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The San Juan Mission

The Hole in the Rock Trail

by Larry Heck of

PASS PATROL

During October and November of 1879, Mormon pioneers trickled into a base camp located at 40 Mile Spring, east of Escalante Utah. They came in small groups from every direction until their numbers grew to 250 men & women, 50 children, 200 horses, and more than 1000 head of cattle. They were on a mission from the Church. A hard mission ... the San Juan Mission ... expected to last six weeks. It took them six months to reach their new settlement near four corners, now known as Bluff, Utah.

April 13, 1996, Pass Patrol camped at the Fort near Halls Crossing. Our mission was simple. We would drive in to Hole In the Rock from the east, hike to the lake, and pick up the trail where we left off last year, following it all the way to Bluff. It would take us six days. This trip was a little different than most. It involved hiking. Lots and lots of hiking.

As always, the day’s drive from the fort to Hole In The Rock was long and very exhausting.

Click the small pictures to view 640X480X16 million color versions. The arrow points to the 'Hole-in-the-Rock' on the other side of the river where the Mormon pioneers came down.

We camped at the top of Cottonwood Hill within view of Hole In The Rock five (crow) miles away. When morning came, Happy Jack decided to stay at camp, while Trapdoor and Slowpoke joined me for the hiking trip down Cottonwood Hill. We passed through “Little Hole”, across Sand Hill, and came to the waterfall at the point where the trail reaches the floor of the canyon. Trapdoor decided to take advantage of the cool water in the deep pool while Slowpoke and I continued toward Register Rock at the shore of Lake Powell. At about two (foot) miles in, we reached the water’s edge where Lake Powell backs up into Cottonwood Canyon. Slowpoke decided the remaining three (foot) miles were too rocky for his dog to get over, so I continued alone. I reached Register Rock at just past noon.

From register rock to the top of Hole In The Rock across the lake is about 1.8 (crow) miles. On this same date, exactly one year ago, I hiked to the bottom of Hole In the Rock and stared at Register Rock from the other side. It was easy to imagine that I had just crossed the lake on a raft and was now on my way to Bluff.

On about January 30 of 1880, the pioneers moved their last wagon off the raft and past Register Rock. Theyset up a camp in Cottonwood Canyon to use while building the road ahead.

I was unable to find the signatures on Register Rock. It is likely they are under the surface of the water or have been erased by abusive lapping of lake water.

The original wagon road from Register Rock to the point where Cottonwood Canyon narrows is also under water so the hike involves skirting the shoreline which winds in and out of side canyons for about three miles.

At the point where Cottonwood Canyon narrows, posts mark the trail back to Cottonwood Hill.

From the top of Cottonwood Hill, the 4wheeling begins. Trapdoor thought it would be a really neat idea to bring someone across the lake from the other side on a boat, then put them in a waiting 4X4 and taking them back to the fort over the existing road. He figured most of them would rather walk.

The road consists of continuous obstacles, one after the other, where the only flat section is across Grey Mesa. The driving distance is only twenty miles and the average speed, including seven miles across the level section of Grey Mesa is only two miles per hour.

The current road off Grey Mesa was put in by miners many years after the pioneers had stopped using it. The original wagon road still exists off Grey Mesa but is best tackled by mountain goats and determined hikers. Pieces of an old wagon lie beside the road where it was abandoned either by the original pioneers or others that followed. You can reach that point by turning right off the current road where the grass ends and rock begins at the edge of Grey Mesa. Follow the 4X4 path to the end and begin the hike by following the carins. The wagon road reconnects to the current road where the interpretive sign has been placed.

We continued along the road to the site where Lake Pagahrit once existed, then set out to find the location of the dam where the pioneers crossed the lake.

Slowpoke set the way-point in on his Magellan Trailblazer and I did the same on my Trimble Scoutmaster. Both units confirmed the location when we arrived. It is located about a mile west if the interpretive sign for the lake. There is still enough left of the sand dam to determine exactly where it was. It was extremely huge.

From the lake, we continued beyond the Fort. Once again, setting the way-points into our GPS units, we found the exact location where the wagon road crossed the current road. A fading road branched off to the west and we followed it to another interpretive sign in the middle of nowhere. The remains of another abandoned wagon marked the crossroads where the original Halls Crossing Road and the pioneer wagon road intersected.

I hiked back to the Lake Pagahrit dam, using 7.5 minute topo maps and the Trimble Navigation ScoutMaster to find the exact trail.

The paved Halls Crossing road and the original wagon road follow the same path for several miles past Castle Ruins, over Clay Hills Pass, and toward Cow Tank. Just before reaching Cow Tank, the two road separate. Once again, the GPS systems were required to find the exact road but it is still there. Signs along the road warn that the area is part of the Wilderness Study area that will soon be closed to Motorized travel when the Wilderness bill is passed. If we are going to have an affect on that bill, we need to do it now!

