How to Thru Hike the 800 mile Hayduke Trail

The Hayduke Trail is a roughly 800 mile thru hike which starts in Arches National Park and ends in Zion National Park, crossing Southern Utah and Northern Arizona in the process.

It is mostly an off trail route, an idea and not so much a trail, a line on a map where the user must find their own way through a maze of canyons across the desert southwest.

It passes through 6 different National Parks along the way, as well as some very remote and untraveled areas in between. Places which are not easy to reach any other way than to simply walk.

Overall the Hayduke will take a hiker through some of the most spectacular and unique scenery in the entire United States over the course of the nearly two month hike.

Along the way you will find natural rock arches, deep narrow canyons, a masters degree of different geologic formations, hoodoos, spires, little desert flowers, and a variety of cacti. Sand dunes, rock falls, and slot canyons. Aspen, ponderosa, and sage. Snow on one day and then 100 degree temperatures the next, high alpine peaks followed by barren desert landscapes.

Above all you will find true solitude, and very likely not a single other hiker while on many different sections of this very much so untamed trail.

This is the place to challenge yourself and experience something entirely unique. The best parts often aren’t easy, while the easiest routes often aren’t good. If you wanted to walk a direct and easy line from Arches to Zion… that exists! and overall would be half the distance of the Hayduke, but did you then… hike the Hayduke?

A trail that is comparable to none.

Table of Contents

In this article you’ll find all sorts of information regarding the Hayduke Trail, and in general I have tried to answer all of the questions that I personally had before starting it. So, I hope you enjoy!

History of the Hayduke

The Hayduke Trail was originally an idea created by Joe Mitchell and Mike Coronella, a hiking route which would cross the Colorado Plateau of Southern Utah and Northern Arizona.

In 1998 that idea solidified into reality, over the course of 94 days Mike and Mitch walked across the state on a scouting mission. They then repeated that hike in the year 2000 on a 101 day trip, willing this route further into existence. Later in 2005 they published a guidebook, and they named the route the Hayduke Trail.

The outcome of those first trips and their vision really is something truly special. Even now 25 years later it is amazing how their original route is still so good, despite all the efforts of others to try and improve upon it in the years since. The biggest of thanks to them for making something that is so incredible from start to finish.

I have heard a rumor that originally they wanted this to become much more than a route, but do not know if that is true.

The Hayduke Trail gets its name from a character in the book “The Monkey Wrench Gang” by Edward Abbey. In the end however it is less of a homage to that character or that book specifically, and much more so the author himself.

Edward Abbey spent most of his adult life exploring the desert southwest and advocating for its protection through his novels. It is his passion for this part of the world and his defense of this fragile landscape where the name of this route comes from.

“Between eloquent descriptions of the natural history of the area, Abbey passionately opposed the development of Arches and his beloved canyon country, fearing dire results from the growth of “industrial tourism.” Readers find in Desert Solitaire an Arches that no longer exists: a little-known monument at the end of a little-used dirt road. The road is paved now and the park is world-famous, yet Abbey’s spirit lives on in the people who continue to search for the feeling of personal freedom evoked by this desert landscape.” via Arches NP

Two of Abbeys books in particular should be of great interest for anyone wanting to do this trail, or just wanting to learn more about the area in general.

• Desert Solitaire – About as good as it gets when it comes to very poetic writing about the desert. Set in Arches before it was a National Park, chronicling the authors life as a park ranger there in the late 50s. Since the Hayduke Trail begins in Arches, I would start here as it does a great job at setting a tone for the rest of your hike.
• The Monkey Wrench Gang – Following a group of people who could only be described as ecoterrorists. Their passion for the desert southwest and their hatred for the development that is happening throughout it leads them to take matters into their own hands in an attempt to bring the land back to the way it was. The Hayduke Trail is named after the main character in this work of fiction, George Washington Hayduke the third.

Stats from my Thru Hike

• Start: April 12th @ 3:30pm
• Finish: June 4th @ 9:00am
• Total Duration: 52 days and 17 hours
• Distance Hiked: 851 miles
• Rain: 6
• Snow: 4
• Nights below freezing: 7
• Days above 100 degrees: 7
• Blisters: 1
• Zeros: 4
• Neros: 6
• Snakes: 11 (4 rattles)
• Bighorn Sheep: 29
• Kaibab Squirrels: 2
• Thru hikers we met along the way: 4
• How many we know of who did it this spring: 21

Difficulty & Challenges

This route is by far not the easiest or most direct way to get from one point to another, but I think that should be fully embraced. Challenge yourself, and choose what is difficult as that is what makes this hike so rewarding. In the end, this is known as one of the hardest thru hikes in the world, so we might as well enjoy it for what it is.

I have elected to list out the difficulties of this trail like I have below, not to scare someone but more so that you know what to be aware of and what to pay attention to.

I personally find that knowing these things coming in rather than being surprised by them is a much kinder way to prepare than to sandbag the route entirely.

• Water – One of the most obvious challenges along this route is the lack of water. There are six different locations where you will not see water for more than 30 miles, and that really is just the tip of the iceberg.
• Route finding – The Hayduke Trail is not actually a trail, there is no trail, there are no signs telling you where to go, and often you will be wandering aimlessly. Escaping canyons can be very difficult when there is a cliff many hundreds of feet high, and no clear way up or down it.
• Scrambling – It would be good to come into this hike with experience doing basic rock climbing techniques. Trusting your feet and using your hands with a 20 foot drop beneath you. Scrambling up or down strange rock formations is an everyday occurrence out here, the trouble is doing that with a fully loaded backpack.
• Remoteness – This trail passes through some of the most remote and inaccessible places in the entire country. Canyons spread out like spider webs across the land, cell service is nowhere to be found, and if something were to happen, you could be in a lot of trouble.
• Heat – For many days on end I found myself hiking through 100 degree temperatures, with the hottest day being around 115 degrees at it’s peak. We would hike for a few hours in the morning, and then sit under a shaded bush for six hours in the middle of the day, to only hike a few more hours before dark.
• Flash Floods – When it rains in the desert, the water often does not soak into the ground, but instead it searches for the lowest point and it flows rapidly from there. Most sections along this trail are susceptible to flash flooding, narrow canyons where people have died from such things.

A collection of photos with random difficulties along the way, it is an everyday thing.

Maybe in contrast I should also be listing the positives, or what makes this trail easy.

In which case I would probably mention that the resupply is never too far and the towns are all nice, the trail itself is fairly short, the scenery is truly unlike anything you will find anywhere else, much of the trail is devoid of big physical climbs and is surprisingly flat, and you won’t ever be surrounded by other hikers souring your experience like on other trails with hundreds of users.

In the end the Hayduke was easier than I ever thought it would be, but I am not sure if that reflects my own prior experience, or if the route really is that way.

Either way, these are the difficulties you should either be aware of or prepare for specifically. Many of them I’ll talk about in much greater length later on, as knowing specifics can really make some obstacles or challenges a lot more simple.

Prerequisite Experience

What kind of experience should you already have to be able to do a trail like this safely, comfortably, and happily? It’s a tricky question that really comes down to you, as I think the answer here could lean either way.

Coming straight off the Pacific Crest Trail and heading out here would maybe not be so much fun, as they are so incredibly different. Even more could be said about choosing this as a first thru hike. That is not to say this isn’t possible, it is! And certainly has been done before by more than a handful of hikers.

I’ve always thought, and still think that you should be an experienced thru hiker or desert hiker, before coming to do something like this as in many ways it is far beyond the scope of what I would normally consider hiking.

My logic of experience however has been challenged by a couple friends who I met while on the Hayduke, Hilary and Dave. Both have quite a bit of hiking experience, but the only thru hike they have ever done before was the PCT, which by comparison is a very easy trail logistically and mentally. It is well maintained, groomed, brushed, polished, and laden with gold bricks like in the Wizard of OZ.

The Hayduke is on the other hand pure stupidity at times.

Within two days of starting and you’re doing a 35 mile water carry, choosing between weird alternates to take, scrambling up loose rocky cliffs to escape canyons. There is no guide, no trail, no signage, no one out there to bounce ideas off of. It’s gritty and terrible, compared to walking through a wonderland of trail maintenance with hourly updates on already known to be reliable water sources. The two hikes are about as different as they come.

But here is what makes Hilary and Dave so successful on a trail like this. It is their willingness to plan ahead, and their ability to remain flexible. To not get caught up in what isn’t there, but to focus on what they can do with what is available.

