Blog

Lower Calf Creek Falls is a favorite destination for most folks visiting Escalante. Much of the National Monument is remote, rugged cliffs and plateaus with hoodoos and slots canyons. In contrast, Lower Calf Creek Falls feels like an oasis after a 3 mile hike along Navaho Sandstone cliffs.

Lower Calf Creek Falls is one of the most popular hikes in the park

The trailhead is in the Calf Creek Campground and is a ~3 mile hike to the falls. Most of the hike is in the open with only an occasional shade tree and few places to access the river.  Once you get to the falls the spray coming off the 126′ fall creates a cool oasis surrounded by trees. Swimming is allowed.

Pets do need to be leashed on the trail, it can be narrow and busy in some places. It is best to go early to avoid the worst of the heat during the summer and crowds.  We arrived at the falls just after sunrise and had the area to our selves.

Take lots of water for both you and your pet and booties aren’t a bad idea to protect against the hot sand. Last time there we saw a dog being carried out with bloody paws. Emergency water is left at intervals along the trail by the camp host but during the summer daily rescues are common.

Upper Calf Creek Falls

The upper falls is a shorter hike over slickrock marked by cairns and rated moderate. It is also pet friendly with swimming allowed. We haven’t explored this trail yet.

The campground

Calf Creek segments the campground into two parts. There are 13 first-come sites with no hook ups. During the heat of a summer day the creek provides a cool place to set up a chair and relax. Staying in the campground is the best way to get an early start on the hike to the falls or even a sunset hike. Speaking from experience the trail can be a little hard to follow in the dark especially when both flashlights go out.

Map of the Calf Creek area

Grand Staircase-Escalante gets a 4-paw rating for being extremely dog friendly.