Utah · Hiking

Davis Canyon

1.18-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 124 ft elevation gain.

1.2 mi
round trip: 111 ft
climb: 5,334 ft
high point: Out and back
route

Best time to visit Davis Canyon

Best months: March–May and September–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.

Jan
42° / 17°
4 wet · 2 snow
Feb
49° / 23°
4 wet · 1 snow
Mar
59° / 30°
5 wet · 1 snow
Apr
67° / 36°
5 wet
May
77° / 46°
4 wet
Jun
89° / 56°
3 wet
Jul
95° / 63°
5 wet
Aug
92° / 61°
6 wet
Sep
84° / 51°
5 wet
Oct
70° / 38°
5 wet
Nov
55° / 26°
4 wet · 1 snow
Dec
42° / 18°
4 wet · 2 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Canyonlands-The Needles, UT, 8.2 mi away at 4,906 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Davis Canyon is an easy out-and-back hike on Bureau of Land Management land in the Monticello Field Office in Utah, about 23 miles from the town of La Sal Junction. The route is short and gentle, with a total round-trip distance of about 2.4 miles and a total elevation gain of about 111 feet. The climb is one way, and the steepest part comes at about 0.4 miles in, with a grade of about 3%. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Canyonlands-The Needles show May highs around 77°F and October highs around 70°F, while July averages about 95°F and January highs sit near 42°F. Several other destinations lie within a few miles. Castle Arch Trail and Fortress Arch Trail are both about 3 miles away, and the Trail To Gothic Arch is about 3.3 miles off. Climbers can head to Lavender Butte/The Happy Submarine, roughly 3.7 miles away.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Photo: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Photo: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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