Truly I have never seen someone plan so deeply for something as Hilary did for the Hayduke. She knew the most minute details of every possible water source, point of interest, alternate route, and difficult section. She knew it, she’s read about it, and she has it saved in well labeled folders to easily reference while out there. Dave on the other hand is just a beast of a hiker, able to take joy in the most difficult of task. No matter what obstacle was ahead, he would seek out the most challenging way through it. He was stoked to take it on.

Even still I’ll hold true to my original assessment. I think you should probably already be a very seasoned thru hiker. I say that even now because I think part of the fun in the Hayduke is not doing the bare minimum to survive, but to take on these obstacles and challenges with joy.

So if I were recommending this hike to someone directly, they would already be a triple crowner, they would have already done the Arizona Trail or other extensive desert hikes, and they would already be familiar with off trail travel, comfortable with scrambling while off trail, and able to adapt to difficult logistics.

In the end it is up to you, whether this is your first thru hike, second, or 14th, I just hope you enjoy as much as I have, which I guess is the point of all this. To know what you’re getting into so that you can do it happily and safely.

Starting the Hayduke

While some thru hikes can be quite difficult just to get to a terminus or to begin, the Hayduke is actually fairly simple. No crazy shuttles required, the beginning or end is not in some weird remote obscure location, and everything is fairly straightforward.

Hopefully here I can still answer some questions you may have about the logistics of beginning or ending your hike.

When to Begin

The best season for a Hayduke thru hike is between March and June. Any earlier and you’ll be dealing with much more snow than you might expect, high water levels, and very cold temperatures. Any later and you’ll be struggling with temperatures that exceed 100 degrees every day, and water sources that are drying up.

Starting in March might be good for those who intend on going slower, while starting near the beginning of April I think is typical. If you intend on going faster, closer to mid April might be for you, but I would be careful about pushing any later than that.

Our hike went from April 12 to June 4th and overall I was mostly happy with that. Though if I were to do this trail again I would probably aim for April 1st, as it was getting quite hot by the end for us.

Another great time for the Hayduke is in the fall. It is not quite as ‘popular’ because you are more reliant on a good monsoon season, while the spring has more abundant water from snowmelt. I have not hiked this trail in the fall, but of the three friends I know who have done it during this time frame, two of them started mid September and finished early November. While one friend started the first of October and finished mid November.

The Devils Garden Trailhead is where we chose to start the Hayduke, which is not historically what has been done, but we felt made for a more scenic beginning.

Where to Start & End

The eastern terminus of the Hayduke is in Arches National Park, and the western terminus is in Zion National Park. Getting down to the details however is a little more interesting as there are many different acceptable options on where to begin or end within both of those parks.

In Arches the official beginning is at the Salt Valley entrance of the park, never heard of it? That is because surely no one has! It is a middle of nowhere dirt road near Klondike Bluffs. Many do still start here, but there are now two other common places people choose to begin instead.

• The easiest option is beginning directly from the Moab Airport, which is conveniently only 5-7 miles away from Arches and the Hayduke. Many people choose this location as it is easy to get to from town, you could fly in, drop off a rental car here, hitch to here, uber, it is as simple as it gets. Just walk from the airport a couple miles to the route.
• The other common terminus, and where I started my hike is within Arches at the Devils Garden Trailhead. You could hitchhike to this trailhead, but since it is at the very back of the park it may be difficult as tourists likely want to stop at all of the other attractions first, instead of just driving to the end. We got lucky and found a thru hiker in town who was willing to give us a ride there. I think the Devils Garden is a very scenic place to begin, passing by some very iconic locations within the park, and what I would recommend if you can figure out a ride to get there.

In Zion the official end of the Hayduke is at the Weeping Wall, a somber place right in the center of the park. Unfortunately in 2018 and 2019 rockfalls have forced the park service to close the East Rim Trail which the Hayduke uses to access this location. So as of now the trail is still closed, the Weeping Wall is closed as a whole, and it cannot be used as a finishing location.

• Many Hayduke hikers choose to end their trip at Checkerboard Mesa, as that is one of the first big iconic landmarks you get to once you enter Zion. Just a handful of miles later and they get to the main road within Zion, and are hitching back to home. So this could be quite convenient.
• Personally I think the best option is to continue on the Hayduke further and to hike up to Cable Mountain, which looks directly down onto the Weeping Wall. Cable Mountain is immediately adjacent to Angels Landing as well, yet far above it, so you get a really great view of not only the historical end of the Hayduke, but of Zion as a whole. I was super happy to end my trip there and would definitely recommend it.

Eastbound or Westbound

It is worth mentioning that the vast majority of people who hike this trail travel westbound, from Arches to Zion, regardless of whether they are hiking in the spring or the fall. It is far less common for someone to do this trail the other way around.

In the spring this is due to snow and heat. Much of the western end of this trail would be deep under snow while the east is snow free and good temperatures. If you wanted to wait out that snow and travel eastbound, temperatures would be completely unbearable before you got too far.

Now in the fall stories change a bit, people still hike west and I think that is for two predominant reasons. The first being that it is simply the way at this point. The guidebook was originally written as a westbound hike, so for a decade people did it that way as it would complicate navigation to do it any other way.

The other reason is that one canyon in particular (Saddle Canyon, within the Grand Canyon) would be quite difficult to go up, rather than to drop down. There are alternates around this canyon for those traveling east (the bill hall alternate,) but frankly I think you’d be able to figure it out even if you were forced to go through the canyon anyway.

So in the spring your direction definitely matters, while in the fall I am not sure that it does.

Photos from the plunge pools in Saddle Canyon. Some of the slides into the pools were taller than 20 feet, and would be very difficult to get up, while being extremely easy to come down. Easy for a westbound hiker, but maybe more difficult for those traveling eastbound.

Where to leave a car

If you drove to Moab to start this trail, then naturally you need a place to leave your vehicle while you go hiking for the next two months.

The best option is storage facilities within the city, and that is what I did. There are a handful of places that will keep your car, RV, boat, whatever… for two months with no problem. I went with Carroll’s Storage, and was super happy with them. Carroll was extremely friendly, her price was the best in town, and I had absolutely no problems while away or when I returned.

You could also leave your car at the Moab Airport, but it’s rather expensive compared to anywhere else.

Resupply

The Hayduke spends a lot of time winding in and out of some of the most remote places in the entire United States. When you cross roads they are dirt instead of pavement, and only possible to access with some form of off road all terrain vehicle.

The landscape itself just doesn’t lend itself to easy travel, whether that is on foot, or via car. The spider webs of canyons which hide below the horizon, the overall lack of water not allowing communities to develop. The Hayduke goes through some very rugged areas.

Despite all of this, as a hiker you still must find food.

Fortunately I did not think that resupply along the Hayduke was all that terrible. It is a far flung experience compared to other long trails, but it’s probably one of the easier aspects of this hike overall.

Towns & Miles

These are the towns we resupplied in, roughly how far into the trail they are, and a couple notes about each location.

Keep in mind that the miles I have labeled for these towns below are in regards to the route I took, and may be different depending on what you do. Definitely double check for yourself. I have also added our cache locations here to give perspective on why we cached where, though we’ll talk more about that later.

