Hiking 20 Miles to Reflection Canyon Utah
Kraig AdamsNov 2020 · With friends
- Days
- 2 days
- Direction
- Out and back along the same benches and slickrock
- Cost
- The permit is free
- Lodging
- Tent
North America · United States
Reflection Canyon
Glen Canyon, Utah
- Distance
- 17.1 mi27.5 km
- Days
- 2 days2: an afternoon out, a morning back
- Elevation gain
- 1,483 ft452 m
- High point
- 4,478 ft1,365 m
- Season
- Spring and fall
- Lodging
- Tent
Hikes / North America / Reflection Canyon
In November 2020 my brother Kurtis and I hiked out to Reflection Canyon, the famous view of Lake Powell's meanders in southern Utah, and camped on the rim. We drove down Hole-in-the-Rock Road from Escalante in a rented Jeep, walked about 8.4 miles across the desert and the slickrock to the rim in an afternoon, camped there for the sunrise, and walked the same way back the next morning. About 17.1 miles round trip by my GPS: 8.4 out and 8.7 back. It's the trip from my film Hiking 20 Miles to Reflection Canyon Utah.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Moderate · about 9 mi (14 km) and 741 ft (226 m) of climbing a day over 2 days, up to 4,478 ft (1,365 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
From Kraig Adams's GPS
The route, day by day
Elevation3,881–4,478 ft17.1 mi
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tap a day for his map of it
The film
Watch it first
Hiking 20 Miles to Reflection Canyon Utah
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- An unsigned pullout on Hole-in-the-Rock Road, about mile 50 from Highway 12, about 4,310 ft (1,315 m)
- Finish
- An unsigned pullout on Hole-in-the-Rock Road, about mile 50 from Highway 12, about 4,310 ft (1,315 m)
- Direction
- Out and back along the same benches and slickrock
- Usual difficulty
- Not steep, but long, hot and off trail: much of it is cairned slickrock with no path. GPS needed
- Best time
- Spring (late March to April) and fall (October to early November). Summer is very hot with no shade, and monsoon storms from mid-July to September can flood the road.
- Permits
- A free backcountry permit to camp; Glen Canyon's entrance fee
- Getting there
- My way in, 2020. This was the second hike of a trip through the Southwest, after the Grand Canyon. My brother was driving his Honda Fit, so we rented a Jeep with off-road four-wheel drive in Escalante and drove from there along the ridge all the way to the trailhead. It took forever, about three and a half hours by my count, and it was very bumpy. We set off on foot at 1:42 p.m.
- Lodging
- Tent
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency: 911, with a satellite messenger: no cell service.
Phone signal
- No.
- Not on the road and not on the route.
Insurance
- Utah's Search and Rescue Assistance card (rescue.utah.gov) covers non-medical rescue costs such as helicopters, but it is not insurance.
- Medical transport to a hospital counts as a health insurance cost, so make sure your policy covers it.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, The trailhead to Reflection Canyon. There's only one way: back the way you came. Turn back if you're behind your plan when you reach the slickrock, if you've already drunk half your water, if storms are building (the road is the bigger danger), or if you've lost the line and can't find it again on your GPS. Arriving in the dark on slickrock near a cliff edge is a bad idea: leave time to reach the rim in daylight.
- Day 2, Reflection Canyon back to the trailhead. You're heading out, so the question is when to wait instead. If a storm hits, wait it out on high ground away from the washes and the rim edge. If you run out of water or someone is in trouble, use your satellite messenger: there's no signal anywhere.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 2 days, tent.
Hiking 20 Miles to Reflection Canyon Utah
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Typical: 2: an afternoon out, a morning back (the hike's facts).
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Planning questions about Reflection Canyon, answered only from this page's facts, the creators' versions and hikers' public tracks, with where each answer comes from. When the data doesn't say, the answer says "not given".
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Reflection Canyon?
Kraig Adams hiked it in 2: an afternoon out, a morning back, about 17 miles.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How much does Reflection Canyon cost?
The permit is free; it comes to about $100 to $200 for two people with your own high-clearance 4WD, or about $800 to $1,100 with a rented Jeep:
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike Reflection Canyon?
Spring (late March to April) and fall (October to early November). Summer is very hot with no shade, and monsoon storms from mid-July to September can flood the road.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need a permit for Reflection Canyon?
To camp, yes: a free backcountry permit for any overnight stay in Glen Canyon's Escalante District, from the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center. There's no quota, and a day hike needs none. Glen Canyon's entrance fee ($30 a vehicle in 2026) applies too.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How far is the hike to Reflection Canyon?
About 17 miles round trip by my GPS: 8.4 miles out and 8.7 back, from an unsigned pullout at about mile 50 of Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Other sources give 15.6 to 18 miles, depending on the line you take across the slickrock.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need 4WD for Hole-in-the-Rock Road?
High clearance at least. In September 2026 the BLM rated the road high-clearance 2WD, with 4WD recommended for the last 7 miles; it's impassable when wet. We rented a 4WD Jeep in Escalante, and our small car would never have made it.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Is there water on the way to Reflection Canyon?
No. There's no water on the route and no way down to the lake from the rim. The Park Service says at least a gallon a person a day; hikers commonly carry 6 to 8 liters each for the overnight in spring and fall.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Can you fly a drone at Reflection Canyon?
No. Drones are banned in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes the rim.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.