Murphy Wash Trail
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Murphy Wash Trail
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The Murphy Wash Trail is a beautiful subsection of the Murphy Loop in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. This trail has beautiful desert views that change as it drops down into Murphy Wash. The Murphy Wash trail is a great place to go with older kids and explore the beauty that the Utah desert has to offer.
Getting there
From the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, follow Grand View Point Road for 8.6mi to the Murphy Trailhead on the west side of the road.
About
| Backcountry Campground | No |
| When to do | March to November |
| Pets allowed | No |
| Family friendly | Older Children only |
| Route Signage | Average |
| Crowd Levels | Moderate |
| Route Type | Out and back |
Murphy Wash Trail
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Murphy Wash Trail Description
The Murphy Wash Trail is a gorgeous hike in a lovely area of Canyonlands National Park. This trail has a section of steep switchbacks down a vertiginous drop. If you are nervous about heights or are not a fan of elevation changes, this trail might not be the best for you. However, if you are up for the challenge, tie on a sturdy pair of hiking boots and pack along lots of water and snacks before you hit the trail. The desert terrain of the Murphy Wash Trail is absolutely gorgeous. If you’re lucky, you might even see desert wildlife sharing the trail with you. If you do see any wild animals, give them lots of personal space, and do not feed them your snacks.
From the trailhead, follow the path southwest to a divide, take a left at this first divide. Head down the switchbacks to the second divide; take another left here to follow the wash bed.
The Murphy Wash Trail will eventually meet up with the White Rim Road. This is the turn-around point for this route. If you want to spend more of your day exploring this area, you can extend this hike by following the Murphy Loop up and along the Murphy Hogback trail back to the trailhead.
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