• 29mi – Moab – The largest town along this entire trail is unfortunately the first town along this trail. So you likely won’t get to enjoy all it has to offer since you’re only 30 miles in. Still I hope you do spend a day or two here before starting, as a quick break, or after finishing. In town you can find tons of restaurants, the City Market is a great grocery store, and nearby is a tent only campground called “Up the Creek Campground” that could be good for showers and charging up electronics. The library in town is nice and has pretty good wifi should you need it before starting, and the “Moab Gear Trader” has a good selection of new and used hiking gear for any last minute changes.
• 88mi – Needles Outpost – As soon as you enter Canyonlands National Park you are walking a road that leads to a visitor center with water, bathrooms, and wifi. You can also get walkup permits there if you want to spend a night within the park. Further down that road is the Needles Outpost, a quirky, super friendly, tiny little convenience store and campground. It would not be great to resupply from here entirely, but they do have a hiker box which was pretty killer. They offer showers for a small fee, and you can camp here. Overall a very nice spot which you can charge up, fill water, and prepare for the next stretch. The current owners acquired the outpost in 2019 or 2020 and seem to very much enjoy the Hayduke hikers. Most people will send a package to the Outpost before starting and that is what we did. It must be sent via UPS or Fedex Express only, and I would make sure to ship it well ahead of you as this is a very remote location. The address is: Needles Outpost, c/o (your name), US Hwy 211, Monticello Utah, 84535
• 161mi – Hite Marina Cache – In the past hikers could get water from the Hite Marina here on hwy 95 but that is now closed! So some hikers this year hitched into town from here, or they left a cache to avoid a long water carry. If you choose to hitch it would be a bit over an hour away, or roughly 47 miles on highway 95 to Hanksville. If you don’t want to cache, and don’t want to hitch, you could try to yogi some water off a passing car which we saw quite a lot of on the dirt roads nearby.
• 198mi – Hanksville – The town of Hanksville can be reached from two points, both points are along highway 95, just one is much further down it than the other. Most will go to the second point as it makes more sense miles wise and is closer to town in general. The town of Hanksville is tiny, but overall a nice place. There are a handful of hotels, restaurants, a couple well stocked gas stations, and somehow a grocery store with less to offer than the gas stations. I would recommend staying at the Whispering Sands Motel which is right next to the better gas station, and just resupplying there. Bonus points as the convenience store also has a restaurant attached with great milkshakes.
• 245mi – Burr Trail Switchbacks Cache – Immediately after entering Capitol Reef National Park you join a dirt road, go up what is known as the Burr Trail Switchbacks, and at the top is where we left a cache. I do not think this cache is very necessary as the water isn’t that bad nearby. I think that is a theme with the caches though, none of them are truly necessary, they just make the trail more enjoyable.
• 310mi – Escalante – The town of Escalante was my favorite of the entire trip, if I were to do this over again I would take a zero there in a heartbeat. We stayed at the Prospector Inn which was a short walking distance to just about everything in town, and reasonably priced. The Escalante Outfitters has amazing food. The gear store across the street called Utah Canyon Outfitters had a really great selection if you need anything. The grocery store was small but well stocked. All around a great place with friendly people. How you get into Escalante is a bit different of a story. After finishing up Coyote Gulch you get to Hole in the Rock Road, which is about 40 miles of washboard bumpy dirt all the way to town. In the past this road received very little traffic, and there is a story floating around of hikers waiting at that road for 17 hours or something until they got a ride, there is no water at the road to make matters worse. Fortunately these days many hikes in the area have gotten much more popular, so finding a ride to town is now much more of a guaranteed thing than it ever was in the past. We arrived at the trailhead at 9:30am and got a hitch almost exactly an hour later from the first car to drive by in that time. In general this would be a miserable spot to sit and wait for too long so it’s worth considering your timing. We heard if you’re willing to walk 9 miles up the road, that is a more popular trailhead for spooky canyon where you would have better luck. To get back out of town it took us 30 minutes (at 1pm) to get a hitch all the way back down to the trail.
• 382mi – Grosvenor Arche Cache – We left a cache near the Grosvenor Arch Trailhead hidden in the bushes. If someone is really in a pinch this road receives a little bit of traffic so you could potentially get help that way. Not far up the road the dirt turns to pavement and there is a state park where you would find even more traffic.
• 433mi – Tropic – Hitching from Willis Springs Trailhead into Tropic was extremely easy for us, as the trail there is a popular slot canyon. On the way to Tropic you go through Cannonville which unfortunately doesn’t have much to offer. Tropic on the other hand is small, but has quite a bit going on as they try to take advantage of the tourism brought in by Bryce Canyon National Park. The gas station and grocery store in town have more than enough to resupply from, there are multiple hotels, and multiple restaurants. Nothing here is all that great so a zero wouldn’t be ideal, but it’s got what you need to keep going. Many people choose to not connect footsteps on this thru hike from here, and even though they hitched to town, they walk out of town in a different direction on the Bryce Canyon Extension Alternate. The border of the National Park is just a couple miles outside of town so it’s a quick hop and skip over there. A worthy alt if you haven’t seen Bryce before as it offers the possibility to see iconic locations that otherwise the Hayduke misses. The alternate route does add on about 15 miles.
• 482mi – Kanab – The town of Kanab is really wonderful, and would be an excellent place to take a zero. It is in a beautiful location surrounded by red rock cliffs, the grocery store is massive, the gear store is cute and serves coffee. What more could you want. The trouble I understand is that getting a ride to town can be a little tricky. Around mile 482 you cross Highway 89, with Kanab to the west, and Page to the east. Of the two I think Kanab is nicer, but Page is where most AZT hikers end up after finishing so there may be trail angels there willing to help, tipping the scales in their direction. This highway crossing is in a fairly bad spot at the bottom of a hill in either direction, with little shoulder to pull over, and cars speeding past well beyond the speed limit. I think if the crossing were in a different location many more people would choose to go into town, but that alone I think keeps people away. There is certainly no shortage of traffic here, it’s just getting someone to pull over might take a moment. If you continue down trail another 10 or so miles however you get to a dirt road and a trailhead for Buckskin Gulch. This would be a much easier location to get a ride from for those who are keen. The third option is to just continue on to Jacob Lake, and hitch to Kanab from there as it is just an hour north on commonly traveled paved roads.
• 524mi – Jacob Lake – Jacob Lake is a cute little spot with a small convenience store, a small restaurant, and a small hotel attached. Not much going on here, and officially they do not accept packages so plan ahead for that! This would not be a good place to have to buy a full resupply, so if you ask nicely ahead of time they might accept your package, otherwise it’s off to Kanab. The most important thing of note here is that the business entirely revolves around the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The North Rim doesn’t open until May 15th and many Hayduke hikers will get here before that date. If you are here before it is likely the restaurant is not open. It is also of note that if you get here after May 15th the little Jacob Lake Motel may be booked out already for the entire season. All considered, going to Kanab may be the best of all worlds! It’s a little over an hour away, and might take a moment to get a hitch earlier in the year, but it’s got a lot going on for it that makes it a much better stop. The Grand Canyon coming up is quite difficult, so being prepared and rested is to your advantage.
• 645mi – South Rim – The Hayduke Trail officially doesn’t actually go to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, instead it takes the North Kaibab Trail to the North Rim, skipping the South. Still for us it felt silly to be here and to not go up the south side, especially considering how much is up there for the hiker. A nice campsite, a very large grocery store perfect for resupply, tons of restaurants, a free bus system to get around everywhere. It’s a great spot and I highly recommend coming up here even if it isn’t what was historically done 20 years ago. Something else to keep in mind just like before, the North Rim doesn’t open until May 15th so if you are here earlier this could be your only option for resupply.
• 672mi – North Rim – The general store on the North Rim wouldn’t be ideal for a full resupply but it was great for some extra snacks so that we could carry a lighter load leaving the South Rim. The campground near the general store is free to stay at for hikers. There’s laundry and showers here. If you wander further past these things there is also the beautiful North Rim Lodge and restaurant. All in it’s a great spot to charge up one last time before descending down into the canyon again for what is the hardest part of the entire trail.
• 758mi – Hack Canyon Reservoir Cache – This cache is entirely about water. Previously in Kanab Creek Canyon the water is a bit funky, then there’s a radioactive water source you can’t drink, and then it’s a very long and exposed journey across a barren landscape to the next drinkable water. This cache I was happy to have despite it being so close to the next town. The road in is a bumpy ride but nothing a Prius can’t handle, it’s about 20 miles from the nearest highway to here. Not much traffic, if any at all.
• 789mi – Colorado City – On the south side of the border in Arizona is Colorado City, while directly adjacent to it on the Utah side is Hildale. I would just pick a name and think of them as one. At the southern end of town is a very large and fully stocked grocery store complete with some little restaurants inside, and an awesome indoor seating area with electrical outlets all over. Then on the north side of town a couple miles away you can find restaurants and hotels. This area and these towns were founded and built by a fundamentalist mormon cult. The leader is now in jail for some extremely bad crimes, but sadly you can still see people all over town who continue to follow his word. There’s a little documentary about them called “Keep Sweet: Prey and Obey.” Overall the town has tried to change their image into one of more tourism, but it’s still a weird place. For the most part I think I would recommend resupplying and leaving.
• 831mi – Springdale – After finishing in Zion the final town of the trail before heading off to St George, Hurricane, Las Vegas, or Salt Lake… is Springdale! It is just outside the National Park border and for the most part is just a tourist trap. The good news is that there are no shortage of restaurants, and there is even a free bus system to take you around to them all! For us it wasn’t a very difficult hitch from here to leave and go home. If you aren’t tired of hiking yet, alternatively you could take the West Rim Trail out of Zion to Cedar City instead.

Caches on the Hayduke

Despite the fact that I did caches, that I was happy that I did caches, and would probably do them again… you do not need to do caches on the Hayduke!

It is not a necessity, and for many it is incredibly unrealistic to drive across the entire state doing caches, to then walk across the state, to then drive back across that state for a third time to pick up your trash from those caches. I live in a van, so I was driving across Utah regardless, so it was convenient for me to do. I can easily see however that this would not be a reality for most.

