October 30,2024

By Tim Briese

7.1 miles, 300’ elevation gain, 4:15 roundtrip time

It was a very cold and clear morning when Tim and I left Escalante, reinforcing our decision to opt for a warm motel room the night before. I had done the hike to Bighorn Canyon before and knew that this was a good one to show him, as it showcases many of the best scenic features of the Escalante area. From the obscure trailhead by a big blue water tank along the Hole in the Rock Road we hiked about two miles down Harris Wash to Bighorn Canyon. Those first two miles in the wash are rather nondescript, but fall colors and the deep blue desert sky more than made up for it.

on the hike down harris wash

We turned to the north and hiked into the entrance of Bighorn Canyon, and took the west fork first to explore a narrow slot.

an interesting striped wall near the entrance to the west fork of bighorn canyon

The sun was just in the right position this morning to shine into the slot creating a warm glow.

Then we went up the east fork of the canyon, which was not as deep but displayed fascinating stripes on the walls.

tim in the east fork of bighorn

At an opening in the narrows we hiked up onto the slickrock above to gain some general views of the surrounding scenery.

After exploring some distance further up the canyon we turned back and hiked back to the trailhead.

on the hike back up harris wash

Tim left for home while I headed for Page, AZ that night to explore some new hikes tomorrow.