous 4-wheel drive to the trailhead and the deep sand slogging are great crowd deterrents.
On my second visit to this glorious spot, the late afternoon light was dazzling and dramatic.
Getting there, if you dare: From Escalante, drive east on Hwy 12, and turn south/R onto the infamously gnaryly Hole-In-the-Rock Road. Take this unpaved rough road 16.7 tortuous miles and turn left at the sign “Egypt -10 miles”. Believe it or not, the road gets rougher from there. You’ll find the trailhead and its circular dirt parking lot on the left at the 10-mile mark.
Happy Trails!
On the Loose Live 