LOWER CALF CREEK FALLS - UTAH HIKES WITH KIDS
TRAIL: 6 Miles out and back
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
I’m such a sucker for waterfalls, when I first saw photos of Lower Calf Creek Falls I knew we had to hike it someday. I was so excited when I found out that it was only an hour from where we were staying in Torrey, Utah and located in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument so it was immediately added to our itinerary!
We started our day early, getting on the trail at 7am to hopefully beat the heat and crowds. From the parking area the trailhead is a little bit up the road; you will pass a couple of campsites on the right and then the trailhead will be on your left right before the creek crossing.
The trail pretty much gradually goes uphill from the start and then you meander down into the canyon with a short part that is flat and sandy. You can hear the creek flowing much of the time and the views are stunning the whole way. Make sure you watch for a cave to the left when you hit about a mile, we didn’t notice it until we passed so Olivia checked it out when we came back. About half way in you will head up some slickrock that is a gradual climb up and then back down into the sand. Whenever you see water make sure to keep your eyes out for beavers; we saw one on the creek and some people we passed going back saw one in a marsh area!
As you get closer to the falls you will hit a section of thicker sand and then a spot of shade before you break into the beach where the falls are. While it’s a small area we had plenty of room to have some of our own space and there were about four other groups there. We chose by the creek which may not have been the best because the mosquitos were out with a vengeance!
Olivia immediately changed into her bathing suit and jumped in (as most 8 year old’s would do) and then beckoned big brother to jump in with her. Ilias jumped in and then immediately out because come to find out, the water was pretty cold! After a bit Gary jumped in and then eventually I joined in because I knew that It would feel good on the way back. The pool is pretty shallow until you get right below the falls so we felt safe letting Olivia play in the water on her own under our watchful eyes of course. We hung out for about an hour and then headed back.
Here’s where things get serious. We all had filled our waters before hitting the trail. For a six mile hike we each had two liters of water, so we were staying well hydrated. I always run warmer than the average person and going back it had gotten quite a bit warmer. While I did well for the first mile back, at about 1.5 miles I got smacked in the face so bad with heat exhaustion that I was feeling like I was going to pass out. Fortunately I held on until I knew there was a place where we could get to the creek so I could cool down. I jumped right in, fully clothed, shoes and all and brought my heat level down so that I could finish the hike. We finished and got right into the creek again at the end; yes, it was that hot.
All I can say is either go early, like start at least by five or six. While the hike to the falls was all in the shade, the hike back was 80% in direct sun and by 11am it was 95 degrees. One thing that we wished we had known before we started was that they had interpretive trail signs. There were numbered posts along the trail and you can download the brochure telling you what each maker represents. We missed out on seeing petroglyphs and historic granaries that the Fremont tribe used to store their food.
If you want to go the trailhead is located at the Calf Creek Campground day use area where there is a fee or you can use an Interagency - America the Beautiful pass if you have one. They have flush toilets, and a nice cold water fill station too. As always please make sure to Leave No Trace and pack out what you bring including all fruit peels, apple cores, waste tissue. There are no trash cans nor bathrooms on the trail so please keep that in mind.
This definitely a hike worth doing just be ready for the elements and check the weather report! Next time we visit the area we will hike Upper Calf Creek Falls! Have you ever been to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument? What are the do not miss places to visit besides Lower Calf Creek Falls?
