Round Trip Distance: 1.2 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 5231 - 5455 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 1 hr.
Trailhead: Escalante River
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs, pictographs
The 100 Hands Pictograph site is located on cliffs overlooking the Escalante River between Boulder and Escalante, Utah in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Besides the 100 Hands panel there are two other panels known as the 'Bighorn Panel' and the 'Shaman and the Hunter Panel'. Various other petroglyphs can also be found along the surrounding cliffs.
The Escalante River trailhead is located at the confluence of Calf Creek and the Escalante River about 13 miles south of Boulder and 15 miles north of the town of Escalante.
This picture was taken looking north from an overlook above the Escalante River along Highway 12. The trailhead is on the far right of the picture. All of the panels are within a half mile of the trailhead as the crow flies.
From the parking area cross the road that leads to a private residence and pick up the trail.
The trail parallels the north property line of the private property climbing the side of the hill at an angle. Upon reaching the cliff the trail switches back sharply where some minor scrambling is required to get up onto the ledge to continue.
From here the trail heads back in the direction of the highway and follows the wash above a spill over.
The trail comes to a juniper tree where several cairns mark the departure from the wash. It might be a little easier to continue a few feet past the tree before leaving the wash but the general idea is to turn here and not to keep following the wash which will lead you out of the area.
Stay close to the cliffs and the Bighorn Panel will shortly come into view. We outlined some of the images on our computer to give an idea of what to expect. Some ne'er do-well has tried to chisel a couple of the images from the cliff. We have seen this at several sites in southern Utah. If you see any suspicious activity at all around any archaeological site be sure to report it.
A little further west and the 100 Hands panel comes into view. It sits a lot higher up on the cliff than the previous panel.
From the 100 Hands Panel continue west along the cliff and pick up the trail that angles up to the slickrock ledge at the point.
The Shaman and the Hunter Panel is on the face of the cliff above the point.
The alcove between the Shaman and the Hunter panel and the 100 Hands panel also has a few petroglyphs as well as a lot of graffiti.
Even if there weren't any petroglyphs to see the views of the Escalante River canyon from the hillside are stunning.
