Calf Creek Recreation Site and Campground is at elevation 5,346 feet. Facilities at this site include individual camping units, five individual picnic units, a group picnic area, and a two and three quarter mile (one-way) interpretive trail to the 126-foot Lower Calf Creek Falls. Other developments at this site include a culinary water system, playground equipment, two volleyball courts, and a paved road. There is a paved parking area, vault toilets, and a footbridge across Calf Creek. Camping is available on a first serve basis.
Calf Creek Falls is a southern Utah landmark and the major feature of the Bureau of Land Management's Calf Creek Recreation Area. Walking between mineral-streaked cliffs of Navajo Sandstone, hikers pass beaver ponds and pre-historic rock art sites on the way to the 126-foot-high Lower Calf Creek Falls. Mist from falls, and shade provided by the canyon, combine to keep temperatures cool and comfortable even during the hottest of summer days.
Roundtrip distance to the falls is five and a half miles. This is a designated nature trail with a pamphlet and numbered stops. You will see Indian ruins, rock art, and historic artifacts. The trail is sandy and slightly uphill, yet suitable for people of all ages if you are physically fit. There are benches along the way. Make sure and take water with you. Once you reach the falls area, there is cool shade.
The area is about two hours east of Bryce Canyon National Park between the towns of Escalante and Boulder. This was once the most remote area in the lower 48 states. Boulder is said to have been the last town in the United States to have mail and supply delivery by mule train. Along Utah Highway 12, the recreation area is fifteen and a half miles east of Escalante, Utah.
Upper Falls is located further upstream. This is a difficult one-mile hike over sandstone slick rock. You start this hike five and a half miles north of the campground, leaving from the Escalante-Boulder highway.
Interesting tips:
On this hike you'll see Utah juniper trees (Juniperus osteosperma). Commonly called "cedars'' these trees are locally used for fence posts. Juniper seeds or "berries'' are eaten by wildlife. Dried seeds are used by Native Americans for making jewelry.
You'll also see Pinyon pine trees (Pinus edulis). The Pinyon is popular for Christmas trees and produces an edible nut, long used as a staple food by Indian people and still sold on the roadside today. The nuts are an important food source for rodents and birds. Resin from these trees was also used by Indians to waterproof baskets and to cement turquoise stones to jewelry.
A visibly old fence is reminiscent of the settler's early use of Calf Creek. Weaned calves, just taken from their mothers, were turned into the natural pasture created by the box canyon above the fence. Hence the name "Calf Creek."
From a July 2009 review, "Little Calf Creek Falls was a hot hike through the canyon on this July day. My wife and I got started around 10am. The journey took us about 4 hours at a pretty deliberate pace in the heat. Getting to the falls was worth the effort. Loved the mist on this extremely hot day. Had our lunch on a fallen tree and enjoyed the scenery for half an hour. Be sure to stop off on Route 12 for great views of this canyon from above. The round trip is a little less than 6 miles. The trail is mostly level with some sandy sections.''
July 2008 review, "I love this hike! I've completed it three times in the last 12 years but I'm always a little confused by so many people saying the hike is "easy to moderate". I suppose it is, for some, but I've always found this hike to be more than a little demanding. For those of us who are getting up in years (57) and who take easy little two or three mile hikes every once in a while, the hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls can be very demanding.
I've always completed the hike in June or July and it can be grueling when the temperatures soar above 100 degrees and the sandy trail makes every step strenuous. Every time I've completed the hike, I've passed hikers who are hot and exhausted and unable to finish. For those hikers who are a little bit out of shape, be sure to allow at least three or four hours and take plenty of drinking water. I've also found it useful to take a big beach towel, which I can throw down under a spot of shade on the way and take a few minutes to rest before continuing. Be advised that there is only one bench provided for resting about a third of the way to the falls. The falls are always cool and refreshing and appear just when I'm about ready to throw in the towel and provide a fabulous, cool oasis in which to refresh and get energized for the return trip. There's no way I would ever pass up an opportunity to take this inspiring hike but hikers should be aware that it can be quite demanding.''
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