September 2016 – Scenic Byway 12 in Utah is an All American Road that makes for a truly spectacular RV adventure. There are lots of sidetrips and things to do along the way, and one that we just loved was the hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.
The waterfall at Lower Calf Creek Falls
This is an easy 6 mile roundtrip hike that can be very hot at midday, so we started just as the trail was beginning to get light enough to see.
We began our hike very early.
The Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail goes along Calf Creek. After passing through areas where very thick and tall underbrush not only surrounded us but rose above us on all sides, the trail emerged alongside a fabulous rock wall that was naturally striped with desert varnish.
Enormous cliffs covered with the vertical striping of “desert varnish”
Gradually, in places, the sun began to rise, and we found ourselves amid beautiful red rock formations.
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The trail cut across open grasslands.
Sun and shadow on Lower Calf Creek Falls.
And then it wandered across wide flat expanses of red rocks.
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Birds were singing in the underbrush down by the creek, and at our feet we saw little lizards scurrying around.
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The canyon walls surrounding Calf Creek towered above us, and a lush valley of thick green vegetation grew along the banks of the creek.
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Finally, after three miles of walking, we emerged at Lower Calf Creek Falls.
Lower Calf Creek Falls, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.
This is a fabulous waterfall that plunges straight down from a notch in the cliffs above, forming a narrow vertical stream of water.
Hustling out on the trail before sunrise had ensured that when we got to Calf Creek Falls we were the only people there.
The waterfall plunges into a pool at its base.
So we did the thing you just have to do in scenic places these days and we got a selfie!
Towering canyon walls and their waterfall embrace us on the sandy beach.
How fabulous it was to have the entire place to ourselves and to be able to play with the waterfall’s reflections in pools and puddles along the sandy beach.
Reflections…
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Gradually, the sun rose higher in the sky, lighting the upper parts of waterfall and the rocky walls.
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And then bright sunshine lit up the entire waterfall and we stepped back into the shadows of the natural arch formed by trees over the creek downstream.
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As the sun shone brighter and brighter, gradually illuminating the trees that seemed to be kneeling in reverence at the base of this magnificent waterfall, hikers began to trickle in from the trail. What an incredible view greeted them!
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Eventually, we were ready to hike back out again, and we began to traverse the slabs of red rocks.
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The scenery was exotic…
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And we were joined on the trail by lots of other hikers.
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We noticed beautiful wildflowers growing here and there. Some were trailside down by our feet…
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And others looked out across the lush creek valley at the enormous cliffs on the other side.
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For RVers that have an RV with a strong engine, an RV trip on Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 is an absolute must, along with a hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls.
Calf Creek campground has some very cool campsites in the red rocks.
The BLM’s Calf Creek Campground is a fabulous place to camp for small and medium sized RVs. Bigger RVs can find a nice spot to stay in RV parks that are in the towns along the way. There are links below.
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More info about Lower Calf Creek Falls and Camping on Scenic Byway 12 in Utah:
- Lower Calf Creek Falls Info – BLM Official Website Info
