Lower Cathedral Valley Overlooks Route

Lower Cathedral Valley Overlooks Route is a roughly 1.7-mile out-and-back from Hartnet Road to the western saddle above Lower Cathedral Valley. From up there, you get a bird's-eye view of the eroded valley and the Temples of the Sun and Moon, a very different angle from looking up at the monoliths below. I'd make the detour if you're already heading into Cathedral Valley and are comfortable with a remote, rough-road outing. The hike itself is short; getting there and following the faint route are the real commitment. Allow about 1 to 2 hours.

A wooden sign with a ridge diagram marks the start. A faint path heads north across a brushy flat, then climbs a short, steep pitch to the rim of the western saddle. The mapped route follows that path to the view and returns the same way. That short western-saddle return is the most straightforward version to navigate.

There is a longer, roughly 2.5-mile option to a second saddle east of the first. To reach it, hikers return to the base of the cliffs, follow a sandy wash east, then cross open ground back to the start. The two saddles are about 0.9 mile apart, and there is no reliable trail connecting them. Treat that as a separate cross-country choice, not a marked loop.

The western saddle looks north over Lower Cathedral Valley. The Temples of the Sun and Moon are Entrada Sandstone, formed about 160 million years ago in Jurassic tidal flats. For a photo, include the eroded spires below and some of the broad valley beyond; a tight shot of the rock loses the scale that makes this viewpoint different.

This is an unofficial, unmaintained route through open desert, not a built trail. The tread is faint, the climb to the saddle is steep, and cairns may be absent or misleading. Bring the map-reading skills to follow the route without relying on markers. The optional eastern-saddle extension has no reliable connecting trail. There is no potable water in Cathedral Valley. Pets are not allowed on trails or in off-trail backcountry areas.

The signed trailhead and dirt parking are on Hartnet Road, 17.6 miles from Highway 24. Cathedral and Hartnet roads require high clearance, and four-wheel drive is often recommended. The southern Hartnet approach crosses the Fremont River at an unbridged ford; never attempt it during high water. Wet bentonite clay and deep sand can make the roads impassable, and they are not plowed in winter. Spring and fall are the usual best seasons. Check the road and river conditions before you leave paved roads.