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LOWER MULEY TWIST
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
A hike through Lower Muley Twist Canyon can be done as a long
day hike by starting and ending at The Post parking area. Starting
the hike from the trailhead on the Burr Trail Road and hiking
down canyon to The Post cutoff trail is also a nice day hike,
especially if you have the ability to leave a vehicle at each
end. Hiking the entire canyon from the trailhead on the Burr Trail
Road is best done as an overnight trip.
LOCATION OF TRAILHEADS
- At the top of the Burr
Trail Road switchbacks, 35 miles south of Utah Hwy 24
and two miles west of the Notom/Bullfrog Road & Burr Trail
Road junction. The Notom/Bullfrog
Road is hard packed dirt and is usually passable to passenger
cars.
- At The Post, which is located at the end of a short spur
road three miles south of the Notom/Bullfrog Road & Burr Trail
Road junction.
MAPS
USGS 7.5 Minute Series: Wagon Box Mesa & The Post, or Earth Walk
Press, Capitol Reef National Park. Available from the CRNHA
at the park Visitor Center.
BEST SEASON TO HIKE
Spring and Fall.
HISTORIC NOTE
From 1881 through 1884, the canyon heard the rumble of wheels
and the braying of mules as Mormon pioneers traveled by wagon
through the narrow gorge and on to a new life in San Juan County.
DESCRIPTION
From the trailhead located on the Burr Trail Road, the route drops
quickly and easily into Lower Muley Twist Canyon. Follow the twisting
drainage down canyon. The canyon forms a short section of narrows
midway between the trailhead and The Post cutoff trail. The slickrock
canyon walls are white Navajo sandstone colored by streaks of
desert varnish. The red sandstones are the Kayenta and Wingate
formations.
Four miles south of the trailhead is The Post cutoff trail
which is marked by a sign. At this point, day hikers should
either backtrack to the trailhead or continue 2 miles to The
Post parking area via the cutoff trail. The cutoff trail climbs
up and over the Waterpocket Fold, providing dramatic vistas.
The trail traverses steep slickrock with loose footing and is
exposed in several places. Use caution, especially if wet or
icy conditions exist.
Continuing south through Lower Muley Twist Canyon, it is eight
more miles to Halls Creek Canyon and then 5 miles north to The
Post. Large, dramatic alcoves highlight the lower portion of
the canyon. Here the Wingate sandstone has been undercut forming
high overhangs and sandstone caves. Near the end of Lower Muley
Twist, the canyon turns toward the east and becomes narrow with
high walls. At this point, the tall red cliffs of the Strike
Valley rim are visible ahead. As you exit the canyon, cairns
on the north (left) side of the wash will mark a route out of
the drainage and across a low ridge to the northeast. This route
connects with Halls Creek and saves hiking time. If you stay
in the Lower Muley Twist drainage, the route connects with Halls
Creek in approximately a half mile.
If you are hiking south from The Post, it is easy to miss
the route into Lower Muley Twist Canyon. Track your location
on a map and scan the steep slickrock slopes of the Fold for
the upper portion of the north-facing wall of Lower Muley Twist
Canyon. The wall is stained with desert varnish and is visible
a good distance up Halls Creek. When you are due east of this
landmark, look for a way over the low ridge separating Lower
Muley Twist and Halls Creek to enter the canyon via the short
cut or stay in Halls Creek until you encounter the Lower Muley
Twist drainage further downstream.
Between Lower Muley Twist Canyon and The Post there is a section
of Halls Creek that cuts a meandering channel into the Navajo
Sandstone. This is a longer but more scenic route, or you can
bypass this section of Halls Creek by following an old jeep
road.
At The Post, the road runs south to Bullfrog Marina or north
to the junction of the Burr Trail Road and on to Utah Hwy 24.
If you left a vehicle at The Post, your hike is over. If your
vehicle is parked at the Burr Trail Road trailhead, you can
either walk the Notom/Bullfrog Road north and then up the Burr
Trail Road switchbacks (4.25 miles), or return to the trailhead
via The Post cutoff trail and Lower Muley Twist Canyon (6.4
miles).
MILEAGES (approximate)
- Burr Trail Road trailhead to The Post cutoff trail 4
- The Post cutoff trail 2
- Burr Trail Road trailhead to Halls Creek 12
- Halls Creek to The Post 5
- Total mileage for upper loop (Burr trailhead to cutoff trail
and back via road) 10.25
- Total mileage for lower loop (The Post back to The Post)
15
- Total mileage for entire loop: Burr trailhead to Halls Creek
& back via road 21.25
- Total mileage for entire loop: Burr trailhead to Halls Creek
& back via cutoff 23.4
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