Hemlock Meadows – Hiking Outside Capitol Reef

Capitol Reef National Park offers many great hiking trails, but there’s a short secret trail on the edge of Bicknell, Utah that is rarely accessed, and one that many people will enjoy for its serenity and seclusion. On the eastern edge of Bicknell is a road that leads to a quiet campground called Sunglow.   Travel one half mile up the road to Sunglow and park your vehicle.  Look north and you’ll catch glimpses of a low canyon ahead.  The beginning does not offer a well detailed trail, but stay on the left hillside to avoid two washes that can be difficult to cross. As the canyon begins to open you’ll come across a long and lush meadow that sprawls across the middle floor of the canyon and continues all the way to the back of the canyon. At the back of the canyon you’ll come to a fork that divides your path into two short box canyons.  These can be accessed by crossing the thick foliage of the meadow.  You’re creating your own path if you choose to explore these two areas.   This is not a long hike, and the elevation gain is minimal.  The trail surface is mostly hard packed but you’ll find a few areas where the trail is soft sand. This is great secret trail to explore while visiting Bicknell, or while staying in nearby communities of Loa, Lyman, Teasdale, or Torrey.   Learn more about Hemlock Meadows – here. Length: 1. 3 miles (each direction) 2.6 miles total. Elevation: 7,152 fee.   Elevation gain is just 383 feet. Don’t miss the opportunity to venture into the Sunglow Campground area, where there is a short hike that takes you further up a canyon at the back of the campground.  View more about the Sunglow Canyon Trail – here