Fall Break 2018, we were able to take our little tribe down to Escalante, in the Grand Staircase Region. This is a family favorite for a few reasons one of which is this was the first area where we went on a backpacking trip with the entire family (kids were 14, 11, 8, & 6y/o at the time). Lower Calf Falls is is one of the iconic Utah images that appear in many magazines, calendars, and artistic works. Our kids had never been there, other than the oldest when she was 3y/o, and we feared this was a great oversight on our part.
We traveled in October and decided to stay indoors, hotel, as opposed to camping giving that the weather was cold and October can have unpredictable weather patterns. Our first day we headed out to the Lower Calf Creek. When we were about a 1/2 mile from our destination it started raining. One of our boys was convinced we were all going to die in a flash flood (something we warn the kids of starting at young ages having spent time scampering through Utah’s slot canyons). After working through some tears we pressed on. This is a very popular hike and as the rain came pouring down the many visitors exited the canyon. So by the time we arrived at the falls we were literally the only ones there, and the weather broke up, providing some great photo opportunities without the expected crowed of visitors.
Day 2: we headed off to the Petrified Forest State Park. I am not sure exactly what I had expected from this particular stop but it exceeded anything I may have dreamed up. There is a double loop hike, and we strongly suggest you hit both loops. The loop on the back end had much less that was marked, yet the petrified rock was everywhere and the kids loved discovering massive trunks of it that were scattered throughout the areal. There are rainbow’s of colors in these rocks, and they are totally amazing.
Day 3: the Spooky to Peekaboo slot canyon loop was our destination this day. We had heard the previous day the rain washed out the roads and it was not advisable to travel that direction. Having a 4×4 Jeep we decided to risk it (tucking in our tow rope just in case we got stuck and someone else with a nicer machine could pull us out). The roads were muddy but passable. We would recommend high suspension and ideally 4×4 because as you approach the trail head there are some sketchy parts. The hike itself was amazing iconic Utah. Slot canyons so tight I had to take off my backpack to fit through. Lots of little obstacles to navigate. It is like a natural kid playground. We chose to head up Peekaboo and out Spooky because the entrance of Peekaboo makes a spooky exit 🙂
Day 3 continued: On the way out from the slot canyons on impulse we pulled into an area called Devils Garden. This stop was well worth it. There are funky rock formations that reminded us a bit of the hoodoos in Goblin Valley. It is a great place to play hide and seek or kick the can type games (capture the flag would be a blast). It is easy to get up top the structures as well as wind your way through them. I’m not sure if you could make a full day out of Devil’s Garden, but in conjunction with the other hikes it was another highlight. Basically the entire 3rd day was the bomb.
For the most part we ate food we packed in the hotel as the more economical choice, having ditched our tent for the hotel (the not so economical choice). We stayed at the Canyon Country Lodge. The newest and most expensive of the options, but it had a pool for the kids and a hot tub for us adults, which was worth splurging a bit. The one eatery we did hit was a local burger shop. In line with our lack of budget consciousness for this particular trip we tagged up Nemo’s. They have great food but it is not the most affordable options. Nevertheless, in the case splurging on the hotel and Nemo’s we chalked up as worth it.
When you find yourself in Escalante, we highly recommend each of these stops. It was the perfect trip.
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Little Mischief's Adventures 
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