In the end this comes down to how comfortable you want to be out there, the caches are a luxury to have, but you would be fine without them too.

The Burr Trail Switchbacks, near where we had left our second cache.

Cache Locations

• Hite Marina (37.93682, -110.33578) – This cache helps to avoid a 40 mile water carry, which could also be avoided by hitchhiking to the town of Hanksville an hour away instead, or by performing some black magic on the Dirty Devil River to make it drinkable (read my water report to find out how!) There’s also a fair bit of traffic on nearby roads so someone driving past may offer you water as you walk. So it’s not a necessity, but I liked the self sufficiency of not feeling the need to go to town, and not having to carry three times my base weight in water alone.
• Burr Trail Switchbacks (37.84720, -111.02584) – This water cache could help to avoid a 28 mile water carry, in some years this is just a 16 mile carry but the source is not super reliable and is known to be alkaline at times. For us that water in particular tasted ‘weird’ as I wrote in my notes, I do not know if we actually drank much from it though as we knew we had the cache coming up! Not the most essential of caches, but that’s how it goes.
• Grosvenor Arch (37.45427, -111.83353) – Without this cache it is about a 30 mile water carry. Not the longest but it is nice to have as in just the previous couple days there is a nearly unavoidable 35 mile water carry, so doing the two back to back may not be so fun. A cache on the other hand is very fun.
• Hack Canyon Reservoir (36.61398, -112.84731) – This cache helps to avoid a potentially longer than 30 mile water carry through a very exposed and barren section of trail without shade, during a very hot time of the year. This cache is extremely close to the next town, so it was mostly for water, but I was happy to have it.

The roads to get to all of these are easy and any car could do what I have listed above. You could even cache in many more locations than this, or many less. I’ve heard of people doing as many as ten! Which is definitely excessive. None of this is necessary, just a luxury if possible.

Preparing our caches before starting the Hayduke, we purchased buckets, duct tape, many gallons of water, and a lot of food to go into four different locations along the trail for us to pickup later while hiking through.

Options for Caching: For those who do want to do caches the obvious answer is to drive your car, set the caches, and then leave your car in Moab while you hike like I did. If you are flying across the country to get to the Hayduke however there is another fun option. Fly into Las Vegas or Salt Lake City, rent a car, do your caching in that rental, and then return the rental car at the Moab Airport to start your hike directly from there.

The Experience of Caching: Just before starting the trail we purchased all of our supplies near Zion in the town of St George. We bought 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot along with duct tape. We took a couple hours to pack all of the buckets with the food required for each section, labeling the buckets and writing some message on them so others don’t take them. Then we drove to Hack Reservoir and Grosvenor Arch one day, Burr Trail Switchbacks and Hite Marina the next day. We could have done all that in a single day if we were highly motivated, but two days made things more comfortable.

Tips for Caching: Remember that at all of these locations you don’t just want food, but also water. Personally I left two gallons at each spot just for myself. Not only this, but think of these caches as if they are town days, what do you typically want when you get to town? Can’t fit a shower in a bucket, but you can fit some more normal foods and tasty drinks. I left cans of fruit in each bucket, and I also left a couple refreshing drinks in each bucket. These were big moral boosters and I was very happy to have them. You could take this advice further and add all sorts of things (that won’t spoil) but that is what I did.

Leave No Trace of Caching: After your hike you will have to return to all of these locations to pickup your trash, please do not leave your trash out there for someone else to find. Maybe leave a note that says you will return for it on X date. Some local land managers have already complained about people leaving caches, so please do not add to that. We did not bury our buckets, but instead closed the lid, and taped them up so that no animal could get in. We hid them far out of sight so that no one else might stumble upon them, and then we stacked large rocks on top so that again an animal cannot get to them. I think some people choose to bury their caches, but that can be a pain to do, and then even worse later on when you have to dig it back up. Digging in the soil is also quite invasive on the land, and we felt it was unnecessary overall.

My van near Grosvenor Arch, where we had left our third cache of the trail.

Biosoil Crust & Sustainability

One of the biggest reasons I have always seen sited for why you should not do this trail, and why this hike should never get more popular, is that the environment it passes through is very fragile.

People very purposefully withhold information regarding this hike for that reason alone, and I do not disagree with them. The land is very fragile, and you should do your best to protect it leaving as little of an impact as possible.

The Hayduke is however very beautiful and interesting, and some people are going to want to experience that for themselves regardless. So I think it’s best to hopefully educate on what the best practices may be when it comes to protecting the environment this route passes through, rather than just trying to keep it a secret, which it very much so is not.

Cryptobiotic Soil

Also known as biosoil crust, or living soil, this is probably the main thing you need to learn about and then subsequently avoid while hiking.

On the ground it looks like a crusty, crumbly, spongelike dirt, with little bumps and small pinnacles. It is often (but not always) a very dark shade of color, almost black at times, and much darker than the soil which it sits on top of. It is very easy to identify once you’ve seen it a couple times.

From start to finish, across the entire Hayduke from Arches to Zion, you will see an incredible amount of crypto. In many of Utahs deserts this stuff can cover more than 70% of the ground surface.

The problem here is that while some crusts can be thousands of years old, it only takes one single footstep to kill them entirely, and potentially decades for them to repair themselves if they can at all.

So by stepping on them we not only destroy this fragile organism that was living in that direct location, but we also open up the land to faster erosion. Creating herd trails that did not previously exist, can then serve to wash away and erode entire areas of bio soil which otherwise was living happily and helping the surrounding environment and ecosystem.

The video above is what I think should be required watching for any future Hayduke hiker. Sure, it’s a bit boring, but it’s a topic that is very much so worth learning about as it is such a pivotal part of the Utah environment.

Biosoil crust is the glue that holds this landscape together, it is what prevents the entirety of Utah from being one giant dustbowl, one giant desert of sugar sand which I don’t think any of us wants. It is in many places what allows flowers and plants to grow as it provides a more stable ground for them to develop, while these same plants cannot stand up and survive in sand alone.

Crypto also allows water to hold in the ground instead of flooding and rushing away, again helping to prevent erosion but also aiding in the growth of plants. Crypto creates homes for smaller animals and bugs, it is what makes Utah so special, and it is something we as hikers need to not just be aware of but to actively be avoiding. Especially considering that the Hayduke is an ‘off trail’ route and that you will be seeing this on a daily basis.

Little flowers and plants growing in cryptobiotic soil, which otherwise would not be able to grow without it.

Tips to Avoid Crypto

• Washes – Both large washes and micro washes wont grow crypto as rains and floods have washed them away or simply makes growing too difficult in the first place. This makes for a great choice when you are routing yourself off trail, always choose to walk in washes, big and tiny. This is probably the most effective way of hiking when off trail, choose the wash.
• Herd Trails – Paths that are made by hikers of years past, or paths that are made by cows and animals. The Crypto has already been stepped on in these locations and thus we should always choose to walk on existing herd trails rather than making new ones ourselves. At this point hundreds of people have now done the Hayduke, and at least a thousand cows have too, so do your best to follow in their footsteps.
• Rocks – Rocks and durable surfaces should always chosen instead of areas which have crypto. It cannot grow on top of rocks, so while hiking this is where your micro routing should go, and what you should be choosing to step on when you can.
• Roads – Often times there are roads which you could follow instead of aimlessly wandering through the desert trying to cut off some corner. Old roads typically wont have crypto and thus are a good way to route yourself sustainably.

I think as a whole the overlanding and off road groups (and ranching and cattle) are more of a problem than some hikers on some obscure trail could ever be, but I still feel it is important to make a large point about this.

It is important that those who do choose to hike this route come in knowing how we can help protect it rather than serving to play a part in destroying it. Leave it the way you found it so that others can enjoy it the same way you have.

Water Report

The Hayduke will never be even sort of as popular as other long trails, because in the end it is so difficult. The best example of that is the water, not many people want to do a trail where a 30 mile water carry is common throughout the entire journey.

As I hiked I took notes on every water source we came across for the entirety of the Hayduke. As far as I know the previously most up to date water report is from 2018 and earlier. I think this is a good example of how this route goes, while on other trails people complain that a water report hasn’t been updated within a week, on the Hayduke which has significantly worse water and much higher consequences, it can go six years.

So my water report is from 2024, where I started April 12 and finished June 4th. From everything I heard this was an average year for water, snow melt, and rain fall. Things will likely be different for you, as the previous year was significantly higher than average with many canyons being impassible due to flooding, and the years before that were all drought years where sources that were thought to be reliable were dry.

I would not trust my water report alone but use it along with others. I know of at least four different ones that exist, and one of those spanning many different hikers over many different years. You are responsible for yourself, and I am just adding to the base of knowledge that already exists.

