Coyote Gulch
St. George, UT
5.0 (67 reviews)Trip Highlights
- Remote Wilderness
- Arches & Natural Bridges
- Enchanting Escalante River
- Desert Oases
- Cultural History & Petroglyphs
- Soaring Canyon Walls
- Amazing Night Skies
Description
This is our most popular hike in Utah and deservedly so. We give you a glimpse of what Glen Canyon was like before being flooded by Lake Powell, and as such this is a true treasure. Highlights include beautifully sculpted streambeds, intimate cascades and waterfalls, deep overhangs and alcoves, and numerous natural bridges and arches. This hike has incredible diversity, as we finish with an exciting ascent out of the canyon and across a stretch of signature Utah slickrock.
Our backpacking trip begins in St. George, Utah where we get an early start and drive to the remote trailhead. From the trailhead we’ll work our way down the Coyote Gulch drainage. For the next four days this dramatic canyon takes us through some of the most beautiful country in the United States. It culminates on Days 3 and 4 with an amazing arch, natural bridge, pictographs, waterfalls, fantastic side canyon exploration, and a memorable ascent out of the canyon. Our guests tend to fall in love with this route but we want to forewarn you, the power of this place awakens strong emotion. People often feel compelled to return again and again throughout their lifetime in search of more “good times!”
Watch a video of Wildland guests describing Coyote Gulch while on the trip!
Need to Know: Waste Regulation & Width Requirement
Waste Regulation – The public agencies that oversee this region require that everyone doing Coyote Gulch pack out all solid waste, including human waste. We provide resources and training to make this manageable and efficient. However, if you’d rather embark on a trip in this region where that isn’t required, we recommending checking out the 4-day Boulder Mail Trail.
Width/Climbing Requirement – You must be able to fit through an 18 inch “crack in the wall” on the final day of this tour. To test whether you can fit through, we recommend opening up a door to 18 inches, turning sideways and shuffling through the opening. You must also be able to safely navigate a tight corridor that involves a climb up and over a rock shelf and maneuvering your body weight in this condensed environment. The terrain in this sandstone crack can be sandy, steep, rocky, uneven and/or muddy. Hikers must be able to remain balanced in this terrain with or without support. There is not an alternative exit for this final day of the tour. If you’re unable to fit through an 18-inch crack or uncomfortable with the terrain, we recommend looking at the Boulder Mail Trail as a great alternative Utah backpacking trip.
$1975 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 3
Scale of 1-5. 1 is least difficult; 5 is most difficult
Most days on this trip are relatively flat with little elevation gain, but the final day involves a 800 foot climb over 2.5 miles and squeezing through the 18 inch wide “Crack-in-the-Wall”. You will need to fit through the 18 inch crack, there is no alternative route.
Hiking Distances:
2-6 mi
Backpack Weight:
30-35 lbs
Terrain:
Significantly Rugged
Max Daily Elev. ↑↓:
800 ft
Heights Exposure:
Light
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THIS TRIP
- Hiking uphill or downhill with a 30-35 lb backpack for 5-7 hours
- Maintaining balance and footing on variable terrain
- You must be able to fit through an 18 inch “crack in the wall” on the final day of this tour. To test whether you can fit through, we recommend opening up a door to 18 inches, turning sideways and shuffling through the opening. You must also be able to safely navigate a tight corridor that involves a climb up and over a rock shelf and maneuvering your body weight in this condensed environment. The terrain in this sandstone crack can be sandy, steep, rocky, uneven and/or muddy. Hikers must be able to remain balanced in this terrain with or without support. There is not an alternative exit for this final day of the tour.
SOLITUDE LEVEL 3
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this Utah backpacking trip a Level 3 on solitude. You can expect to see a handful of other groups per day. At certain times of year, such as Spring Break, you can expect to see more people.
UTAH SALES TAX
Utah is the only state we are based in that charges sales tax to outfitters and guides. The sales tax is based on the St. George, UT municipality rates, which are adjusted occasionally but are in the 6-7% range. For all of our hiking and backpacking tours that originate from our St. George, Utah base (Utah, Joshua Tree and Death Valley trips), the sales tax will be applied automatically to your payments. Feel free to call us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) with any questions!
Private Trips
Travel in perfect company by booking a private trip exclusively for your group!
Our sliding scale for private trips is based on the final number of guests in your group. Rates are per person and do not include sales tax, national park fees or guide gratuity. The final rate is based on the actual number of guests on the trip and may adjust based on cancellations or additions.
Please Note: you can also enjoy a private trip at our normal scheduled rates by filling any empty tour to capacity. However, if group members drop from the tour those spots will automatically become available on our website for instant booking. By purchasing a private trip at the rates listed below, your trip will remain exclusive to your group regardless of cancellations.
Private Rates FOr This Trip
- 2 People: Rate x 2.5
- 3 People: Rate x 1.75
- 4 People: Rate x 1.25
- 5+ People: Rate x 1.15
*all rates are per person
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Itinerary
Day 1
- Shuttle to the trailhead: 5-hour drive from St. George
- Mileage: 5 miles
- Elevation Loss: 300 feet
This Utah backpacking trip begins at a remote trailhead at the “headwaters” of Utah’s Coyote Gulch. From the trailhead we hike a short distance before entering an open and dry wash, the upper section of Coyote Gulch. The day’s hike continues downstream and gradually the wash begins to resemble a canyon as short walls of Navajo Sandstone begin to appear on either side of the wash and we come to several pour-offs and short waterfalls. Just as the canyon begins deepening we’ll find ourselves in a beautiful cottonwood grove and our camp for the evening.
Day 2
- Mileage: 6 miles plus optional day hikes
- Elevation Loss: 200 feet
Continuing our hike downstream through stands of cottonwood and willows, the gulch deepens and narrows and encloses us in a towering corridor of sandstone. The creek is flowing continuously now and there are numerous crossings. As we progress, the day’s changing light plays on the canyon’s walls in a brilliant show of reds, yellows and browns. These imposing walls are the backdrop for features closer at hand: beautifully sculpted streambeds and intimate little cascades and waterfalls.
After a few miles of hiking in an especially sinuous and narrow part of the gulch, we’ll hike by an amazing backcountry arch. Another half mile hike downstream brings us to a natural bridge. We’ll walk directly underneath this unbelievable feature and make camp in the vicinity.
After dinner we’ll explore the truly amazing Native American ruins nearby. Bands of Fremont people, a pre-Columbian culture that lived contemporaneously with the Anasazi through 1300 AD, once called Coyote Gulch their home. They farmed plots of land and made their dwellings beneath the canyon’s walls. Our second night’s campsite allows us to see a fine pictograph panel at the base of the Navajo Sandstone, a small ruin littered with artifacts, and a Fremont Indian dwelling.
Day 3
- Mileage: 2.5 miles and 2 miles optional day hiking
- Elevation Gain: 600 feet
- Elevation Loss: 600 feet
A casual morning and delicious breakfast will precede more beautiful hiking downstream. Several miles from camp we’ll hike beneath yet another wonderful rock feature, a spectacular arch several hundred feet above the canyon floor. The character of the canyon changes again as we progress, becoming wider with steep vegetated hillsides beginning to appear beneath the canyon’s walls. Larger pour-offs accompany a higher stream volume and sandstone terraces begin to appear above deep overhangs where the stream flows.
After traversing a sandstone slab we’ll follow the terraces for easier hiking and ascend 200 feet above the stream to our dramatic campsite overlooking the confluence of the Escalante River and Coyote Gulch. Camping here under a steep cliff wall, looking directly through Stevens Arch. Time permitting, we’ll have the opportunity to attempt to day hike to the confluence of the Escalante River or to a remote and spectacular side canyon. Those so inclined are more than welcome to relax in camp and enjoy the breathtaking views of the stunning Escalante Canyon rather than day hike.
Day 4
- Mileage: 2.5 miles
- Elevation Gain: 800 feet
- Shuttle to St. George: 5-hour drive
Following breakfast we’ll break camp and begin our ascend up a long sandy slope. It is a strenuous hike in soft sand to the “crack in the wall,” a narrow crevice we’ll use to escape the canyon’s upper-most cliff wall. From the top we’ll have a brilliant view of the Escalante River and the surrounding canyon system. After the guide hauls everyone’s backpack over the rim with a rope we’ll hike two miles across the desert to our ending trailhead and our vehicle. Refreshing drinks and a comfy suburban signify the end of our Utah backpacking trip and will get us safely back to St. George.
Please Note: participants must be able to fit through an 18 inch “crack in the wall” on the final day of this tour. To test whether you can fit through, we recommend opening up a door to 18 inches, turning sideways and shuffling through the opening. If you’re unable to, we recommend looking at the Boulder Mail Trail as a great alternative Utah backpacking trip.
Please Note: We always do everything in our power to follow the set itinerary, however it can change occasionally based on temporary access restrictions, weather, lodging/campground availability, guest ability/injury, natural events like fires and flooding, and other potential causes. Normal terms and conditions apply to trips with itinerary changes.
TRIP DATES & BOOKING
AVAILABLE TO BOOK
This trip is available and bookable online! Click on the date to register now or contact us online to book through our award-winning customer service team!