The wagon road across Cow Tank is a fun drive. It is not extreme, but is difficult enough to demand constant attention. It crosses rolling hills and shallow canyons until it comes out on a graded dirt road that soon connects with the highway. Using our GPS systems, we found the point where the wagon road left Highway 95 and goes cross country to Highway 261. Most of that road is completely gone except for stakes that mark the way. Even while hiking, it is nearly impossible to find it without a GPS to guide the way.

After the wagon road and Highway 261 connect, they follow the same general path until the wagon road branches off and heads for Comb Ridge. Once again, signs warn that this area will soon be closed when the Wilderness bill is passed. That’s when a really weird thing happened. When I began the trail, usual warning signs existed about staying on it, but when I reached the end of it, there was a BLM road closed post in the middle of it for traffic coming the other way. It appears, the BLM is planning to close some part of that section using the Wilderness Study status as an excuse even before the Wilderness bill is passed.

From that point on, the road is graded to Comb Ridge until it crosses Highway 163. After that crossing, the wagon road follows a well marked wash, going in and out of it, until it reaches San Juan Hill. One look at the road up San Juan Hill is enough to understand why it is for hiking only. I climbed to the top of San Juan Hill and could see the City of Bluff in the distance. Although Bluff was not the original destination of the pioneers, they apparently decided it was close enough. Who could blame them after six months of malnutrition and grueling labor.

Adventure of a Lifetime

Now that I have covered the entire San Juan Mission, I have an idea for an adventure of a lifetime. It is only for the most hardy or is that fool hardy. Just to be nice, we’ll call us G-One (Group one). Three more groups are required to make it work. Here’s how it would go.

Day (0) Just as the pioneers did, G-One and G-Two gather at 40 Mile Spring east of Escalante. G-Three takes watercraft from Halls Crossing and camps at Register Rock. G-Four takes 4X4s in the east side of Hole in the Rock and camps at the top of Cottonwood Hill.

Day (1) G-Two takes G-One to the top of Hole In The Rock, then drives back out. G-One meets G-Three at the bottom of Hole in the Rock and rides across the lake just as the pioneers crossed the river in 1880. G-One begins the hike to meet G-Four at the top of Cottonwood Hill where they spend the first night. G-Three heads back to Halls Crossing to meet with G-Two and they go to the Fort to camp.

Day (2) G-One rides with G-Four to the point where the pioneers went down Grey Mesa. G-One hikes down the original road while G-Four drives the vehicles to the interpretive sign.

G-One then rides with G-Four to Lake Canyon to meet the other two groups for the night.

G-Two & G-Three drive from the Fort to Lake Canyon to meet with G-One and G- Four.

Day (3) G-One rides with others back to the point where the pioneers left the current road and crossed the dam. While G-One hikes to the site of the dam and across to the other side, the other groups drive around to the other side and picks up G-One at the site of the abandoned wagon.

All four groups head over Clay Hills Pass, then take the wagon route past Cow Tank and set up camp.

Day (4) G-One hikes the portion that connects Highway 95 to Highway 261 and meets the other groups on Highway 261. From Highway 261, all four groups take the wagon road to Comb Ridge and set up camp.

Day (5) All four groups drive to San Juan Hill. G-One goes hiking while the others drive back to Highway 163 and picks them up where the wagon road crosses the highway. From there, they all go to Bluff for dinner.

Anybody interested?

Navigation: GPS Position

Odometer reading were taken with a Chevy Blazer.

GPS readings were taken with a Trimble Navigation ScoutMaster.

The San Juan Mission - Escalante to Hole in the Rock

Trip	Latitude    	Longitude    	 
Meter	position	position	Landmarks & other locations

0.0	12 511347	41 21769	Register Rock is 3.3 air miles from 			
					the top of Cottonwood Hill trailhead 
	12 513186	41 20488	First trail marker. 
	12 515733	41 18876	Top of Cottonwood Hill trailhead. 
 

Hole in the Rock - Cottonwood Hill to Halls Crossing

To get to Cottonwood Hill from Halls Crossing, follow this section in reverse. 

