Varney Griffin Trail
- 9.5 mi
- round trip
- 1,432 ft
- climb
- 8,447 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Varney Griffin Trail open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Dixie National Forest.
Duck Creek OHV Trail Closure
Agency alert covering Dixie National Forest · Order 0407-26-11 · USFS · Dixie National Forest
Pine Valley Ranger District Area and Trail and Road Closure
Agency alert covering Dixie National Forest · Order 0407-26-01 · USFS · Dixie National Forest
Cedar City Temporary Road Closure Webster Flat Road (Order 0407-25-02)
Agency alert covering Dixie National Forest · Order 0407-25-02 · USFS · Dixie National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Dixie National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Varney Griffin Trail is a hard hike of about 9.5 miles in the Escalante Ranger District of Dixie National Forest in southern Utah, managed by the Forest Service. The nearest town is Escalante, about 11 miles away. The trail is an out-and-back with a one-way climb of about 1,432 feet, from a low point of roughly 7,000 feet to a high of about 8,450 feet. The route is on natural surface, and it is open to both horses and bikes. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Bryce Canyon show July highs around 81°F with lows near 45°F, while winter highs stay in the mid-30s. Hog Ranch Trail starts about a mile away, and Beck Hollow Trail and Posey Lookout Trail are within about 3.5 miles. Posey Lake Campground, about 4 miles off, is the closest place to camp.
Local outfitters
- Canyons of Escalante RV Park11 mi away
- Escalante Outfitters11 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Varney Griffin Trail
Best months: June–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.
Jan
36° / 6°
6 wet
Feb
38° / 10°
7 wet
Mar
45° / 18°
7 wet
Apr
54° / 24°
6 wet
May
64° / 31°
6 wet
Jun
76° / 37°
4 wet
Jul
81° / 45°
9 wet
Aug
79° / 45°
11 wet
Sep
71° / 37°
7 wet
Oct
59° / 26°
5 wet
Nov
46° / 15°
5 wet
Dec
35° / 6°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bryce Canyon Ap, UT, 26.2 mi away at 7,586 ft. The station sits about 900 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
Photo: Jason J. Corneveaux, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Upper Death Hollow
~14 min drive
4.33-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 258 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Jason J. Corneveaux, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Death Hollow
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21.35-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 160 ft elevation gain.
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Hog Ranch Trail
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0.75-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 56 ft of elevation gain.
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Great Western Trail - Pine Creek Section
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15.13-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 3,042 ft of elevation gain.
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Hog Ranch Trail
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4.10-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 150 ft elevation gain.
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Beck Hollow Trail
~5 min drive
7.08-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 1,806 ft gain.
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Posey Lookout Trail
~6 min drive
1.38-mile out-and-back hike to Posey Lookout with 442 ft gain in Utah.
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Island in the Sky Trail
~7 min drive
2.06-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 927 ft elevation gain.
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Pine Creek
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8.92-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 1,815 ft elevation gain.
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Posey Spur Trail
~6 min drive
0.96-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 229 ft gain.