GOING FAST
This trip has 1 or 2 spots remaining and is bookable online! Click on the date to book now or contact us online to book through customer service.
REQUEST A RESERVATION
This trip is exclusively booked through customer service due to logistics with lodging, permits, staffing, availability, or something else. Please contact us online or call us at 800-715-HIKE (4453) to request a reservation.
Don't see your dates? Call us! We may be able to add new trip dates.
800-715-HIKE (4453)Trip Details
What's Included
- Top-of-the-line tent, backcountry sleeping pad and multi-day backpack
- High quality, synthetic sleeping bag (professionally laundered after every use) – or bring your own.
- Use of trekking poles
- Use of Neoprene socks
- All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
- Trained hiking guide(s) with years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. See Guide Bios.
- Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in St. George, Utah to the trailhead and back
- National park entrance fees
- Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and satellite communication device
What's Not Included
- Clothes, raingear, and footwear (see recommendations)
- Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
- Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight
- Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost)
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about what to pack.
Meals: What to Expect
All of our hiking and backpacking tours include a diversity of tasty meals packed full of critical carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We carry foods that travel well in the backcountry – rice, pastas, lentils, beans, couscous, packaged meats, nuts, breads, oatmeal, granola, and more.
For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables (fresh and dried). In addition, we provide you with with an assortment of trail mix, snacks, and dried fruits to eat at your own discretion.
We regularly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher and non-gluten diets and will make adjustments for food allergies. These and other special dietary requests may require an additional fee.
Gear We Provide
We provide all group gear which includes the following:
- Deuter or Osprey backpacks
- Sierra Designs, Kelty or Big Agnes tents
- Sierra Designs, Big Agnes and Mountain Hardware synthetic-fill sleeping bags (or bring your own)
- Thermarest or Big Agnes sleeping pads
- Leki trekking poles
- Cooking stoves and cookware
- Company-issued first-aid kit
- Emergency communication device(s)
Guest Packing List
When you register for this tour you’ll receive access to a printable, downloadable trip information packet with a detailed packing list specific to this trip (click here to see it now.) All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots, rain gear, a recommended clothing system, a headlamp or flashlight, a hydration system (water bottles and/or bladder) and other items specific to each trip.
Additionally, some guests choose to bring their own sleeping bag. We supply high quality, synthetic fill bags that are professionally laundered after every trip. Synthetic fill is non-allergenic, insulates when damp and stands up well to repeated washings, but is heavier and bulkier than down. If you’re able to bring your own down sleeping bag, there are multiple benefits. If not, we’ve got you covered!
Trip Logistics
How Do I Register?
Reserve your spot today! In the Trip Dates & Booking section of this page, the green and red dates are bookable online by simply clicking on the date, and blue dates must be booked through our customer service team for a variety of possible reasons. To email our customer service team, you can click here to get the ball rolling. Our adventure consultants will confirm availability, and if you’re ready to register we’ll email you a link to a registration profile. You’ll have 72 hours to complete your profile (and that of any dependents) and pay the deposit.
Feel free to call us for more info – we’re here 7 days a week!
Where Do We Meet?
You will rendezvous with the guide and group in St. George, Utah for an orientation meeting at 5:00 PM the evening before the trip begins. Your guide will be in contact approximately 2 weeks before your trip starts to specify the orientation location. The guide will then pick you up at your hotel the next morning for transport to the trailhead. For Private Utah Tours your guide can meet you at your hotel in St. George or Cedar City, Utah at an agreed upon time.
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about flights, shuttles, recommended lodging and more.
Travel to St. George, Utah
This Utah trip originates in St. George, Utah where you’ll meet your guide and group. St. George has a small airport served by Delta Connection and United Express. From the St. George Airport one can take a taxi into town or some hotels offer a complimentary airport shuttle. The more popular method of travel though is to fly into Las Vegas, NV and take a shuttle (www.stgshuttle.com or https://saltlakeexpress.com/destination/las-vegas-airport-nv/) to St. George. This is often your cheapest option. It is a 2-hour drive from Las Vegas to St. George on good roads.
Pre and Post-trip On Request Lodging
We secure limited amounts of pre and post trip lodging in St. George, Utah as an optional add-on for guests of this trip. This lodging is on request, and is available on a first come, first serve basis. If interested, please reach out directly to our team to check availability.
Start/End Times
Your guide will inform you of the first day’s pick-up time at the orientation meeting. Generally, you can expect it to be between 5 and 8 am, although the exact time will depend on current weather and road conditions. We will drop you off at your hotel on the final day no later than 7 PM.