- Campgrounds in Grand Staircase Escalante including Calf Creek Falls – BLM Official Website
- RV Parks in Torrey, Utah – RV Park Reviews
- RV Parks in Boulder, Utah – RV Park Reviews
- Location of Lower Calf Creek Falls on Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 – Interactive Google Map
More blog posts from our RV trips on Utah’s Scenic Byway 12:
- Utah Scenic Byway 24 RV Trip – Capitol Reef National Park 04/16/18
- The Burr Trail – A Fabulous Side Trip on Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 11/15/16
- Utah Scenic Byway 12 RV Trip – Driving An All American Road! 11/03/16
- Red Canyon Utah and the Bryce Canyon Bike Trail! 10/13/16
- Red Canyon Utah is an Overlooked Treasure 09/02/11
- Zion NP, Kodachrome Basin & Snow Canyon, UT – Great Red Rocks! 10/31/07
Other posts from our RV trips to Southwestern Utah:
- A Gateway to Utah’s Outback! 06/12/22
- Panguitch, Utah – Little Britches & Big Horses in the City Park 06/09/22
- A Utah Backcountry Adventure! 09/27/19
- Capitol Reef NP – Cathedral Valley – A Stunning Backcountry Drive in Utah! 09/20/19
- Fish Lake Utah – Fun Things To Do in the Lakes and Mountains 09/13/19
- Fish Lake Utah – Alpine Beauty & Brilliant Stars in Dark Skies! 09/06/19
- Red Canyon – Arches Trail – Windows & Hoodoos in Utah! 08/30/19
- Casto Canyon Trail – A Delightful ATV / UTV Ride! 08/23/19
- Cedar Breaks Wildflowers + Stunning Brian Head Overlook 08/16/19
- The Day the Sheep Moved In! 08/09/19
- Cedar Breaks National Monument – Wild Skies & Summer Storms 08/02/19
- Cedar Breaks National Monument – Glorious Amphitheater of Red Rocks! 07/26/19
- Kanab, Utah, 4th of July – Stars & Stripes in the Red Rocks! 07/05/19
- Bryce Canyon in Winter – Snow and Lace on the Red Rock Spires! 01/25/19
- Zion National Park’s Hidden Jewels – Off the Beaten Path in an RV! 12/06/17
- Sand Hollow Side-by-Side UTV/ATV Adventure Rally – Test Drives in the Dunes! 11/26/17
- Sand Hollow State Park, Utah – An Oasis in the Desert! 11/21/17
- Kanab – Hub for the National Parks + Gorgeous Canyons Nearby! 11/12/17
- Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park – Shape Shifting in the Sand! 11/08/17
- Johnson Canyon Movie Set – A Spooky Ghost Town – Happy Halloween! 10/27/17
- Zion National Park “West” RV Trip – Gorgeous Kolob Canyons! 12/22/16
- Zion National Park RV Trip – One AWESOME Canyon! 12/15/16
- The Burr Trail – A Fabulous Side Trip on Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 11/15/16
- Utah Scenic Byway 12 RV Trip – Driving An All American Road! 11/03/16
- Bryce Canyon – Rainbow Point – Bristlecone Pines and Sweeping Vistas 11/01/16
- Bryce Canyon National Park – “Mossy Cave” – Mystery Waterfall! 10/18/16
- Red Canyon Utah and the Bryce Canyon Bike Trail! 10/13/16
- Bryce Canyon Gone Wild – Tempests, Rainbows & Wildlife 10/09/16
- Bryce Canyon National Park – Fairyland Trail – A Beautiful Hike! 10/02/16
- Bryce Canyon – Hiking The Rim & Navajo Loop + A Tourist Time-lapse! 09/29/16
- Bryce Canyon National Park – Inspiration Point – OMG! 09/27/16
- Cedar Breaks National Monument – A Hidden Jewel in Utah 09/23/16
- “Healer of Angels” – The Eagle Whisperer – Martin Tyner of Southwest Wildlife Foundation 09/18/16
- Fish Lake Utah – Wildlife and Aspen Groves 06/25/12
- Capitol Reef National Park Utah – Awe-inspiring! 06/25/12
- Fish Lake Scenic Byway 06/17/12
- Red Canyon Utah is an Overlooked Treasure 09/02/11
- Dixie National Forest Utah – Caves and Hikes 08/31/11
- Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah – Better Than Bryce? 08/30/11
- Kanab & Alton, UT – Whoa!!! 09/29/08
- Parowan UT – Vermillion Castle and County Fair 09/25/08
- Best Friends Animal Sanctuary & Southwest Wildlife Foundation in Utah 09/15/08
- Bryce Canyon, UT – Fairyland of Pink Turrets 08/25/08
- Zion NP, Kodachrome Basin & Snow Canyon, UT – Great Red Rocks! 10/31/07
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More great photos and as we move into cold weather up here in the Northeast, I love those red rock photos of pure warmth! It’s also good to see that Mark is carrying the equipment!
Definitely want to put this one on my To Do list. Beautiful photography BTW.
We’ve been traveling for a few years now and the hike to Lower Calf Creek still stands out as a highlight. Wish we could have captured it in photographs as beautifully as you did! Thanks for sharing your gorgeous shots.