Experience Out Of This World Formations At Wahweap Hoodoos
The entire Grand Staircase Escalante Area is filled with a lot of out of this world natural formations, but the best of the lot are these ghosts, goblins like unique white stones called the Wahweap Hoodoos.
These white columns have Dakota sandstone caps of 100 million years old. The posts of these hoodoos are made of Entrada Sandstone which are 160 million years ago. These hoodoos are extremely fragile.
The trail is definitely easy to moderate depending on the time of the day you choose to hike, but the sight of these Hoodoos is something that you won’t experience anywhere else for sure!
Grooved mounds and eroded slope of white entrada sandstone at the Wahweap Hoodoos
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Distance = 9.2 miles (round trip)
Route Type = Out & Back
Elevation Gain = 229 ft
Difficulty Level = Moderate
Time = 4-5 hours
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The trailhead for the Wahweap Hoodoos is located up the “Nipple Creek” Road near the Big Water, UT.
Once you reach the Big Water town, turn left on Ethan Allen Road located between mile markers 6 & 7 on Highway 89. Keep driving past the gravel pits and past the two fish hatcheries.
If you are driving a 2WD, please pull out at the parking area before crossing the Nipple Creek which is roughly 3.5 miles from Highway 89.
If you have a 4WD, you can drive 0.5 miles further up the road till the confluence of Nipple Creek/Wahweap/Coyote Creek and park your vehicle.
Please park your vehicles on the southeast side of the Nipple Creek Road (right side) since there is a Wilderness Study area on the other side of the area.
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Ample of Water
Sunscreen - must have!
Light Snacks/Sandwich
Hiking Poles
Cap/Hat
Trail Map
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There is no portable water available during the hike, so please carry enough water with you (2-3 gallons)
In the entire trail route, there is no shade available, so please carry sunscreen and headgear along with you.
Spring or Fall is the best time to hike the trail. Our recommendation is to start the hike early in the day, as the sun can be too full in this part of the country.
There are absolutely no markings on the trail, so please carry a trail map with you for guidance.
Stop at the BLM visitor center near Big Water, UT, and check the weather conditions before you embark on your awesome hike.
Wahweap Hoodoos trail is a day hike and very lightly trafficked at any time of the day. It is definitely an off beat hike, with no trail markings at all, so carrying a compass or the trail map is highly recommended. Trail can be accessed year-round and there are no entrance fees.
The trail starts with the hike through the Wahweap Creek’s wash. The creek can be wet so be careful as you are walking through the wash since it can be extremely slippery. Approximately half a mile, you will see a fence suspended over the creek bed. Keep hiking north and you will start noticing taller and vertical sandstone formations. At the 2 mile mark, you will see the first glimpses of these ghostly white hoodoos on the west side of the wash. Around 3 miles, you will see dense clusters of these formations from which you will find difficult to gaze away.
Toad Stool formations at the Hoodoo Central area of the Wahweap Trail
"Hoodoo Central" with Conglomerate caprock, large pinnacle and balanced rocks.
From here hike another 1 mile by staying close to the edge of the white rock and avoiding the dense tamarisk. Hiking through these dense grove will lead to the second cove of White Hoodoos known as “Hoodoo Central”. Be careful as you are hiking, since these formations are very fragile formed by erosion of soft Entrada sandstone.
Spring Flowers seen on the Wahweap Hoodoos Trail
Tamarisk seen near the Wahweap Hoodoos Coves
Hiking 0.3 mile further north, you will see the most famous and the most photographed white hoodoo – “Towers of Silence”. The moment you see it, you can visibly see the stark contrast of this formation with the rest! Find a spot to rest and enjoy the serene, calm and spectacular hoodoos before you start to head back to your vehicles.
Towering Hoodoo at the "Tower of Silence" area
Cove of White Hoodoos
Intricate details of the Entrada Sandstone formation at the Wahweap Hoodoos
Vivid Hoodoo Structure at Wahweap Hoodoo Trail
We only saw one other group during the entire hike. It seemed like we were walking in the wash forever, however the destination made the distance worth it!
Check out our short hiking video of the trail!
No doubt mother nature has created tons and tons of varied formations in the world which are unusual in every sense. But trust us, when you visit Wahweap Hoodoos, you will find one of the most peculiar rock formations you would have ever seen!
These exquisite oddities are truly such a great geological formation to look at that we would never think twice before embarking on this trail again, when we visit the area.
Feel free to share your experience of this trail and any other comments you have!