Safety Precautions
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT’s, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. Guides adhere to standardized risk management protocols in case of any potential or actual incident, and all tours carry an emergency communication device and comprehensive first-aid kit. Additionally we have a “24/7” system through which guides or guests can reach Wildland support personnel at any time.
If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Essential Eligibility Criteria
Essential Eligibility Criteria (“EEC”) have been specifically identified to help you understand the skills and abilities necessary to participate on each Wildland trip, and they apply uniformly to all potential trip participants, irrespective of the presence or absence of any disability.
Once you identify a trip in which you may be interested, please carefully review the EEC and itinerary details. If after reviewing the EEC that apply to your desired trip, you determine you need an accommodation in order to meet the EEC, please contact us prior to registering to discuss your requested accommodation.
The EEC exist for your own safety and the safety and enjoyment of all participants. If you are unable to meet the EEC for the trip, with or without an accommodation, you are not eligible for that trip. If you register and arrive for a trip for which you do not meet the EEC, you will be disqualified from participation on the trip and will be dismissed or evacuated from the trip without a refund.
Guide Working Parameters
Guides are required to take 8 hours off each 24-hour period to sleep, recuperate, take personal/down time…etc. In addition, as part of the 8 hours off they must sleep/rest or be in their tents/rooms uninterrupted for a minimum of 5 hours each night. We ask guests to respect these requirements and to not interrupt guides’ off time and sleep time unless there is a true emergency.
Age Restrictions
Age restrictions on this trip are as follows:
- 12 and older to join scheduled tours (mixed groups)
- 5 and older to join private tours, with final approval and specific logistical requirements (such as porter or stock assist) determined on a case by case basis
Weather in Southern Utah
Weather in Southern Utah
Southern Utah is a high desert. The weather is very moderate: occasional dustings of snow in the winter that melt rapidly, and summer temperatures in the low 90s (°F) that often cool down with thunderstorms. To be fully prepared, please follow the recommended clothing list closely (this list comes as part of your trip packet when you register). The ideal time to be in the Canyon Country is Spring and Fall. Read below for average high and low temperatures in Utah’s Canyon Country:
| Average Temperatures (Fahrenheit) | |||
|
Month
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Dec-Feb
|
43°
|
18°
|
|
|
March
|
55°
|
27°
|
|
|
April
|
64°
|
33°
|
|
|
May
|
73°
|
40°
|
|
|
Jun-Aug
|
88°
|
55°
|
|
|
September
|
79°
|
45°
|
|
|
October
|
67°
|
35°
|
|
|
November
|
53°
|
25°
|
|
Accommodations
Backcountry Sleeping
TENT CAMPING
Sleeping on backpacking trips is in premier 1-person, 2-person or 4-person backcountry tents. Solo travelers, and anyone else who requests it, are issued single tents. Top-of-the-line self-inflating sleeping pads and synthetic-fill sleeping bags (professionally laundered after every trip) are also provided.
Backcountry Cuisine
FRESH & DELICIOUS
Meals from breakfast Day 1 through lunch the last day are fully included and prepared by your guide. We never use dehydrated backpacking meals, instead serving freshly prepared, delicious backcountry cuisine made with a variety of common and specialty ingredients that travel well in the wilderness.
Amazing Campsites
IN THE ACTION
Campsites vary by destination, trip and even by the individual day of a trip. However, you can expect to camp in beautiful areas that put you right in the action to make the most of your trekking adventure. We carefully design our itineraries with campsites in mind.
Trip Reviews
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- Most recent
- LOW - HIGH
- HIGH - LOW
Andrew W.
Good trip but some gear issues
Food planning was excellent. Chris was also excellent. Improvement opportunities include more comfortable transportation to the trailhead. The back row of the Suburban is very uncomfortable for 3 adult males for 5 hours each way. Also, one of our party had a defective sleeping pad, which couldn't be fixed in the field. IMO that's unacceptable for Wildland given how important the pad is of avoiding hypothermia. Also, another member of our party had a mismatched tent fly that couldn't attach to the tent itself. This was less of an issue, but seems to indicate there's a QA issue with gear. This is why I bring my own pack, sleeping bag and pad. However, our party was a bit disappointed by these gear issues.
Matthew G
Fabulous trip.
Fantastic experience using Wildland for the first time. Wes (guide) was a pro. Trip description and level of difficulty well -represented in the trip description.
Harold G
Fabulous Experience
The Coyote Gulch trek with Wildland Trekking was a fantastic experience - not just for 1) the spectacular scenary 2) the benefit of an amazing and skilled guide that was an outdoor leader, an educator, a cook, a driver and an expert blister paramedic and c) an amazing group of six folks seeking a common adventure (and similar sense of humor) - but for the fact one could have all three of these elements in one trip. Most difficult decision now, what's next?
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