Headquarters Canyon Route
The easy 3.2-mile round-trip Headquarters Canyon hike features sheer, vertical walls and colorful slopes of Navajo sandstone.
Plan Around Headquarters Canyon Route
A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.
Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Headquarters Canyon Route Details
The easy 3.2-mile round-trip Headquarters Canyon hike features sheer, vertical walls and colorful slopes of Navajo sandstone. Hikers will depart from the Burr Trail Road, where a signed, sandy track cuts west across a sagebrush flat before crossing the dry drainage of Halls Creek. Within half a mile, the route crosses a couple of dry washes, and skirts orange Entrada sandstone outcrops before descending to a wide, stony gulch. Hikers will follow this drainage west into the Waterpocket Fold. Less than a mile from the hike's start, the deep gorge shrinks to a narrow slot, which is usually free of significant obstacles. Beyond that point, the canyon is bright with vegetation. The Headquarters Canyon hike ends at a sandstone ramp in the ledge-forming Kayenta formation. There's a 6-foot dryfall atop the slide, which is passable to agile climbers, but progress beyond that point stalls out because of a much higher dryfall beyond. Backcountry hikers should always keep safety at top of mind. Be careful in narrow canyons, particularly during flash-flood season from July through September, and always obtain a free backcountry permit from the visitor center before setting out. None of these routes are official, maintained trails. Backcountry hikers should have good navigational skills and should always let someone know their planned route and return date. Cell phone service in this area is not reliable or non-existent.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
3.2 miles
Estimated time
2-3 hours
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Headquarters Canyon Route
Compare nearby parks around Headquarters Canyon Route when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Headquarters Canyon Route
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Headquarters Canyon Route while the map context is still fresh.
0.5 mi away
Surprise Canyon Route
The short and easy Surprise Canyon Route is a 2-mile roundtrip hike.
2.2 mi away
Notom-Bullfrog/Burr Trail Road to Lake Powell Tour
At the junction of the Notom Bullfrog Road and Burr Trail Road inside Capitol Reef, drivers can head south on Burr Trail, also known as BLM 12000) to Lake Powell at Bullfrog Marina.
2.3 mi away
Loop the Fold Tour
One of the best ways to take in the Waterpocket Fold is via the 124-mile roundtrip Loop-the-Fold tour.
2.5 mi away
Burr Trail Road
What began as a cattle trail, blazed by stockman John Atlantic Burr, is the present-day Burr Trail Road.
2.8 mi away
Lower Muley Twist Canyon Route
From 1881 to 1884, Lower Muley Twist Canyon served as a wagon trail for Mormon pioneers traveling south.