• My Water Report (2024) – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cyA44K2tSCeRWbRt8QHTazHw9YD2FwME/view?usp=drive_link
• The Water Report (2008 – 2018) – https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gOy4CHL188zE2R32aTSEhhKh54K30xJhYEjBWH8X4_8/edit?usp=sharing

Above is my notes on water, as well as the water report which we used on our hike. My report is only from 2024, while the other report spans a decade with many different people contributing, the most recent update being in 2018. I found the second water report on the Hayduke Facebook Group.

How Much & How Far

Along any trail and especially the desert thru hikes that I have done I always feel an important question to start with is how far the longest water carry that I might have to do is. This allows me to pack the correct capacity to be able to handle that at the very least.

So for starters, if you aren’t going to do caches the longest water carry you would encounter is 40 miles, and then the three other locations we cached for would have been three more 30 mile carries.

Even with having done the caches we still had to do a 35 mile carry, 33 mile carry, three carries around 25 miles, a lot of 20s, and 15 miles was pretty much an every day thing beyond those ‘outliers’.

I started this trail with just six liters total capacity of drinking water, as my thought was to have about one liter per every five miles, which has worked for me in the past. Before I was even halfway into this hike I bumped that up to seven total liters which at times still felt like too little. I would not do what I did and instead start out with at least eight, and maybe even ten or more potential liters of carrying space.

Ask yourself and be truly honest, how many liters would you drink over the course of 40 miles, in 100 degree heat, with no shade, many chances to get lost or go slower than expected, and you have to camp somewhere along the way? Play it safe, as an extra platypus or two weigh next to nothing, and you could really wind up needing them.

Various photos of water along this trail. For the most part the water itself is not too bad, it’s just that there is not much of it!

Undrinkable Water

• Alkaline water – Along the Hayduke you will frequently come across water which is alkaline, it tastes like a mouthful of salt straight from the ocean, but instead you are not on the beach and this was a source you were relying on to be drinkable. Alkaline water is ok to drink but it does have a terrible taste. For some people it causes stomach problems and diarrhea, and for the most part I would try to avoid it. Still there is a big difference between alkaline, and highly alkaline. If I knew a source coming up might be alkaline, I would carry extra to be able to make it to the next, but when I got to the alkaline source I would take a quick sip to see how it tasted. If it wasn’t so bad I might fill a bottle with it and not feel the need to conserve the rest of my water. So drinkable yes, but could cause problems.
• Magnesium Sulfate – Most of the water sources within Monday Canyon, Rogers Canyon, and Navajo Canyon (which are all back to back just west of Escalante) contain something called magnesium sulfate. If you drink from these sources you will be shitting yourself, and thus they should all be avoided. Unfortunately this makes for one of the longest water carries of the entire trail at 33 miles through this area.
• Radioactive water – There is one water source at the end of this trail in Hack Canyon that is radioactive, probably from mining that was in the area some time ago. The water has been tested and confirmed to be radioactive a handful of times. There is a little sign next to the source that innocently only says to not drink it. Unfortunately again this makes for a 30 mile water carry without the use of this source.
• Silty Water – After a storm you will come across a lot of water sources made more difficult because of silt. A very fine dust which clouds a water source into a deep muddy color. Drinking this would be like consuming liquid sand. Storms can cause this as minerals will be taken from where they otherwise were, and then flow into streams, rivers, and springs that otherwise were clear a day ago. In other cases a water source can just naturally be difficult to drink from as it always is filled with these particles! Take the Dirty Devil River, it looks like mud even though it is 99.9% water. Sometimes you can use a bandana, shirt, or coffee filter to run water through first as a pre filtering method, trying to remove particles before they slow down or destroy your filter. Other times you can fill up a bottle, and let it sit overnight so that all the minerals sink to the bottom, leaving clear water to then filter.

The Hayduke with water is funny at times. To go so incredibly far, days without seeing water, to then be walking along a river for multiple days in a row.

Alternate Routes

One of the biggest ways people have added to the Hayduke over the last 20 years is through creating alternate routes, deviating beyond what was originally done and going into new areas and canyons previously not considered. An incredible amount of these alternates now exist stretching off in every direction from nearly any point along this entire trail.

Some alternates are better than what the original route was, some cut off miles, some are more direct to towns, while others meander far off into remote places that otherwise would be impossible to access any other way. Some are significantly harder and require the use of climbing rope and technical skills. Some have only been done by a single person and should not be attempted except with the utmost caution.

There really is just about anything you could imagine, as people paint the land with lines like a blank canvas.

These are a handful of photos from some of my favorite alternate routes along the Hayduke Trail. In general I would consider an alternate to be more difficult than the original route, though this is not always the case, it is frequently so.

Why so many?

In many ways I view this trail as though it is crowed sourced. Instead of there being some association to answer to and make decisions, the people that hike it do.

Someone has an idea for something that seems cool, they go there, and they share it. Someone sees a tight little narrow canyon and they wonder if it’s possible to get out the other side. And thus alternates are born, out of a desire to see areas that otherwise the original route did not go.

Many other hikes have a fairly extensive system of alternates, and most notably the Continental Divide Trail or the Great Divide Trail both have a great many, but it is the sheer quantity in such a short distance on the Hayduke that is amazing. The land itself really lends itself to it more than anywhere else in the country.

My map for the Hayduke looks like I gave it to a 5 year old and told them to scribble on it for an hour. It is an absolute mess of lines coming out of every point, and going in every direction. It’s difficult to look at from afar and sometimes my phone crashes when I even try to open it, but when I zoom in it all makes sense. One route through the canyon, one on a plateau, one that avoids an obstacle, and one that takes that obstacle head on.

Despite how many new routes there are what I think is truly the most amazing is how good the Hayduke is without the use of any of these alternates. The original route made so many years ago is incredible in it’s own right without the need to ever deviate from it.

Hardly any section or any mile of the original Hayduke is truly boring or uninteresting. It is a testament to the founders that you could hike their original route today so many years later with so many people trying to improve upon it, and still have such an incredible time.

So if you go out on the Hayduke, do not feel the need to use any alternate. Know that the original route is great as it is.

The photos above are from various sections of the original Hayduke route which common alternates would miss.

List of Alternates

I have listed a few alternate routes below which may be worth researching, some good, some bad, and some that are maybe not worth your time. Even my list here is not even scratching the surface of what exists.

• Alternates that we took – Amasa back, Lockhart cliffs, the loop, peekaboo connector, Henry’s low route, below tarantula mesa, baker Stevens canyon, original middle trail short cut, yellow rock alt, Bryce canyon extension, yavimpa pass, around horseshoe Mesa, south rim resupply up kaibab down bright angel, Colorado city alt, and cable mountain finish. This seems like a great many alternates to take, but many of them are extremely short, cutting off an uninteresting section and making it more fun.
• Alternates we did not take – Slick rock, over hatch mesa, the true low route around henrys, buckskin gulch, south bass trail to north bass trail, and bill hall. So many alts look so cool, but many of them would be overshadowed by how cool the main route already is! I think if I were hiking this trail a second time, these are the alternates in particular I would take, after having already seen what they would otherwise miss.
• Alternates that are not worthwhile – Bryce to zion, and into escalante. A quick note here, the into Escalante alt I think skips what was for me the best part of the entire trail, and that is why I list it as not worthwhile. You would miss a lot of Capitol Reef, the narrows, Stevens Canyon, Escalante River, and Coyote Gulch. Back to back to back absolutely amazing sections. Then the much larger Bryce to Zion alt skips the entirety of the Grand Canyon and instead is mostly following roads. There are many more options I would take before ever considering this.

Beware that many alternates and many gps tracks may exist, but that does not mean that you should follow them.

Some routes have only been done by one person and are very inaccurate, or involve very technical skills to complete. Some alternates that have been mapped… haven’t been done by anyone! And they truly are just an idea in the most literal of senses.

Along this route I very quickly realized not to ever trust one gps line creator in particular, as their routes always took me to what could only be described as extremely exposed rock climbs, where I would have needed a rope and a lot more skill than I currently have to make it through them. Other GPS lines I saw I later realized were mapped not because they had been done, but that the creator intended to come back some day and try them. In other words, do not trust anything, and always be skeptical.

Some photos from an alternate route near Capitol Reef National Park.

GPS for the Hayduke

Across the internet you can find many GPX tracks for the Hayduke, I personally used a combination of six different tracks across the entire trail. These tracks are not there to hold your hand like Farout does, and frankly you shouldn’t trust any of them! Instead use them as a tool to give yourself options.

