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The Plug Route in Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park, UT

The Plug Route

A hard one-way 3.9-mile connector from The Plug to Pictograph Fork.

Length
3.9mi
Time
2.3hr
Elev. change
830ft
Difficulty
Challenging
  • No dogs
  • High point 5,497 ft
DirectionsMap
Parkwolf audio tour43 stories across Canyonlands’s roads

Overview

About The Plug Route

The Plug Route is a 3.9-mile, one-way connector from The Plug rock formation north into Pictograph Fork. It drops into a ravine beside a natural bridge, then follows a sandy wash between red and white sandstone. This is a segment of a larger Maze backcountry trip, not a roadside day hike; plan how you’ll continue or return before setting out.

Why go

  • The Plug formation and a natural bridge punctuate the sandstone descent.
  • The wash between red and white sandstone gives the connector a distinct setting.

Heads up

  • Remote access makes this a segment of a larger Maze trip.
  • Steep slickrock, loose sand and difficult route-finding make it hard.

Map & elevation

The route

Loading the Canyonlands map
Full map
Elevation4,666–5,497 ft
TrailheadThe Plug rock formation38.17352, -109.99576
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Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

The route starts by The Plug formation, but a dedicated lot or signed day-hike trailhead there was not verified. Access it as part of a longer Maze itinerary using the district's backcountry roads; the north end joins Pictograph Fork, so plan a continuation or return before setting out.

Safety

Expect steep slickrock, loose sand and difficult route-finding on a minimally maintained route. Flash floods can form without warning in canyon washes. The park warns that some Maze routes have pour-offs and require a 25-foot rope to raise or lower packs; whether The Plug needs one is unknown.

2 active Canyonlands alerts

  • ClosureRain-damaged Needles backcountry roads impassableRecent rains have made several Needles backcountry roads impassable; do not drive these routes.Official details
  • CautionMaze access roads require high-clearance 4WDOnly use high-clearance 4WD to reach Hans Flat or Horseshoe Canyon in The Maze; low-clearance vehicles are not recommended on these damaged, rutted, muddy routes.Official details
Canyonlands alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Canyonlands Tour Guide

Your drive to The Plug Route, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Canyonlands National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

See the Canyonlands audio tour
  • 43 audio storiesacross Canyonlands’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Coyote, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 63 trails, 65 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
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Trail guide

Hiking The Plug Route

The routeBegin at the south end by The Plug and head north.

Begin at the south end by The Plug and head north. The route descends into the ravine and follows the wash toward Pictograph Fork. The mapped line measures 3.9 miles; a published figure gives 3.7, and the reason for the difference isn’t stated. Use 3.9 miles one way: this is a point-to-point connector, not a loop or round trip.

Effort and footingExpect steep slickrock and sand; this is a hard route despite its short mileage.

Expect steep slickrock and sand; this is a hard route despite its short mileage. Some steep angles may require hands-on scrambling. Plan around two to two and a half hours for the segment, with extra time for route-finding or a slower pace. The Plug formation and the nearby natural bridge are its standout rock features.

Access and planningThe south start is The Plug; the north end joins Pictograph Fork, so the route works best as…

The south start is The Plug; the north end joins Pictograph Fork, so the route works best as part of a longer Maze itinerary. A dedicated lot and signed day-hike access for this exact segment weren’t verified. Maze backcountry roads require a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle. Overnight trips require a backcountry permit; check current Maze access details before planning. Pets aren’t allowed on Canyonlands hiking trails.

SafetyMaze foot routes are minimally maintained, often unmarked and hard to follow.

Maze foot routes are minimally maintained, often unmarked and hard to follow. The Plug has steep slickrock and sand. The park warns that some Maze routes include pour-offs and need a 25-foot rope to raise or lower packs; that requirement isn’t confirmed for this exact line. Flash floods can form without warning in canyon washes.

backcountryconnectorsandstonescramblingnavigationremote

Wildlife

Wildlife in Canyonlands

All Canyonlands wildlife maps
Bighorn Sheep48 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapMule Deer47 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapCoyote12 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapWestern Rattlesnake30 sightingsWestern RattlesnakeMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapTurkey Vulture18 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapWild Turkey18 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Canyonlands. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near The Plug Route

See it all on the map

Trails that start nearby

ModerateChocolate Drops Trail8.8 mi · 5 hr · 1 mi awayCairned slickrock to four sandstone sentinels deep in The Maze.ChallengingHarvest Scene Route8.7 mi · 7 hr · 1.5 mi awayA rugged loop reaches the Maze’s famous Harvest Scene pictographs.ChallengingShot Canyon Route10.1 mi · 8 hr · 1.5 mi awayCairns lead from Chimney Rock into Shot Canyon's broad floor.ChallengingPete's Mesa Route8.4 mi · 6 hr · 1.5 mi awaySlickrock miles with the Maze spread out below.ChallengingChimney Rock Route2.3 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.5 mi awayA steep old stock route drops into Pictograph Fork.ModerateColorado and Green River Overlook Trail8.9 mi · 5 hr · 2.8 mi awayBeehive Arch and two river views reward a long Maze approach.ModerateGranary Trail1.9 mi · 2 hr · 2.8 mi awayA tight sandstone squeeze, an alcove granary and Colorado River views.ChallengingFins Trail through Ernie’s Country8.1 mi · 8 hr · 2.9 mi awayA remote cairned crossing through fins, sandy flats and narrow canyons.

Places near the trailhead

Sight · 0.3 mi awayStanding RockA roadside spire reached by a five-hour, low-range 4WD drive.Sight · 1.5 mi awayChimney RockA sandstone tower worth stopping for once you're deep in the Maze.Sight · 2.8 mi awayThe Doll HouseA sandstone spire city at the end of a six-hour 4WD route.Sight · 3.3 mi awayThe Harvest SceneA striking pictograph panel on a hard Maze backcountry loop.Sight · 3.3 mi awayChocolate DropsFour nearly 200-foot shale towers, deep in the Maze.Sight · 4.1 mi awayMaze OverlookA canyon panorama reached only after hours of rough 4WD travel.Sight · 6.3 mi awayConfluence OverlookAn 11-mile hike to where the Green and Colorado meet.Sight · 7.1 mi awayPanorama PointA two-hour 4WD crawl from Hans Flat ends above Horse Canyon.

Parkwolf’s Canyonlands ranking

Top-rated trails in Canyonlands

All 63 trails
  1. 1Mesa Arch TrailEasy · 0.6 mi
  2. 2Chesler Park Loop and Joint TrailChallenging · 10.7 mi
  3. 3Druid Arch TrailChallenging · 10.8 mi
  4. 4Grand View Point TrailEasy · 1.8 mi
  5. 5Horseshoe Canyon Trail to the Great GalleryChallenging · 7 mi
  6. 6White Rim Overlook TrailEasy · 1.8 mi

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