Cohab Canyon Trail

The Fruita trailhead is just beyond the Gifford House and before Fruita Campground. The trail starts with the hardest work: about 22 switchbacks climb roughly 400 feet in the first quarter-mile, crossing a pale, colorful slope below the cliffs. Take it steadily; the grade eases once you reach the saddle. Looking back, the green patchwork of Fruita sits below the Fruita Cliffs, with Johnson Mesa and Boulder Mountain beyond it.

From the saddle, the route descends into Cohab Canyon and follows a sandy wash between sculpted walls. For a short stretch the walking line blends into the arroyo, so keep an eye on the trail markers and junctions instead of following every side wash. Several narrow side canyons branch away; some end at dryfalls. Near the main route, look for a small mushroom-shaped hoodoo and the hollowed pothole locals call Cohab Canyon Arch.

The Fruita Overlooks spur leaves the through-trail and climbs steeply to a broad terrace, then branches north and south. The North Overlook faces Fremont River Canyon, Walker Peak and the pale Navajo formations across Utah 24; the South Overlook looks back down Cohab Canyon. The spur is optional and is not included in the 1.7-mile through-route. From the north side, include the canyon and light-colored cliffs in the same view; from the south, the walls show how tightly the wash is tucked into the plateau.

Cohab is a hanging canyon cut into Wingate sandstone. Its red walls are pitted with small hollows called tafoni, while softer Chinle mudstone forms the slope below. Pale Navajo sandstone and multicolored Kayenta ledges add contrast around the canyon and at the overlooks. The pocked rock is easy to miss when you are watching your feet, so take a moment to look across the walls as well as up the trail.

The settlement below was first called Junction and took the name Fruita in 1902. No more than ten Mormon families lived there. A local legend says the canyon name refers to polygamist wives hidden here while federal officers were pursuing their husbands; that story is not established by the park’s historical account, so treat it as folklore. The Gifford House is close to the Fruita end, with seasonal pies and snacks as a separate stop rather than food on the trail.

There is no water on the route. Carry enough for the steep, exposed climb and the canyon crossing; nearby taps at Fruita facilities are seasonal. The wash and narrow side slots are dangerous places to be when storms threaten because flash floods can rise through canyons. Pets are not allowed on park trails. Fruita-area parking can fill during busy months from midmorning into the afternoon, so start early or later in the day.