Utah · Hiking

Straight Cliffs Trail

3.5 mi
round trip
1,215 ft
climb
5,976 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Apr–May, Sep–Oct
best months

Straight Cliffs Trail is a 7-mile out-and-back hike on Bureau of Land Management land in the Kanab Field Office in southern Utah. The trail rises from about 4,740 feet to about 5,976 feet, with a total elevation gain of 1,215 feet, and is rated moderate. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Escalante weather station show May highs around 76°F and October highs around 68°F, while July averages about 92°F and January highs sit near 43°F. Several other trails lie within a few miles, including Lower Dry Fork Trail about 1.8 miles away and Betty Pass Caves Trail, Brimstone Gulch Trail and Dry Fork Narrows Trail, each about 2.4 miles off.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · Apr–May, Sep–Oct

    Best time to visit Straight Cliffs Trail

    Best months: April–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.

    1. Jan

      43° / 19°

      4 wet

    2. Feb

      48° / 23°

      5 wet

    3. Mar

      58° / 29°

      4 wet

    4. Apr

      66° / 35°

      4 wet

    5. May

      76° / 42°

      4 wet

    6. Jun

      87° / 50°

      3 wet

    7. Jul

      92° / 57°

      7 wet

    8. Aug

      89° / 56°

      9 wet

    9. Sep

      81° / 47°

      6 wet

    10. Oct

      68° / 37°

      4 wet

    11. Nov

      54° / 26°

      3 wet

    12. Dec

      43° / 19°

      4 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Escalante, UT, 30.4 mi away at 5,810 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

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

Lower Dry Fork Trail

~3 min drive

2.88-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 1,262 ft elevation gain/loss

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

Brimstone Gulch Trail

~4 min drive

1.03-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 246 ft of elevation gain.

Coyote Gulch - Jacob Hamblin Arch TrailPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Coyote Gulch - Jacob Hamblin Arch Trail

~17 min drive

4.0-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 740 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Window Wind Arch Trail

~12 min drive

1.85-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 1,737 ft elevation gain.

Dry Fork Narrows TrailPhoto: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Dry Fork Narrows Trail

~4 min drive

1.1-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 149 ft of elevation gain

Coyote Gulch - Crack-In-The-Wall TrailPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Coyote Gulch - Crack-In-The-Wall Trail

~20 min drive

5.06-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 1,037 ft elevation gain and loss.

HIKE

Harris Wash Trail

~24 min drive

4.28-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 1,773 ft gain.

Dry Fork Coyote Gulch TrailPhoto: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Dry Fork Coyote Gulch Trail

~4 min drive

3.2-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 993 ft elevation gain

Reflection Canyon TrailPhoto: Jason Hollinger, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Reflection Canyon Trail

~33 min drive

15.14-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 1,667 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Fifty-Mile Canyon Trail

~26 min drive

2.98-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 4,551 ft elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors