"Utah's National Parks" by Ron Adkinson and published by Wilderness Press

Trip 3 - Lower Courthouse Wash

Distance:                 5.3 miles one way

Elevation Change:    3960/4140 feet

Suited For:               Dayhike or Backpack

Difficulty:                Moderately Easy

Hazards:                  Flash-flood danger; seasonal water only, and that is fouled

Introduction:    This lower part of Courthouse Wash is shallow compared to the part west of the bridge (trip 2), but it is narrower and its gorge is deeper as it winds among the Navajo Sandstone Cliffs and domes of the Petrified Dunes.  The canyon walls do become higher and imposing as one proceeds down canyon, and several branch canyons offer access into the remote Petrified Dunes.  The wash is generally wide and sandy, and when water is flowing hikers may get their feet wet.  The danger of flash floods is just as great in this narrow gorge as it is in upper Courthouse Wash.

This pleasant stroll not only offers a close up view of Balanced Rock, but also yields far-reaching vistas of distant mountains, colorful cliffs, and wooded mesas. 

June 5, 2003

I was about a quarter mile into this hike when I decided it was time to put on the bug spray because they were starting to get annoying and I had enough welts on my calves. They must have mislabeled the insect attractant bottle because half a mile later I had stepped into a horror movie insect swarm.  Every random swing of my arm would connect with at least three flies and I charged back to the trailhead swinging my arms and swatting my legs.

Here's the pics (Click on the picture to see full size):

These are low res pictures.  I can send you higher quality pictures if you want them