A great out-and-back hike across dramatic slickrock landscapes, this hike follows the route of the old mail trail (and still visible telegraph line) between the towns of Boulder and Escalante. The trail - much of which is marked only by cairns as it crosses the slickrock - meanders across the upper reaches of the Sand Creek drainage for several miles before reaching the rim of Death Hollow. Death Hollow is a deep, imposing gorge, and the view from the top is outstanding. The trail then descends sharply for about 600 feet to reach the floor of the canyon, some 5.5 miles from the trailhead. It's possible to explore Death Hollow in either direction, though the vegetation is fairly dense and you'll need to ford the modest stream to do so.

An altogether more ambitious shuttle hike continues down Death Hollow to its confluence with the Escalante river, then heads downstream to the Utah 12 bridge which is 10 miles (all uphill) by road from the Boulder Airstrip trailhead. This 20 mile hike, which involves a lot of wading and swimming in the middle part of Death Hollow, is described in Day's guidebook Utah's Favorite Hiking Trails and might conceivably be possible in a day, though it's normally done as a backpack.

The Escalante river runs for 85 miles from Escalante down to Lake Powell. Coyote Gulch is one of its tributaries, and many of the best hikes in this region follow side canyons of the Escalante. The upper Escalante Canyon itself is very easy to access, since there are trailheads both near Escalante and where Utah 12 crosses the river on its way toward Boulder. It's about 14 miles by trail between these points, and a similar distance by road (though the highway does not intrude upon the canyon except at the bridge). It's possible to do a shuttle day hike along this whole stretch, or to explore from either end on out and back hikes. In either case, wading shoes are useful - the trail fords the river innumerable times. When I visited in mid-May, the river was only ankle deep near Escalante, but more like shin deep downstream near the bridge.

The upper part of the canyon near Escalante feels deeper and more imposing. It's pleasant hiking along the canyon floor, though the pace is slowed by the frequent stream crossings and generally sandy trail. Starting from the Escalante end there are no particular landmarks until you reach Death Hollow (which can be explored upstream if time permits) after about 7 miles, but it's a beautiful canyon well worth savouring. Beyond Death Hollow the canyon widens, and there are a number of Native American ruins and rock arches, of which the most impressive is Escalante Natural Bridge. The bridge is only 1.5 miles from the Utah 12 trailhead, so it can easily be seen on a short day-hike starting from the lower end.

Both Lower and Upper Calf Creek Falls are worth seeing, and make good short day hikes. The trail to Lower Calf Creek Falls is a very popular 5.4 miles roundtrip along the bottom of the canyon. The setting of the Falls is very attractive, and makes a good spot for lunch. Upper Calf Creek Falls are less impressive, but the 2 mile roundtrip across slickrock yields nice views across the Calf Creek drainage. An oddity here is masses of black, volcanic boulders that litter the slickrock.

Upper Muley Twist Canyon is not in the Escalante - it's in the southern part of Capitol Reef National Park - but the hike is most easily accessed from Boulder, Utah, and should not be missed if you're in the region. The 14 mile hike (9.5 miles if you have a good 4WD) is a partial loop through a canyon just to the west of the Waterpocket Fold. The route initially follows the canyon past a sequence of arches, before climbing up at the half-way point and backtracking along the rim. Upper Muley Twist Canyon itself is attractive, but the highlight of the hike is the breathtaking view across the Grand Gulch that unfolds as you reach the rim. The panorama from the rim is exceptional, and makes this my favorite hike in Capitol Reef.