Upper South Desert Overlook

The turnoff is about 27 miles from Highway 24 along unpaved Hartnet Road, then a short spur leads to the walk. The path starts across easier ground and climbs steeply near the end. Hartnet and Cathedral Valley roads require high clearance, and four-wheel drive is often recommended. The direct Hartnet approach from Highway 24 also has an unbridged Fremont River ford. Check road, weather, and ford conditions before committing; bentonite clay can turn impassable when wet, and there is no potable water in Cathedral Valley.

Expect a short out-and-back with a steep finish; the exact distance depends on which viewing ledge you visit. Pets are not allowed on the path or in backcountry areas. The ridge is cut by deep fissures. For a photo, keep some of the broken rock in the foreground; it shows the edge and scale of the overlook.

The upper South Desert spreads below, bordered by steep cliffs on its north side. Henry Mountains rise to the east. On clear days, the distant view also reaches Factory Butte and Acklin Peak to the southwest, with Thousand Lake Mountain and the cliffs of Upper Cathedral Valley to the northwest. Look closely at the orange cliffs: their faces are fluted and streaked, and dark volcanic dikes cut through layers farther southwest.

South Desert is a long, narrow valley that runs parallel to the Waterpocket Fold. From its upper end, the overlook gives you a broad view into that landscape rather than a single close-up formation. Cathedral Valley's bentonite hills are made from altered volcanic ash in Jurassic-age shale; when wet, the clay becomes slick and gummy, which is why weather can change the drive so quickly.

The valley was named in 1945 by Frank Beckwith and Charles Kelly. Its tall, upward-sweeping formations reminded them of Gothic and Egyptian architecture, a description that makes sense once you see how the cliffs rise above the open desert.