Fort Bottom Ruin

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 4.8 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 3943 - 4320 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 3 hrs.
Trailhead: Fort Bottom
Fee: $30/vehicle + free permit
Attractions: Pueblo ruin, pioneer cabin

The Fort Bottom Ruin is located off of the White Rim Road in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah. Beginning at the top of the Hard Scrabble section of the White Rim Road the trail travels out on a peninsula that was formed by a hairpin meander in the Green River. Sitting atop a butte at the end of the peninsula is an Ancestral Puebloan ruin that has a commanding view of the surrounding area while below the ruin in the bottoms along the Green River is an old pioneer cabin. NOTE: A permit is required for backcountry camping and to drive on the White Rim Road. The permit can be obtained for free from the Visitor Center or online.

Moses and Zeus

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 1.6 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 4207 - 4697 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 1 hr. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Alcove Spring
Fee: $30/vehicle-$15/person
Attractions: Scenic geology, backpacking
 

The Moses and Zeus trail is located in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. The trail begins near the end of the Alcove Spring trail where it climbs a butte to the base of Zeus and begins a loop that takes it around Moses and Zeus to a saddle in the ridge at the base of another spire known as Aphrodite and back along the opposite side of the butte to where it began.

Alcove Spring Trail

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 12.8 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 4169 - 5689 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 6 hrs.
Trailhead: Alcove Spring
Fee: $30/vehicle-$15/person
Attractions: Scenic geology, backpacking

The Alcove Spring trail is located in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah. The trail begins off of the Upheaval Dome road where it makes a steep descent down a mostly primitive route into Trail Canyon. From there it follows a normally dry wash for another 5 miles until it reaches the Taylor Canyon Road and comes to an end. Near the end of the trail hikers are treated to views of the Moses and Zeus rock formations. Primitive campsites can be reserved through the Park Service for those interested in backpacking.

Wilhite

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 12.2 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 4238 - 5890 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 6 hrs. 45 mins.
Trailhead: Wilhite
Fee: $30/vehicle
Attractions: Awesome scenery

The Wilhite trail is located in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah. The trail descends down a talus filled chute from the Island in the Sky to the White Rim Road over 1600 feet below and just over 6 miles away. Spectacular red rock scenery with towering canyon walls including distant views of False Kiva, Cleopatra's Throne and Candlestick Tower are among the things that attract thousands of visitors to Canyonlands National Park every year.

Murphy Trail Loop

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 10.8 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 4811 - 6257 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 5 hrs. 45 mins.
Trailhead: Murphy Trail
Fee: $30/vehicle
Attractions: Scenic backcountry trail

The Murphy Trail Loop is located in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah. The trail begins on the high plateau of the Island in the Sky where it descends a talus filled chute that takes it off of the west side of the mesa to the desert below. At the base of the cliffs the trail splits with one fork leading through Murphy Wash and the other traveling across the Murphy Hogback with the goal of both being the White Rim Road. For this post we follow the route through the wash to the White Rim Road which we then hike to reach the hogback route to complete the loop. From there we climb back up the chute to get back to the trailhead.