After the floodgates closed on Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, the lower Escalante canyons were lost beneath the waters of Lake Powell. In 1972, the lower Escalante canyons were included within the boundaries of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes nearly 1 million acres of deserts and canyons, much of which are roadless and managed by the National Park Service. Although the Escalante River courses some 80 miles through a wilderness canyon of incomparable beauty, travel down its gorge is often brutal, a test of endurance for even the most experienced canyoneer. The tributary canyons of the Escalante are equally attractive, and they are the primary destinations of most hikers visiting the region. Typical of the canyon country of southern Utah, there are few established trails in the Escalante Canyons.
Most hikes follow the corridors of washes, or cross open expanses of slickrock.
The exception is the trail to Lower Calf Creek Falls, one of the few constructed and maintained trails in the Glen Canyon region. There are few easy hikes in the Escalante region, yet easy or difficult, they are all outstanding, providing some of the finest backcountry hiking in southern Utah. Active waterfalls, arches, narrow canyons, riparian oases, and sculpted slickrock are among the attractions of the Escalante's backcountry. Typical of southern Utah's canyon country, the best times to hike here are in the spring, from midMarch through May, and again during autumn, from September through October. Cooler weather brought on by monsoon activity in summer, and warm, dry weather during winter can also be enjoyed.