Remember… there is no trail, there will almost never be a trail, there is absolutely nothing official about this hike.

You are making your own way through the desert based on what makes sense to you, and what is comfortable in the moment. There are many different ways to go about dealing with any obstacle along this route, so again don’t make the mistake of blindly following a GPX track like you would on other hikes. The Hayduke is not other hikes. Many of these tracks are not accurate, and some of them are extremely inaccurate on purpose! Trying to directly follow a GPS line the entire way will frustrate you, endanger you, and waste your time.

A GPS track is just a piece in a much larger puzzle. Trip reports from others, what you physically can see in front of you, the water report, what you remember from my videos, footprints you see (or don’t see) on the ground, topographical lines on a map, cairns that may be present, heard trails… no single tool or piece of information is good enough, but instead everything comes together to create a more whole picture of what you should be doing at any moment. Some moments are easier than others, like following a sandy wash with no technical terrain. While other times there is just one single way to get down into a canyon safely.

My GPX Track

As I hiked I recorded every day of my trip, so below you will find a GPX track that I have personally made for the Hayduke Trail, based off of my own recorded GPS tracks.

These tracks are not accurate down to a millimeter of what I did. GPS in tight canyons to begin with just isn’t going to be accurate, my watch was in super battery saver mode, and the result is a track that will show you a good direction to go but not where your every footstep should be.

I also did not personally follow the official route at all times, and so neither will this track. I have however added in some popular alternates, and some of the official trail which I missed when I myself was on an alternate. I have not included every alternate to ever exist, and I have purposefully excluded some alternates that I think are bad.

I feel it is important to mention all of this in regards to GPS as I know the vast majority of people are only on this page, because they are looking for a track to follow, when really it is not that simple.

• Hayduke Trail GPX – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lZ1gY7p-2XqbYtjjecQadSXRjB-umbxX/view?usp=drive_link

Some disclaimers! I do not take responsibility for you, or for your safety. Only you are responsible for what you do out there, and your own safety. This GPS track is NOT a one way ticket to success. There are many scrambles, obstacles, boulders, cliffs, canyons, and routes which will NOT be visible on this track, and blindly following it would be a huge mistake. Use your brain, and trust nothing. Above all please leave no trace, and make good decisions.

As a quick side note, there is a gps track and water report for the Hayduke that is for sale. As of now it is 16 years old, and as I quickly found out was actually one of the least useful resources I ever came across for this hike. I wanted to mention this somewhere as I think since you are buying it while every other resource is free, you would think that it would be better than others.

Surely 10 years ago or maybe even 5 years ago that was the case! This used to be the resource to end all resources. These days and I would almost recommend against bothering with it at all. Which is saying something as I just spent multiple paragraphs telling you to find a handful of resources other than my own.

Permits

Since the Hayduke Trail passes through so many National Parks there are of course permits to be gotten. Fortunately the permits for this trail really are quite easy, and it is just one area in particular that you should focus all of your energy on.

By far, the Grand Canyon is the most extensive permit required on this hike as you will be within park boundaries for nearly 200 miles. It is not half as bad as the permit system along the Great Divide Trail, so if you’ve done that or plan to do that in the future consider this good practice.

Overview

• Arches National Park – You start the hike in Arches, and will be within the park boundary for the first 20 miles or so. To camp within the park you would need a permit, but fortunately the route comes very close to the border of BLM land just to the west at two small points, and it is extremely easy to just camp outside of park boundaries and avoid needing a permit at all. So pay close attention to your map and timing on day one, as about 11 miles in you have the opportunity to camp legally.
• Canyonlands National Park – Upon entering Canyonlands you do walk directly past the visitor center, and could secure a walk up camping permit right then and there. This may be difficult or impossible during a weekend or busy time, so I may not rely on being able to get one. If you are capable of hiking a fairly slow 20+ mile day however you do not need one, and can make it through the park and outside its boundary in a single day. I would consider getting a camping permit from the visitor center, but otherwise just stay at the Needles Outpost Campground, and then make haste the next morning on a long but beautiful day back to legal camping off to the west.
• Capitol Reef National Park – It would be very difficult to hike through Capitol Reef in a single day, and though you could camp outside the park boundaries off to the east it would require you to go pretty far out of your way to do so. Fortunately the park has made it quite simple to acquire a permit, you just have to do it a week in advance of getting there. So from Needles Outpost would be ideal, or from the town of Hanksville would be the latest time in which you could submit for one. I would aim for earlier rather than later. To get this free permit you must fill out this form and include a message that you are hiking the Hayduke and looking to obtain a permit. Include your name, address, and phone number. Include your estimated state date within the park, and your estimated finish date leaving the park. Your location of entry, exit, number of people in your group, where you plan on camping approximately, number of nights within the park, and that you are hiking. From there they should email you back with a permit number, and this part could take a couple days, which is why I say to do this earlier rather than later. Overall very easy, and free. Please do this as it would be nice to keep up good relationships with the parks.
• Bryce Canyon National Park – Within Bryce there are multiple times where the trail crosses into BLM land and you can camp legally. At times it is pretty funny to be in Bryce but walking directly along a fence that signifies the boundary of the park, to then have to climb over that fence on an official park trail, to immediately climb that fence again back into the park. Bryce in other words is supremely easy to do without a permit, even if you choose the Bryce Extension alternate route.
• Grand Canyon National Park – The Grand Canyon is the tricky one. If you read nothing else here I hope you at least put effort into this. As we hiked through the Grand Canyon we ran into three rangers, all of which wanted to see our permit! So I would not expect that you will pass through unnoticed. You are required to have a permit for every night that you are in the National Park, you are also required to camp at specific locations, on specific dates. This can be trouble on a thru hike as things can change a lot in a short amount of time. The Grand Canyon rangers are however very nice, and this is important as they will let you adjust your permit as you get closer to the park, or even while you are in the park. So I would recommend when you are in the town of Tropic, to start paying attention to whether you are on schedule or not. If you are not, get in contact with the backcountry office, and see if you can change dates. Do this from before Jacob Lake or while at Jacob Lake. You could then adjust your permits further while within the park at the backcountry office. The Grand Canyon is likely more difficult than you expect given the heat, so it’s certainly something to consider. As for the permits, I’ll go into greater detail below as it is fairly involved.
• Zion National Park – You could fairly easily finish this trail without a permit at all. After exiting the final canyon before Zion you could camp there in a very beautiful location just outside of the park boundary, and then finish up within a day. If you are eager to go further, there is one tiny place on the East Rim Trail at (37.25253, -112.87699) where you are within a meter or two of the park boundary and BLM land where camping would be legal. Other than that and the only trick would be what do you do when you finish? The day before finishing we were able to book a site at the main car campground within Zion, that way once we finished we could go camp there, and then the next day could make our way out of the park and back home.

Photos from across all of the National Parks which the Hayduke crosses. Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Zion.

GCNP – Permit Information

Grand Canyon permits should be gotten well in advance of even starting the trail.

We got ours in March, when we did not start our hike until mid April, and we did not get to the canyon until nearly June!

Fortunately the rangers are willing to work with you, as a lot can change over the course of even a week while on a thru hike. You will be able to revise your permits from Jacob Lake before entering the canyon, or while within the canyon at the South Rim or North Rim backcountry office.

In 2024 the Grand Canyon has transitioned to online permits, the Hayduke however falls under a category of requiring an experienced itinerary which is not possible to create through the online system. In other words you need to speak with a ranger directly, so that they can make sure you actually know what you are doing!

• Getting your permits for the Grand Canyon should be done during the lottery window for the time you wish to hike in the Canyon. For instance, if you plan to get there in May the lottery for permits is in December, and the permits that are left over from that become available to the public in February. The lottery for April hikers is in November, and those permits become available publicly in January.
• Going through the lottery instead of waiting for public access basically allows you a higher chance of actually getting the permits you want. Having to do super short days, or super long days to work around an unideal permit would not be super fun, so consider submitting your application with the lottery! Otherwise you are at the mercy of whatever is left over.
• There is a calendar on their website which may help to understand this better https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/backcountry-permit.htm
• We did not go through the lottery system but instead got our permits after they had become available to the public, and in the end were fine. This is still good to note as if you want to camp in any of the more popular spots like in the corridor or between Tanner and Hermit, then the lottery may be the only way. Or if you don’t want to be flexible, and to camp where you want, the lottery is certainly the best way.

So what you will need to do is fill out a hiker information sheet and email it to them. From there you will later need to call them (m-f 8-5), and talk through this plan with them.

• Their email is grca_bic@nps.gov and their phone number is 928-638-7875

This is actually better than in the past, as you used to have to either fax this sheet in, or show up in person.

