Elephant Hill

Drive through the gate uphill. Even though uphill has the right-of-way, check for other vehicles coming down. There are plenty of places to park here to air down/up your tires but be respectful of the hikers as this is a popular destination for foot travel.

This will be your first taste of Elephant Hill's difficulty. The trail begins with a steep, narrow shelf road with a few ledge obstacles. If you are uncomfortable here, you will not feel comfortable driving the rest of the trail.

As you continue your ascent up to the top of Elephant Hill, you will encounter the first very tight switchback. Use the 30-foot diameter pull-out to turn your vehicle up the trail safely. Two vehicles can safely fit.

At the top of Elephant Hill, you will be greeted with a pull-out large enough for several vehicles. This is an excellent spot to pull over and let oncoming vehicles pass or hop out of your vehicle to take pictures. This is also a quick departure from the steep rocky shelves you ascended. While the trail looks calm ahead, it won't last for long.

Although not visible today, there was once a runway in this vicinity. The road over Elephant Hill was initially built in the early 1940s by Puge Stocks to improve the cattle grazing activity in the area. After the road was finished, several small airstrips were made so light airplanes could service the ranching operations.

Before you descend, you will encounter a massive pull-out big enough for ten or more vehicles. This is one of the largest pull-outs along the trail and will allow you to ensure no one is ascending the backside of Elephant Hill. Make your way down this trail's steep and narrow portion just before the switchback shortly afterward.

This next section of switchbacks is exceptionally steep and rocky, with little room for error due to the shelf off to your driver's side. Using 4-low is highly advisable to allow for better control of the vehicle. The National Park has filled a few of these pitches with concrete to help with erosion.

You have made it to one of the most unique obstacles you'll find on any offroad trail. Follow the directions on the sign directly in front of you as you descend the last switchback of the actual Elephant Hill. The sign instructs you to pull up to it and put your vehicle in reverse. Reverse down the trail for a few vehicle lengths and look for the sign on the passenger side of your vehicle instructing you to back in. Once done backing in, continue along the trail in the normal forward driving position.

At this point, you have successfully completed the ascent and descent of the actual Elephant Hill. The oncoming terrain changes will present you with a few sandy sections and wash crossings.

Here is an example of one of the several wash crossings found along Elephant Hill. Continue down the wash and find the exit on the passenger side.

This is the beginning of the one-way portion of the trail. Keep in mind there is no turning around, and a few challenging obstacles await you along this stretch of trail.

These ledges are the first mandatory obstacles on the one-way portion of the trail. It is a stretch of uphill ledges and undulating rock features followed by a plateau and a quick, rocky descent into more of the smooth sand you've driven on.

After exiting the smooth sand through the canyon, you must begin the uphill obstacle ascent. This is nothing harder than you have previously completed, but it will require driver attention and proper tire placement.

More obstacles await after the last segment.

Devil's Pocket is arguably the most well-known obstacle of Elephant Hill. This narrow slot canyon allows no room for driver error, and the scrape marks against the sides are evidence of this. We measured the narrowest part of this obstacle at 97 inches. Full-size vehicles will not be able to complete this without body damage. Vehicles with awnings or extra gear protruding away from the roofline need to be extra cautious.

Devil's Kitchen is the only camping allowed along this trail. You will need to make reservations ahead of time to reserve one of the four designated campsites. The permit fee for driving this trail is covered if you book a night out here. This also marks the end of one-way travel.

This off-camber wash obstacle is the only major obstacle between Devil's Kitchen and Devil's Lane. Take it slow if you are top-heavy, as it is a bit tippy entering the wash crossing.

You reached Devil's Lane - a smooth, sandy passageway through a picturesque Utah canyon. You have the decision to make. Turning left takes you down one more significant obstacle, S.O.B. Hill, and down to Chesler Park, famous for "The Joint" hiking trail. Turning right continues the loop and puts you on the faster trail to completing Elephant Hill. If you have time, the drive to "The Joint" is worth the effort.

Humans first visited Canyonlands over 10,000 years ago. Nomadic groups of hunter-gatherers roamed throughout the southwest. Ancestral Puebloans thrived: farming and living in what is now Canyonlands. Pictographs adorn the sides of the canyon wall as you head south toward Chesler Park. These pictographs are in fantastic shape, and a plaque at the base of the panel reminds you to look but not touch.

Arguably the hardest obstacle along this trail is S.O.B. Hill which is a tight and tricky 90-degree turn with several inconveniently placed large boulders. It is not uncommon for low-clearance vehicles to get hung up on this section. Undercarriage scraping is almost guaranteed for more stock and mildly built vehicles. Multiple point turns may be required depending on your clearance. On the other side of S.O.B. Hill is a gentle descent into more beautiful desert scenery.

While it may be tempting to go a bit faster on these wide-open stretches of the sandy canyon floor, one wash might creep up if you go too fast. Remember, the legal speed limit for OHV in Grand County is 15mph.

Make sure to pay attention. The trail veers out of the wash on the driver's side. Follow this trail to continue to Chesler Park. The scenery here, like the rest of Canyonlands National Park, is stunning.

Stay left/southeast to continue out to Chesler Park. The trail going south leads to Bobby's Hole and Beef Basin. Look back occasionally to view the "Needles" of the Needles District. Do you wonder why they call it the Needles? The name comes from these colorful spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone that dominate the area.

There is parking for a few vehicles as well as a bathroom and a picnic table. The Joint is a slot canyon hike through some of Canyonlands' most gorgeous scenery.

Continue Straight to finish Elephant Hill. Going right/east here takes you back to Devil's Kitchen. But after that, it is a one-way trail, and driving back to the beginning of Elephant Hill is prohibited.

This narrow passage is a bit wider than Devil's Pocket. Continue straight.

The Silver Stairs is the last famous obstacle along Elephant Hill. Not nearly as challenging as the rest of the obstacles, you will wind through a wide slot and eventually down a series of mild ledges. The final portion of this obstacle is a slightly off-camber S-turn.

Turn right/southeast at the junction with Confluence Overlook to stay on Elephant Hill. The Confluence Overlook is where the Green and Colorado Rivers merge.

This rocky obstacle isn't anything harder than what you've experienced before, but it leads into a steep, slightly off-camber, shelfy, descent down into a wash. Go slow and take your time to ensure safe passage down to the base of the wash.

After dropping into the wash from the last Waypoint, keep your eyes peeled on the driver's side of the trail for the wash exit. It is not readily apparent, and this turn could be easily missed as the wash looks fairly easy to drive. Keep in mind, it is illegal to drive up non-designated washes in Utah.

Here is where the trail guide ends. Turn left/southeast to return to the trailhead. You'll do all the obstacles from Waypoints 1-9 in reverse order. Keep in mind that you will need to reverse back up the portion of the trail you reversed down at Waypoint 7.