Grand Gulch is a spectacular canyon in southeastern Utah near Natural Bridges National Monument. Andrew and I hiked into the Gulch via the Collins Spring Trailhead back in the Fall of 2000. This was a relatively easy trail to hike but getting to the trailhead required a little bit of time and a high-clearance vehicle to negotiate the bumpy "road." I put road in quotation marks because at times it was nothing more than a route across slick-rock mottled with pot-holes. It was a bumpy ride to say the least! After the trip we dubbed my pickup truck "Slick" which was short for slick-rock.
The trailhead is signed and there is also register to sign in on. The trail is easy to follow and provides easy access to Grand Gulch. We hiked from the trailhead to the narrows and then back again. On the way we saw a small arch, several pot holes filled with water, and we enjoyed the spectacular scenery of colorful canyon walls rising above the meandering watercourse. We saw some Ancestral Puebloan Ruins but were unable to reach them due to their precariously high perch. They must've had ladders to reach them themselves. We did not see anybody else on this hike.
Anyway, I hope to return some day to explore more of this beautiful area.
Access to the Collins Spring is from Highway 95. From the Kane Ranger Station head towards Hwy 95 north for ~4 miles, then take a left on Hwy 95 (west). Drive west on Hwy 95 for ~9.5 miles, then at the junction with Hwy 276 take a left and head southwest for ~6.5 miles and the Collins Spring turn-off on your left. After the turn-off, travel ~2.4 miles to a fork in the road, at the fork stay right. After another ~4 miles you will arrive at the Collins Spring trailhead (there is a sign).
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