• Hiker Information Sheet – https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/Hiker_Information_Sheet.pdf
• The form above will have you choosing an entry and exit point, locations where you will be camping every night within the park, and what date you will be at those specific locations.

The Backcountry Rangers at GCNP are very friendly and some of them are even very well accomplished thru hikers themselves! Be sure to come in prepared, and yes, to actually know what you are planning on doing!

And of course please be kind, this is the second most popular national park in the country with nearly 5 million visitors per year, and they really are trying to help all of us experience this beautiful place, while also protecting and preserving it.

The photo above is of all the use areas within the Grand Canyon, you can find a much more detailed photo here that is a bit more helpful. This will be very important when you are creating an itinerary as you’ll have to specify which zones you will be camping in.

From what I understand if you get a permit for BA9, you can camp anywhere within that use area, which allows for a little bit of flexibility. You could do a little bit less or a little bit more each day, so long as you are still camping at the specified use zone on your permit.

GCNP – Example Itinerary

What I have written below is an example itinerary, one in which you should look at closely and probably adjust based on what you want to do.

This example I think is both difficult enough, while still remaining achievable, which is what you want when permits such as these are required!

• Keep in mind that temperatures will likely be above 100 degrees every day, and forward progress is going to be harder and slower than you might expect.
• Also keep in mind that we ran into three rangers within the park, all of which who wanted to see our permit and know that we are indeed following it.
• Last thing of note is that you have to hitch a ride across the Colorado River, which may take a while as you are at the mercy of when rafters come by, and if they feel comfortable giving you a ride. Legally you can get a ride across the river, but not a ride down the river.

In the end there are many different ways of going about hiking through the Grand Canyon, and you should adjust based on what is best for you.

Example Itinerary

• AE9 Nankoweep – 15 miles // Hike down all of the Nankoweep Trail and along some of the Colorado river
• BA9 Palisades – 15 miles // Get a ride across the Colorado in morning, hike along the Beamer Trail to either Palisades (BA9) or a little further to Tanner (BB9). Both are not far from one another, but Palisades is much easier to get the permit for.
• BE9 Hance Creek – 17 miles // Join the Escalante Route and hike up towards Horseshoe Mesa to camp at Hance Creek.
• BJ9 Cremation – 21 miles // Following the Tonto Trail towards the main corridor of the park, camp at Cremation Creek (no water)
• South Rim Campground – 6 miles // Go up the south rim, resupply, and stay at the hiker/biker camp at Mather Campground. Maybe take a zero and consider revising your permits
• North Rim Campground – >22 miles // Hike from Rim to Rim, staying at the hiker/biker campground on the North Rim (no permit needed)
• NJ2 Swamp Point – 28 miles // 30 mile dirt road walk day (or instead do two 15s, staying at NJ0 & NJ2) I would highly consider the two short days if the North Rim is open, as you will likely be tired from the previous day, and want to hang out a bit at the store.
• AV9 Tapeats Amphitheatre – 12 miles // Through Saddle Canyon, and camping along the Tapeats Creek. This is a very difficult and slow day despite the low miles.
• AZ9 Fishtail – 12 miles // Fishtail camp along the Colorado River, what starts out as quick miles slows back down later in the day.
• Done – 16 miles // Exit the park out of Kanab Creek Canyon.

There is a campsite at the bottom of the Grand Canyon along the Kaibab Trail which AZT hikers are allowed to stay at instead of being forced to hike rim to rim in a single day.

The park only lets 11 AZT thru hikers stay there per night, and we were told “Hayduke hikers are not AZT hikers, and thus we are not allowed to camp there.”

So enjoy that rim to rim! Because getting a permit to camp along the main corridor of the park down beneath the rim is nearly an impossibility.

The Grand Canyon is the most incredible section along the entire Hayduke, and in many ways it is the hardest.

Grand Canyon Rafter Magic

Since you are a hiker who will be trying to cross the Colorado River by hailing down a rafting party, maybe it is interesting to know some fun little details about the rafters themselves!

As you hike you will run into many of them as this route follows the Colorado River for much of its time within the park.

• The rafters do about 20 miles per day, so it is highly likely you will run into the same group multiple times!
• Only a couple groups pass through each section of the canyon per day, which is important to know when you need to get a ride.
• Mid morning is best to catch a ride after finishing the Nankoweep trail, as the hitch spot is a handful of miles downstream of a popular rafting campsite.
• Rafters have likely never given a ride to a hiker before and might be weary of doing so, just explain that you only want to get across the river.
• Hikers have frequently wanted their food on past trips, so I wouldn’t expect to roll up so innocent looking, they know.
• Many people have been trying for 15 years or more to get a permit to go down the canyon. This is an extremely special trip for them.
• Trips down the river go for about 16 days, some rafts with a motor do it in 6. The fastest time ever is just over 30 hours in a kayak.
• All rafting parties are instructed to pee in the river opposed to on the banks as it is the most sustainable option in the long term.
• All rafting parties, and you, will be drinking predominantly from the Colorado while in the Grand Canyon.
• They are told not to pickup anyone except for crossing, and can receive a lifetime ban for doing so if caught.
• Most parties will raft from 10am until 3pm, as it takes them a long time to pack up their gear in the morning, and to setup camp in the evening.
• And private groups are way cooler than commercial groups 😉

Thank you to the group that helped us cross the river!

There are many sections along the Hayduke were you are likely to run into rafters, I would not expect anything from them but be stoked if they do offer anything. Remember, you are not the first hiker to try and get at their food.

Gear for the Hayduke

This is a desert thru hike, it’s going to be colder than you expect for a lot of nights, and much hotter than you expect at some time or another as well. In general it’s very exposed and dry, there’s not much water, and there’s not much rain. You will be bushwhacking at times, and scrapping up against rocks very frequently.

Still, the gear that you used on any other desert thru hike is mostly fine here as well, with just a couple extra considerations.

If you want to see my gear list for the Hayduke you can watch this video below about what I carried, or you can see my full list here.

• Water – I started this trail only carrying capacity for six total liters of water. Somewhere around halfway into my hike I added a seventh possible liter into my kit. I would highly recommend carrying more than I did, or at least having the option to do so. I think 8-10 liters of water is a safer amount, and what you should consider. Many water carries are upwards of 35 miles, and temperatures can be as hot as 115 degrees, you’re going to want to take extreme caution when it comes to water. An extra 2L water bladder weighs next to nothing, packs down extremely small, and it is highly likely that you will want it while out there.
• Rope – My partner and I carried about 30 feet of thin rope with us along this trail and we were happy we did! Not heavy climbing rope to rappel or anything, but ultralight rope that we could use to lower our packs 30 feet down a cliff, so that we could then climb that cliff unencumbered by the size and weight of a fully loaded pack. This came in handy more than a few times along the Hayduke. Nothing fancy is needed, just some sort of rope that won’t snap under the weight of 40lbs while rubbing against rock with the texture of sand paper. Some climbs would be extremely difficult or near impossible with a backpack on, and the rope allows you to do those with ease.
• SOS Device – This route is about as remote as it gets, about as dangerous as it gets, and having some way to call for help I think is a necessity. Heat stroke, dehydration, falling down a cliff, flash floods, rock slides, getting unbelievably lost in a vast maze of canyons… the list goes on and on as to how you could find yourself in a lot of trouble. The kicker here is that if you do end up in peril, no one is going to find you. Only 30 or so people attempt the Hayduke per year, and all of them take different routes. So even people you know are just a day behind, could easily miss you entirely without even coming close. So we carried an SOS device, and I think you should too.
• Sun Umbrella – We didn’t start this hike with sun umbrellas, but I was very happy to have one by the end. So that is what I will recommend to you, at the very least I think you should have a sun umbrella for the final 300 miles of this trail. From Kanab / Jacob Lake all the way to Zion, through the Grand Canyon, and the Arizona Strip in particular. Those are the most exposed areas with the most extreme temperatures. Those are areas where many people have chosen to quit this hike all together because of that temperature and exposure! If you are starting this trail a little late, mid April to May, then I think you should have an umbrella from start to finish. But at the very least you want it for the end.
• Gaiters – Many sections of this trail will have you walking through the worst sugar sand you have ever experienced in your life. It fills up your shoes and makes your feet feel like they’re being suffocated by a python, it’s tiring to walk through, and mostly not fun. A way to combat this however is with gaiters! I don’t care what kind of gaiters you choose, any will do. They keep the sand out, help you to avoid blisters, save you time from needing to dump the sand, help to protect your shoes from deteriorating too quickly, and all around are a good thing out here.
• Sun Glasses – Since this route runs from East to West, every day for about half of the day you will be staring directly into the sun. Add on that this hike doesn’t have very many trees to block the sun, the rocks or sand seem to reflect the sun really well, and you have a great recipe for a trail where sunglasses are a necessity.
• Lip Balm – Not much to say here other than it’s a very dry and very hot environment. I don’t normally like using lip balm, but was happy to have it and use it on this trail as otherwise my skin was cracking, peeling, and hurting.
• Backup Water Filter – I think the remoteness and the overall lack of water on this trail necessitates having a backup filter of some kind. Either for particularly nasty sources where that’s your only known option, or in the event that you break your water filter. We carried Aquatabs as a second filtration option. They are tiny little pills that weight very little, and mostly you won’t even notice you have them, but could be used in an emergency.
• Shoes you trust – This isn’t the hike to be trying something new. Slippery rock, steep grades, scree and loose footing while scrambling down canyon walls. This is a hike for shoes you trust and know well. I also think this hike is just way more rough on shoes than is normal. The sugar sand takes a great toll, the rocky terrain, the walking through rivers, I felt like by the town of tropic that my Altras were absolute toast, when normally I would be happy to go another few hundred miles. So consider replacing your shoes earlier than normal on the Hayduke. Escalante has a gear store, Kanab has a gear store, or have them shipped somewhere.
• Sun Hat – I love a good baseball cap, but this just isn’t the time for it, so I chose to wear a bucket hat instead. It was better than what I normally wear I think, but I would have been happier with a full on sun hat. In the past I used to wear the Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat, and think if I did this trail again that is what I would choose. No shade in many places, long expanses of desert, full exposure and very hot. Sun hat time for sure.
• Wag Bag! – Many different sections of this trail require the use of a wag bag. Two places as an example would be Capitol Reef National Park, and Coyote Gulch. In general this is to lessen the impact on the land, as waste does not decompose in such dry environments. It lives there, gets dug up by an animal, blows around, gets washed elsewhere, or simply becomes exposed for someone to stumble across later. I bought a wag bag in Moab before starting, and recommend that you do the same! Park rangers may ask to see that you have one, and in areas where required you should be using it.

