Halls Creek Narrows

Halls Creek Narrows is a 22.4-mile round-trip backpack with a loop at the far end: the water-filled Narrows on one side, Hall Divide on the other, then the same canyon approach back to Halls Creek Overlook. The route drops 800 feet over its first 1.2 miles, follows Halls Creek south for about 7.3 miles to the loop, then crosses 3.8 miles of Narrows and 1.7 miles over Hall Divide. Plan three to four days; this is a remote backcountry trip, not a day hike. The park’s route sheet gives 22.4 miles, while detailed track estimates run closer to 24 as the wash bends and meanders.

The overlook descent is steep and marked mainly by cairns. No sign marks the point where you climb out on the return, so note the landmarks before heading down. Beyond the creek bottom, route-finding is mostly through the open wash and old travel lines; there is no maintained, consistently signed trail to follow.

An old wagon track still cuts across some of Halls Creek’s wide bends. It gives parts of the long approach a firmer line than following every meander and is also visible on Hall Divide. The drainage sits between Hall Mesa’s cliffs and the slickrock of the Waterpocket Fold, so the open approach keeps changing which side of the canyon dominates the view.

The change is sudden: Halls Creek turns west out of the broad drainage and cuts into white Navajo sandstone. Cottonwoods cluster near the entrance, then the canyon walls close in for 3.8 miles. You are walking in the creek for much of this section, not beside a dry tread; pools can deepen after floods and sometimes require swimming. At bends, look back through the water toward the striped walls for the clearest sense of how narrow the canyon becomes.

Hall Divide rises just beyond the Narrows and is the loop’s sunnier, shadeless 1.7-mile leg. The old wagon route is the easiest line over it, though the start can be hard to pick out. You can cross the divide first and return through the Narrows to put the wet section in the cooler part of the day; either way, the long walk back follows Halls Creek to the steep climb out.

Spring and fall are the park’s recommended seasons; summer is extremely hot, and flash floods are a serious danger in these narrow canyons. Carry enough drinking water rather than relying on Fountain Tanks, which can be hard to find or dry. A topographic map and confident navigation are essential because the route is unmaintained and cairns may be absent or misleading. Reach the overlook by driving south from UT-24 on Notom-Bullfrog Road, then via Burr Trail Road and the Halls Creek Overlook spur. The final roughly three miles are rough and require high-clearance four-wheel drive. Free backcountry permits are required for overnight trips; pets are prohibited on trails and in backcountry areas, and camping is not allowed at the overlook.