Upheaval Crater Trail

Upheaval Crater Trail is a rugged 9.2-mile out-and-back from Syncline Trailhead to the crater floor. It follows the southern Syncline route for about 3.3 miles before joining the crater spur; the endpoint is roughly 4.6 miles from the road. Turn back at the wooden trail-end sign and retrace your steps. Budget about 7–8 hours. This is a strenuous day; the short Upheaval Dome overlooks and the full Syncline Loop are different outings.

The first stretch crosses open red rock on single-track. Around 0.85 mile in, the trail drops steeply into Syncline Valley on loose switchbacks, then works through boulders and washes. There’s a dry waterfall crossing near mile 1.6; look for the small rock step and cairns on the far side. Cairns can be sparse, so bring a detailed map and be ready to navigate. The same steep grade becomes a long climb on the way back.

At about mile 3.1, take the branch toward Upheaval Canyon. Roughly 0.3 mile later, stay on the crater route at the next junction. Cairned steps and scrambling skirt another dry waterfall before the trail enters a broad sandy wash between two bent rock columns. Keep right where the wash divides to remain in the wider canyon.

The route ends at a wooden sign inside Upheaval Dome, about 4.6 miles from the trailhead. Here the rock layers are more contorted and shift from rusty red toward darker gray. The paired columns at the wash entrance frame the change in rock and make a useful on-route view. At the signed end, the folded geology fills the wash around you.

Upheaval Dome is roughly three miles across, with a central uplifted dome surrounded by downwarped rock layers. Geologists still debate how it formed. One explanation is a rising mass of ancient salt; the other is a meteorite impact about 60 million years ago. Recent research supports the impact theory, but the story is not settled. From the wash, the folded layers close in around the route, making the deformation easy to read.

Start at Syncline Trailhead at the end of Upheaval Dome Road; there’s a restroom at the trailhead, but no potable water along the hiking trails. The park recommends at least 1 liter of water per person per hour and does not recommend the Syncline route during peak summer heat. Pets aren’t allowed on hiking trails. The loose descent, sparse markers and long return climb make this a poor choice if you want an easy crater viewpoint.