We were able to book only two nights in October, 2020, at an RV Park near Capital Reef National Park, Thousand Lakes RV Park just outside of Torrey, Utah. We did a day hike to Upper Muley Twist Canyon, a 9 mile loop trail that was a long and challenging hike but well worth the effort. The Upper Muley Twist Canyon Road is located one mile west of the top of the Burr Trail Road switchbacks, and we were able to drive the 4WD Road the 2.9 miles up the canyon to the Strike Valley Overlook parking area.(Watch the video for the drive out of Upper Muley Twist Canyon and down the Burr Trail Switchbacks). We hiked the 1.7 miles up the wash to the impressive Saddle Arch. We continued up the canyon 2.3 miles beyond Saddle Arch to the narrows. We were there at noon and the sunlight lighting the brilliant reds of the sandstone canyon walls was spectacular. We found the trail marked by cairns leading up to the top of the Waterpocket Fold. It was a scramble up the rocks to reach the top but the vistas from the Fold were impressive. We could see the distinct colors of the Navajo and Wingate sandstone layers exposed, tilted by the uplift and folding of the Earth’s crust and sculpted by millions of years of erosion. The route along the Rim was cairned, and we followed them as best we could. Then we dropped back into the canyon at Saddle Arch and hiked back out the 1.7 miles to the Jeep. On the way out we stopped to take photos of a Double Arch by the road. What a great day hike. Click on thumbnail to view images
