Heart of Rocks Loop

Heart of Rocks Loop is a strenuous round trip from Echo Canyon: descend Ed Riggs into the canyon, climb Mushroom Rock, follow Big Balanced Rock to the formations, circle the Heart clockwise, then retrace the same approach. The 2026 park map lists 7.4 miles round trip and more than 1,000 feet of gain, in a 4–6 hour strenuous category; a park hiking page gives 7.3 miles. The line shown here measures about 7.05 miles because the mapped trail around the destination is shorter than the map’s 1.1-mile loop label. Use the park estimates as guidance, allow for the mismatch, and follow signs at junctions. The small destination circuit is only the final part of the hike.

Ed Riggs starts with a descent from the Echo Canyon side, dropping into a drainage before the route turns uphill on Mushroom Rock. That segment climbs about 610 feet to the ridge. Continue on Big Balanced Rock Trail; it follows the ridge and passes Big Balanced Rock before reaching the Heart loop. The sequence makes this outing a sustained approach followed by a separate rock garden. It is not a short stroll around formations from a nearby pullout: most of the distance is on the shared approach and return.

At the loop junction, walk through the trees to the sign on the left, climb the large boulders and follow the loop clockwise. The park map says the loop is difficult to follow in reverse. Expect rock steps and irregular footing among the pinnacles; slow down where the route rises over boulders. The clockwise circuit carries you through the formations rather than ending at one overlook. Visitors repeatedly point to the close-up towers and balancing shapes as the payoff for the longer approach. Look for a balanced cap framed by the surrounding pinnacles when the rocks open around the tread.

The rocks are rhyolite tuff. About 27 million years ago, an eruption formed the roughly 12-mile-wide Turkey Creek Caldera; ash and debris later compacted into tuff. Cracks and erosion sculpted the pillars and balanced forms seen along this route. Civilian Conservation Corps workers named many formations during their work here in the 1930s. The landmarks make the geology tangible: Mushroom Rock on the climb, Big Balanced Rock on the ridge, then the dense towers of the Heart.

Plan on 4–6 hours, more than 1,000 feet of gain and a full round trip. Carry all the water you will need; no on-route refill was identified. Echo Canyon has a parking area, but its capacity and amenities were not established in the sources reviewed. Dogs are prohibited on the trail. No separate activity fee or reservation is listed for this hike, though the park entrance fee may apply.