Utah · Hiking · Near Moab

Carpenter Basin

6.8 mi
round trip
505 ft
climb
8,275 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct
best months

Is Carpenter Basin open right now?

No closures listed

The Forest Service lists no closures for Manti-La Sal National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Manti-La Sal National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Carpenter Basin is a 6.8-mile out-and-back hike in the Moab Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest in Utah. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail runs from a low point of 7,929 feet to a high of 8,275 feet, with a total elevation gain of about 505 feet. It is a hard route. The trail is on natural surface, and it is open to both horses and bikes. It is not an accessible trail. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 69°F in May to 75°F in September, while July highs reach about 86°F and winter highs hover near 37°F. That station sits roughly 1,500 feet lower than the high point of the hike, so temperatures on the basin run cooler. The trail is open year-round. Pack Creek is about 0.8 mile away, and Hell Canyon is about 1.3 miles away. For climbing, the La Sal Mountains are about 4.6 miles off, and Upper Onion Creek Campground is about 6 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Mount Peale Free Camping

    Campground

    Campground · 4.1 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Branding Iron Bar & Grill

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 13 mi
  • If it rainsCarter Pape, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Hell's Revenge

    Attraction

    In town

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Carter Pape, CC BY-SA 4.0 (commons)

More in Moab

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct

    Best time to visit Carpenter Basin

    Best months: April–June and August–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      37° / 17°

      6 wet

    2. Feb

      41° / 21°

      6 wet

    3. Mar

      51° / 28°

      6 wet

    4. Apr

      59° / 32°

      6 wet

    5. May

      69° / 40°

      5 wet

    6. Jun

      81° / 50°

      4 wet

    7. Jul

      86° / 57°

      7 wet

    8. Aug

      84° / 55°

      7 wet

    9. Sep

      75° / 48°

      6 wet

    10. Oct

      62° / 36°

      5 wet

    11. Nov

      48° / 26°

      5 wet

    12. Dec

      37° / 17°

      5 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at La Sal 1sw, UT, 7.8 mi away at 6,787 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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