Trip	UTM-E    	UTM-N    	 
Meter	position	position	Landmarks, & other locations  

0.0	12 515733	41 18876	Top of Cottonwood Hill trailhead. 
2.9	12 518940	41 20020	Top of the Chute. 
4.2	12 519743	41 21586	Top of Wilson Mesa. 
5.2	12 520643	41 21901	Intersection.  Stay right. 
5.7	12 521112	41 21802	Top of Grey Mesa 
11.0	12 526674	41 27022	Where the grass ends at the edge of
					the mesa, turn right to hike the
 					original wagon road.   
					(The current road goes straight.  			
					Follow the carins to the Interpretive 				
					sign.) 
	12 527482	41 27201	This is the point where the wagon 			
					road went off the mesa. 
	12 527604	41 27351	Remains of old wagon.  Do not 				
					remove any remnants!!! 
	12 527541	41 27466	Hiking.  Note where the rocks were 			
					carved out. 
	12 527323	41 276 37	Hiking. 
0.0	12 527285	41 27811	Interpretive sign.  From the top of 			
					the mesa to this sign is 0.9 miles
					on the current road. 
6.6	12 532620	41 35260	The original wagon road left the 			
					current road at this point going 
					northwest to the dam. 
	12 533322	41 37403	South end of the dam.  Some of it is 			
					still there.  To get near the dam by 
					vehicle, turn left on the the road 
					just before the main road descends into 			
					Lake Canyon.   
7.7	12 533789	41 36217	Lake Pagahrit interpretive sign. 
9.4/0.0	12 535323	41 36211	Intersection.  Right is campsites.  			
					Fort is at top of hill.  Left goes to 
					Halls Crossing.  Reset trip meter. 
2.3	12 537982	41 38179	Left.  Right goes to Nokia Dome. 
2.8	12 537843	41 38978	Left.  Right goes to same place but 			
					passes road to dam. 
3.9/0.0	12 437370	41 40478	Wagon road to abandoned wagon 			
					goes left.  Reset meter. 
0.5	12 536970	41 40064	Wagon and interpretive sign. 
1.9	12 535100	41 39410	Wagon road goes off to left.  Park here. 
	12 534474	41 38782	Hiking. 
	12 534012	41 38451	Hiking. 
	12 533460	41 37778	North edge of where the dam was. 
0.0	12 437370	41 40478	Go back to intersection at 3.9 above 			
					and reset meter.  The original wagon
 					road went northeast from this point
 					and connected to Highway 276 between
 					mp 59 and mp 60. 
0.2	12 537530	41 40770	Intersection.  Left. 
2.6	12 538864	41 44271	Highway 276.  The road comes out at 			
					the first dirt road west of the airport . 
	

Hole in the Rock - Halls Crossing to Bluff

Trip	UTM-E    	UTM-N    	 
Meter	position	position	Landmarks & other locations  

0.0	12 538864	41 44271	Highway 276 at the west fence. 
	12 544741	41 40989	This is where the original wagon road 			
					connects with Highway 276 between
 					mile post 59 and mp 60. 
	12 556981	41 41340	Castle Ruin is at mp 68.   
0.0	12 579498	41 52022	Between mp 85 & mp 86, the original 			
					wagon road went west.  
1.4	12 580726	41 51217	This intersection is tricky.  It is after 			
					the wash crossing.  Take the left fork
 					up the rocks. 
1.7	12 581547	41 50973	Intersection.  Go right. 
3.6	12 584521	41 51553	This intersection is tricky.  Make a 			
					switchback left, then a right down the 					rocks and across 
					the wash.   
3.7	12 584675	41 51576	The road on the other side of the wash. 
5.2	12 586514	41 52370	Right at the intersection. 
6.5	12 587923	41 52615	At the top of the nasty rock, the road 			
					follows the cliff to the right.     
6.7	12 588051	41 52408	Turn left on the graded county road. 
9.7	12 591487	41 55103	The road connects to Highway 95 			
					between mp 87 & mp 88.  Turn right. 
13.7/0.012 595670	41 59604	Just past the 91 mile post, the original 			
					road went right through gate, then left 					
					along fence.  Reset your meter. 
0.3	12 596099	41 59775	Right at marker.  
0.7	12 596585	41 59526	Road becomes hiking.  
	12 596707	41 59563	Hiking. 
	12 597335	41 59218	Hiking. 
	12 597474	41 58582	Hiking. 
	12 598029	41 57965	Hiking. 
0.0	12 598131	41 57920	0.3 miles south of mp 32 is where the 			
					original road connects to Highway 261. 
0.0	12 597668	41 50252	Between mp 27 & mp 26, turn left on 			
					dirt road.  This is the route the pioneers
 					took across Snow Flat.  This section
 					may be closed for Wilderness. 
6.2	12 602126	41 43521	The old road connects to the new 				
					Snow Flat road.  Go left. 
11.2	12 608366	41 39953	Right.  Left goes to Spring Cave. 
21.1	12 618376	41 32196	Right. 
23.7	12 618722	41 28513	Right. 
26.0	12 617270	41 25830	The dirt road connects to Highway 			
					163 to Bluff at mp 38.  Turn left. 
0.0	12 617342	41 25709	Take the first right onto a drit road. 
0.5	12 617333	41 24978	Follow the road around the corral. 
0.7	12 617369	41 24781	Right at the intersection. 
1.0	12 617254	41 24540	Enter the wash and follow the wash 			
					all the way to San Juan Hill.  Take
 					the left fork to the top of the Hill 
					and across the cattleguard. 
 	12 615602	41 20102	Trailhead at the bottom of San Juan 			
					Hill. 
	12 617871	41 24251	The trail crosses Highway 163 and 			
					goes to Bluff along the highway. 
		 

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4-WHEEL DRIVE ROADS TO HOLE IN THE ROCK (Escalante to Bluff, Utah) By Larry Heck

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