South Fork Mule Canyon, UT • Hike
 This is likely a great time to hike this trail!  Check out "Preferred" months below, keep in mind this is an estimate.
  

South Fork Mule Canyon, UT

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HAZ reminds you to respect the ruins. Please read the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 & Ruins Etiquette
Statistics
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Difficulty 1 of 5
Route Finding 2 of 5
Distance Round Trip 6 miles
Trailhead Elevation 5,957 feet
Elevation Gain 150 feet
Accumulated Gain 160 feet
Avg Time Round Trip 6 hours
Kokopelli Seeds 6.8
 Interest Ruins & Seasonal Creek
 Backpack Possible - Not Popular
unreported if dogs are allowed
editedit > ops > dogs to adjust
feature photo
Photos Viewed All MineFollowing
14  2022-01-09 Stoic
8  2021-08-15 BiFrost
3  2021-05-18 sneakySASQUATCH
2  2018-04-15 Steph_and_Blake
49  2018-04-13
Nine Days - Cedar Mesa Comb Ridge (Part 2)
AZWanderingBear
10  2015-05-21 AZLOT69
42  2015-04-30 big_load
7  2012-06-20 sneakySASQUATCH
Page 1,  2
Author
author avatar Guides 172
Routes 229
Photos 6,096
Trips 1,129 map ( 2,527 miles )
Age 41 Male Gender
Location Pocatello, ID
Associated Areas
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Southeast Region
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Preferred Oct, Apr, May, Mar → Early
Seasons   Late Autumn to Late Spring
Sun  6:49am - 6:14pm
Official Route
 
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Easy canyon hike on Cedar Mesa
by PaleoRob

 Likely In-Season!
Cedar Mesa, in southeastern Utah, is one of the most ruin-ridden places in the entire southwest. While most people flock to the Grand Gulch drainage system and its myriad of ruins, rock art, and stunning canyon scenery. Other canyons score Cedar Mesa, however, and all of them hold Anasazi ruins, petroglyphs, pictographs, and general canyon country beauty if you know where to look. Many of these canyons are much less visited than Grand Gulch.
Mule Canyon is one such canyon. Most folks who have traveled Utah Route 95 between Blanding and Lake Powell are familiar with the name, as some excavated and partially restored ruins are signed along the road. Those ruins, and their trail, are described elsewhere here. Running just north of the Mule Canyon Road Ruins lays the South Fork of Mule Canyon. South Fork runs into North Fork just south of Route 95 and then drains into Comb Wash, at the foot of Comb Ridge, visible to the east from most of Cedar Mesa.

The trail begins at a dirt-fill crossing of South Fork. The dirt embankment is easily scaled on the west side, with a well-defined trail leading down to the trail register.

The trail drops across a narrow arroyo from the trail register and then back up onto the other side before crossing a grassy meadow at the bottom of the canyon. The arroyo and road embankment are the most serious elevation changes to contend with for a basic Mule Canyon hike.

For the most part, the South Fork of Mule Canyon runs west-northwest for most of its course, with no real side canyons to speak of. At about 1.8 miles, a small draw on the north cliff face can be used to access the mesa top between the North and South forks and can be used as a route to get to North Fork if one desires a loop or backpacking trip. The canyon bottom is flat, with very little of the steep arroyo cutting that marks Grand Gulch. The hiking is very easy, and the trail is quite simple to follow until about 3 miles from the trailhead. The trail deteriorates quickly then, and most turn back here. This is the figure I used to calculate the round-trip distance. In the spring, there is often a flowing stream at the canyon bottom, and there are also seasonal springs up on some of the terraces of the canyon. Check with the Kane Gulch Ranger Station for the latest water information, though - the canyon is generally dry during the summer except for flash floods.

Mileage can quickly add up exploring ledges and such for Anasazi traces. The canyon has a fair amount of ruins and rock art, so the pursuit of such will not be in vain. One famous ruin in South Fork of Mule Canyon is Flaming Roof, or House on Fire, Ruin. This cliff dwelling, from the late 1200s, is well preserved and not a far hike from the trailhead. In fact, a quick hike to the canyon rim from the Mule Canyon Road Ruins shows the location of Flaming Roof quite well. I won't give away the specifics, though - discovery is half the fun, and it's not terribly hard besides.

Lots of other ruins await the explorer in Mule Canyon. Once you have explored what you feel is enough or have gone to the end of the trail, you return to your vehicle by the same route you came.

Check out the Official Route and Triplogs.

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2007-12-25 PaleoRob
    WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

     Permit $$

     Directions
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    or
     Road
    FR / Dirt Road / Gravel - Car Okay

    To hike
    From Blanding, Utah, drive west on Utah Route 95. Once you pass through the pass at Comb Ridge, you will drop into a valley, and then begin driving up the side of Cedar Mesa. A few miles from when you start driving up Cedar Mesa, you will see a sign for the Mule Canyon Ruins. The easiest way to find the Arch Canyon Road, leading to the trailhead, is to turn around in the parking lot for the Mule Canyon Ruins and proceed back east on Route 95 for 1/4 mile. The turn will be on the north side of the road. After crossing a cattle guard, there will be a map and BLM information, along with a fee envelope station. You can pay your fee here in the off-season. There is no fee or permit needed for camping on the mesa tops. During the on-season (Spring and Fall), you will need to call ahead to the BLM office in Monticello, Utah.

    From the fee kiosk, continue down the dirt road, through a road cut to a dirt fill "bridge" across a canyon. The first such that you come to is the South Fork of Mule Canyon. Park your vehicle as far to the right as possible. The trail starts on the left side of the road.
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