Daily Stats & Journal

• 0 – 11.4m – Arches NP devil’s garden alt start
• 1 – 20.4m – Awesome canyons, good water, Moab
• 2 – 16.3m – Amasa back, toms places and disc golf
• 3 – 22.3m – Lockhart canyon cliffs alt + dirt roads
• 4 – 19.7m – 35m water carry done, rustler canyon
• 5 – 6.5m – Nero into needles outpost, canyonlands
• 6 – 23.2m – Canyonlands, peekaboo trail alt!
• 7 – 22.7m – Fable canyon dry falls
• 8 – 16.9m – Young’s canyon drops, dark canyon
• 9 – 23.4m – Super hot day, Hite cache, chimney climb
• 10 – 24.8m – Red benches, dirty devil, poison canyon
• 11 – 7mi – Nero into Hanksville
• 12 – zero
• 13 – 12.8m – Bad weather expected, Henry mountains 
• 14 – 21.4m – Snow all night & morning, rain all day
• 15 – 17.4m – Descent off tarantula mesa, Capitol reef
• 16 – 25.6m – Waterpocket fold, muley twist canyon
• 17 – 18.2m – Narrows, Waterpocket fold climb
• 18 – 21.7m – Stevens canyon, coyote gulch, arches
• 19 – 5.6m – Nero into Escalante
• 20 – 7.2m – Nero out of Escalante, fifty mile mountain 
• 21 – 16.2m – tedious boulders, 32mi water carry
• 22 – 28.1m – last chance, early start, wind storm
• 23 – 26.1m – paradise, Grosvenor arch cache, snow
• — Halfway – 414.9m
• 24 – 22.1m – slot canyon chimney climb, sugar sand
• 25 – 24.1m – yellow rock, paria canyon, big windy
• 26 – 9m – Nero into tropic
• 27 – zero
• 28 – 17.8m – Bryce canyon extension, more snow!
• 29 – 22.9m – under rim, goodbye bryce, more snow
• 30 – 26.3m – no mans mesa, weird cows, hwy 89
• 31 – 23.7m – buckskin gulch, wire pass slot, AZT!
• 32 – 18.7m – Arizona trail, kaibab, Jacob lake!
• 33 – 22.5m – umbrella, good sunset, worm water
• 34 – 24.8m – goodbye AZT, hello grand canyon
• 35 – 13m – nankoweep nervs, 100*, rafter hopes
• 36 – 15.3m – rafter magicx4, wow grand canyon 100*
• 37 – 16.5m – beach to beach, rangers, hot 100*
• 38 – 23.3m – Tonto trail, horseshoe Mesa, cooler
• 39 – 9.8m – tourism Disney, south rim
• 40 – zero
• 41 – zero
• 42 – 27.4m – rim to rim, bright to Kaibab, dehydrated
• 43 – 15.8m – north rim, maybe not enough food
• 44 – 14.9m – setup for saddle, day hiker yogi food
• 45 – 9.5m – saddle canyon, tapeats is high water
• 46 – 10.7m – tapeats, thunder, deer, 100+ degrees
• 47 – 18.2m – Colorado, kanab goodness, rain tree
• 48 – 32m – hack canyon, really hot, cache night hike
• 49 – 24.7m – hunger, 4 days to 7, Arizona strip
• 50 – 1.7m (+3m) – Colorado city, cult is wild here
• 51 – 12.5m – soul sucking sand
• 52 – 26.9m – barracks, Zion almost done
• 53 – 4.1m (+8.9) – end, cable mountain
• 851 total miles hiked

We had some slow days sometimes by choice and sometimes because the trail really is that difficult. We also had quite a few higher mile days, and that is just how this trail goes. You will be walking a dirt road and cover 30 miles with ease, and the next day you’ll be looking at your map every few seconds to confirm that you are indeed still going the right direction.

Some sections are easy, following sandy washes, while other sections it feels like you are throwing yourself off a cliff. It is hard to plan a specific section because of this. Do you need four days of food or six? You won’t know until you’re deep into it.

In general the Hayduke was the hardest hike I have ever done, but it often didn’t feel that way. I enjoyed the challenge, the exposed bits, the scrambling, and the amazing rock features along the way. It was never ending in the sense of always having something to look forward to, and never not being excited about what was to come.

After the first few days of trail I feel that we found a groove. From stumbling around off trail, struggling to find our way, worrying about some water carry coming up, to just accepting. Trying to follow the ‘trail’ closely, to inevitably figuring out what worked for us.

The Hayduke is probably my favorite thru hike I have ever done, which is comparing it to a long list of 17 others. It has a level of adventure no other hike comes close to, discovery like nothing else, challenges that are dangerous while still remaining attainable through a calm and collected approach.

It is a hike I could have not ever dreamed about when I first set foot on the Appalachian Trail in 2012. It is so far beyond the scope of a normal thru hike. It is unique in a way that nothing else could be.

I would do this all over again immediately.

Useful Links

• AcrossUtah.com – Jamal Green is the absolute king when it comes to information on the Hayduke Trail and his website is second to none when it comes to information on any section of the trail. Everything he has ever written about this hike, or the various different sections should be read, and much of it should be saved for later.
• TwigAdventures.com – If you are looking for trip reports to read, or to save as reference for when you are on the trail we found that Twigs journal was very useful. She goes into great detail, and has great photos to accompany.
• Hayduke Trail Facebook Group – You have a question? It’s probably already been answered on the Hayduke facebook group. A treasure trove of information with many years of knowledge.

Thanks

Thank you to my partner Sprocket for doing this hike with me, thank you to Mike and Mitch for creating this incredible route, thank you to Jamal Green for the information, thank you to new friends Hilary and Dave for the company and laughs, thank you to Tuna Helper and Nic Barth for both helping me find the way but also getting me lost, thank you to all the park rangers along the way especially the Grand Canyon ones, thank you to Tom for some disc golf and water, and thank you to Dirty and Jar for always being one step ahead giving us something to perpetually look forward to.

And thank you, for reading this and for being here. I hope your own journeys are good and lonesome. Wild in the best and worst of ways.

“The sensation of freedom was exhilarating, though tinged with a shade of loneliness, a touch of sorrow. The old dream of total independence, beholden to no man and no woman, floated above his days like smoke from a pipe dream, like a silver cloud with a dark lining. For even Hayduke sensed, when he faced the thing directly, that the total loner would go insane. Was insane. Somewhere in the depths of solitude, beyond wildness and freedom, lay the trap of madness.” — Edward Abbey, The Monkey Wrench Gang