Elephant Hill
Elephant Hill (Moab, UT)
Elephant Hill is an awesome trail located in the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. Much of the trail is easy, but in order to reach the easier section you need to get over the more difficult Elephant Hill right at the beginning. This section of the trail is steep and narrow with a few very tight switchbacks. Stock 4×4 vehicles with an experienced driver should have no problems with Elephant Hill. This is a loop trail with two main spurs. The loop section is one-way and is run in the clockwise direction.
The Devil’s Pocket is a narrow section, just wide enough for a Jeep to fit through that makes for a great photo stop. The first main spur trail heads down the Devil’s Lane and over S.O.B. Hill and takes you to the Joint Trail. The Joint Trail is a very cool hiking trail that leads you through a narrow slot canyon to Chesler Park and is just over a mile in length. Both the slot canyon and Chesler Park offer some excellent views and photo opportunities.
After leaving The Joint Trail you will head back up Devil’s Lane and over the Silver Stairs and can make your way to The Confluence Overlook spur trail. This spur dead ends at a short hiking trail that leads you to the Confluence Overlook of the Colorado and Green Rivers. From here you complete the loop and head back over Elephant Hill and out the way you came.
This is a very scenic trail and a long way from Moab. Make sure your gas tank is full and be prepared to spend a long day on the trail if you plan to complete the optional hikes and spur trails. If you are looking for camping nearby, there are a few campsites in Canyonlands, but you may want to reserve your site in advance to make sure there is one available.
Please feel free to leave your comments and post your pictures from Elephant Hill below.
Elephant Hill KML Track
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Open file above in Google Earth.
