Class 3 5.7 miles 1300 gain 2-4 hrs Out + Back Mar 7, 2024
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Calico Peak GPX Track

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I headed along the road to the Paria Town Site, an old movie set which I fully intended to check out after hiking to Calico Peak. On my drive out after my hike, I realized I'd forgotten to do so and figured I could just look online to see what I missed. I forgot about that too, and even as I write this, I'll likely forget again. I remember I used to seek out historic remains in the backcountry, but the colorful badlands on the drive in and throughout the hike to Calico Peak were certainly more exciting and distracting. I parked where I did because the road was washed out ahead and it was only a little over half a mile to the end of the road anyway. A Crossover SUV can make it to where I did, and any car can reach an official trailhead about a quarter mile before (37.23723, -111.95827). Tom Gathright had spent some time playing around in the area, and for the most part I used his route to ascend Calico Peak.

I hiked the rest of the deteriorated road through a research area flanked by colorful cliffs. I passed through a gate, and when the road made a hairpin turn through a wash, I headed north into this wash away from the road. I followed a neat little canyon that wiggled countless times through chocolate-colored narrows, rising dramatically and unexpectedly. The wiggling canyon opened up and then started to have some encroaching brush. I left it at a downed tree, taking a Class 2 rocky gully up to the hills above where I could see the guarded summit. Calico Peak is a bit of a tricky summit to reach because its extended mesa top seems to be fortified from all directions by its substantial cliff band base. I continued on sandy terrain toward the peak's base. Staying low meant side-hilling on loose sandstone blocks embedded in the sand, so I recommend staying high, closer to the cliff base.

I wrapped around the peak to the left, toying a little bit on some of the trickier-looking Class 4/5 options, none of which felt good to me. Poking around on them was fun, but even though some of these options seemed viable, getting up closer resulted in the moves requiring a pull above my head and unknown terrain above. So, I continued wrapping until a weakness revealed itself on the northwest side, the same slope that Tom had used. The band seemed to have crumbled away here, resulting in a pretty wide slope with plenty of Class 2 options to ascend higher. I wrapped to the right when a nice bench presented itself, and then from here, I just continued following the path of least resistance. Tom seems to have found an easier route by staying low, but I located a Class 3 chimney through some stacked boulders, a sneak route over an upper cliff band. I couldn't resist going this way, but you could continue wrapping to the right to make this easier, but that means skipping the interesting crawl space.

Once on the mesa top above, it was an easy walk to the summit, but please watch out for the large quantity of cryptobiotic soil. The summit had a Class 2 block, where I got phenomenal views, especially down to the colorful badlands below, but also toward the Paria River and the wonderful Utah desert stretching into the distance.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Calico Peak
5882 ft
518 rise

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I hiked along the washed out road.
I hiked along the washed out road.
View back along the road, colorful badlands around me.
View back along the road, colorful badlands around me.
The road bends away at this drainage, so I left it, going toward the canyon seen center.
The road bends away at this drainage, so I left it, going toward the canyon seen center.
Approaching the canyon.
Approaching the canyon.
Very cool hairpin turns.
Very cool hairpin turns.
This canyon is very windy.
This canyon is very windy.
More progress up the pretty canyon.
More progress up the pretty canyon.
Image 7 from gallery
Image 8 from gallery
When the canyon got too brushy, I left it using this Class 2 gully.
When the canyon got too brushy, I left it using this Class 2 gully.
Calico Peak ahead.
Calico Peak ahead.
I recommend heading up toward the cliffy base.
I recommend heading up toward the cliffy base.
View back.
View back.
Along the base of Calico Peak. I wrapped around to its northeast side.
Along the base of Calico Peak. I wrapped around to its northeast side.
Class 2 slope.
Class 2 slope.
Some obstacles up the slope. A bench leads to the right below the larger cliffs seen ahead.
Some obstacles up the slope. A bench leads to the right below the larger cliffs seen ahead.
Along the bench, view back.
Along the bench, view back.
I headed directly up from here to the bae of the upper cliff band, but easier options exist on the right if you keep taking the path of least resistance.
I headed directly up from here to the bae of the upper cliff band, but easier options exist on the right if you keep taking the path of least resistance.
My Class 3 route heads up a crawl-space.
My Class 3 route heads up a crawl-space.
View down the crawl space as I get to the top of the upper cliff band.
View down the crawl space as I get to the top of the upper cliff band.
On the Calico Peak mesatop.
On the Calico Peak mesatop.
Summit seen ahead.
Summit seen ahead.
Calico Peak center.
Calico Peak center.
Summit of Calico Peak, view south,
Summit of Calico Peak, view south,
Summit of Calico Peak, view east toward the Paria River.
Summit of Calico Peak, view east toward the Paria River.
Close-up west. Mollies Nipple is just poking out on the right.
Close-up west. Mollies Nipple is just poking out on the right.
Calico Peak, view north.
Calico Peak, view north.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!