Utah · Hiking

Stair Canyon Trail

Stair Canyon TrailPhoto: Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
16.2 mi
round trip
2,268 ft
climb
8,578 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Caution today

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 5 h ago

Is Stair Canyon Trail open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Fishlake National Forest.

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

Stair Canyon Trail is a hard hike of about 16 miles on natural trail in the Fremont River Ranger District of Fishlake National Forest in Utah, managed by the Forest Service. It is an out-and-back route with an elevation gain of about 2,270 feet, starting from a low of roughly 6,400 feet to a high near 8,580 feet. Summer and early fall are the mildest times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Loa weather station, which sits a few thousand feet lower, put July highs around 83°F and September highs near 75°F, with July and August bringing the most wet days. Expect cooler temperatures on the trail itself. The trail is open to horses and bikes. Indian Trail Bench is about 1.5 miles away, Bluegrass Trail about 1.9 miles, and A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway about 2.1 miles. For an overnight base, Oak Creek Campground is about 5 miles off.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Stair Canyon Trail

    Best months: May–September. 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

      40° / 10°

      4 wet

    2. Feb

      43° / 14°

      4 wet

    3. Mar

      51° / 20°

      4 wet

    4. Apr

      58° / 26°

      4 wet

    5. May

      67° / 35°

      5 wet

    6. Jun

      78° / 43°

      3 wet

    7. Jul

      83° / 50°

      7 wet

    8. Aug

      81° / 48°

      8 wet

    9. Sep

      75° / 39°

      5 wet

    10. Oct

      63° / 27°

      4 wet

    11. Nov

      50° / 18°

      3 wet

    12. Dec

      40° / 9°

      4 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Loa, UT, 31.9 mi away at 7,070 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.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Indian Trail BenchPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Indian Trail Bench

~3 min drive

1.75-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 62 ft of elevation gain.

Bluegrass TrailPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bluegrass Trail

~3 min drive

2.00-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 198 ft of elevation gain.

Friskey TrailPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Friskey Trail

~4 min drive

7.26-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 1,996 ft elevation gain.

A Journey Through Time Scenic BywayPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway

~4 min drive

3.94-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 520 ft elevation gain.

Deer Creek TrailPhoto: Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Deer Creek Trail

~4 min drive

2.48-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 611 ft of elevation gain.

Great Western TrailPhoto: Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Great Western Trail

~4 min drive

40.00-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 2,761 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Bowns Stock Drive

~6 min drive

1.42-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 906 ft elevation gain.

Deer Creek Lake TrailPhoto: Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Deer Creek Lake Trail

~6 min drive

1.44-mile out-and-back trail to Deer Creek Lake in Utah with 111 ft of elevation gain.

Long Neck TrailPhoto: Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Long Neck Trail

~4 min drive

23.78-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 860 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Great Western Trail - Browns Point Section

~6 min drive

3.83-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 636 ft elevation gain.