Storms and Serenity: A Journey to Upper Calf Creek Falls

Immersive VR 360 Upper Calf Creek Falls

Life can be a rollercoaster of intense storms followed by moments of beautiful serenity. This adventure was a perfect example of that wild ride. Our journey began on the stunning Hell's Backbone Bridge in the Death Box Hollow Wilderness, where an epic storm rolled in, engulfing us in lightning and hail. From there, we found peace at a beautiful lake surrounded by red cliffs and pink lily pad flowers. Our main destination was the gorgeous Upper Calf Creek Falls, a hidden gem in the vast Escalante landscape. This trip was a powerful reminder that while some storms bring fear, others can be an answer to a prayer, and that calm is always waiting on the other side.

The Golden Nugget 🌟

Don't Miss This: Upper Calf Creek Falls is the perfect alternative to the more crowded Lower Calf Creek Falls. It's just as beautiful, has significantly less foot traffic, and is a shorter hike. It's the perfect way to get that classic Escalante waterfall experience without the crowds.

TRANSPORT YOURSELF INTO THE STORM & THE CALM

This VR 360 Nature Vacation is one of those wild rides. We start on Hell's Backbone Bridge as an epic storm rolls in, then we find peace at Pine Lake and the beautiful Upper Calf Creek Falls before heading to Barker Lake to continue our "100 Lakes 100 Fish" goal. Grab your VR headset and transport yourself on this fantastic journey today!

"We sat in our truck with hail pounding down... and my hubby joked that we were in a Metal Death Box in Death Box Hollow Wilderness on Hells Backbone Ridge in a Hail storm. Now can you get a little crazier than that?"

Adventure at a Glance

🏞️ Location: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
🚶‍♀️ Activity: Hiking, Scenic Driving
⭐ Shauna's Rating: 💎💎💎💎💎 (5 out of 5 Diamonds)
☀️ Best For: Beautiful waterfalls, solitude, tricky navigation challenges.
⏳ Recommended Time: 1.5 - 2.5 hours for the Upper Calf Creek Falls hike.
🧭 Can't-Miss Sights: Upper Calf Creek Falls (from above and below), the views from Hell's Backbone Bridge.

Front View of Upper Calf Creek Falls Escalante, Utah

My Upper Calf Creek Falls Story

Our second trip to this area had a funny story. We were fishing at Barker Lake when we started getting flash flood warnings on our phones. We waited it out, and after 4 PM, we headed out towards the sun. We arrived at Hell's Backbone Bridge to beautiful blue skies, but it didn't take long to hear distant thunder. Soon, we were engulfed in an intense storm, with lightning all around us. We decided it was safer to hunker down in our truck than to drive. As hail pounded our roof (ruining our paint job!), my husband dryly remarked on the irony of being in a "metal death box" in "Death Box Hollow" on "Hell's Backbone." You can't get much crazier than that!

The main event, however, was the hike to Upper Calf Creek Falls. The trailhead is tricky to find and unmarked from the main road. The hike itself is only about a mile each way, but it requires careful navigation down a steep slickrock boulder, following cairns (small stacks of rocks) that can be easy to lose. I got lost the first time I was here, and even this time we strayed for a minute. A GPS app is a lifesaver here! But the reward is a stunning waterfall that you can see from both above and below, and an experience with far more solitude and peace than its more famous downstream sibling.

Side View of Upper Calf Creek Falls Escalante, Utah

Your Trail Guide: Helpful Hints

♦️ Tricky Trailhead: The turnoff for Upper Calf Creek Falls is not well-marked. It's about 10 miles outside Boulder near the Hell's Backbone road. Trust your GPS, even when it feels like you're turning onto a random side road.
♦️ Follow the Cairns (Carefully!): The trail is marked only by rock cairns. Pay very close attention to them. If you can't see the next cairn, backtrack until you find the last one you saw. It is very easy to get lost here.
♦️ Use a GPS App: I STRONGLY suggest using an app like Gaia and recording your trail on the way in. This will give you a foolproof path to follow on the way out if you lose the cairns.
♦️ Best Time to Go: The waterfall is most stunning in the spring when the flow is at its peak.

TRAIL SIGNS AT UPPER CALF CREEK FALLS

Each time I have had Google maps take me to Upper Calf Creek Falls, it says I have arrived when I am in the middle of the road and misses the last turn. You have to watch for the turn then and after you drive back into a road you are not sure is correct, all of a sudden there is a parking lot and this sign. There is no sign by the road.

Love Escalante? Check out these other hikes!

If you enjoyed this adventure, here is my Google Maps list with all my favorite hikes in the Escalante area.

GoogleList of My Favorite Escalante Hikes

360 Trail at Upper Calf Creek Falls

I have to say that I really enjoy hiking where you have to navigate from Cairn to Cairn. It is like a scavenger hunt where you have to search from one Cairn to the next to know the path you should follow . I started this hike with a sense of gratitude for the Cairns ( Holy Ghost) for they gave such great directions of which ways to go. Of course as I was proudly thinking about how good I was doing listening to the Holy Ghost ( following Cairns) and I was deceived by some fake Cairns. Being in a definite sense of being lost, I prayed for help. Thankfully when we find ourselves off the path the Lord has giving us many tools to return to the path. For me Google was amazing, pulling through and getting me back safely. I had marked my parking spot on my Google Maps, and it was a constant direction of where I needed to end up in the end. Today I am Thankful for the lesson learned. I am thankful for the closeness and connection I felt with the Lord and my Dad on this hike. I am grateful to be alive, for while I was lost I never doubted the general direction I needed to go, so I never felt too scared, but I knew that because I was not on the correct path my chances of hitting danger would increase. I was doing pretty good when I stepped on a bolder that seemed extremely strong. It came loose from the mountain and started a little Rock slide with me in the middle. Luckily we all stopped before the steeper part right below me, but I have to say it took a little while for my heart to slow down to normal. I came back determined to have better systems to keep me safe. I now make sure I always download Google Maps and or Gaia Maps when going into the back country.

Conclusion

This adventure was a powerful mix of thrilling storms and serene beauty. It was a journey that demanded respect for nature's power and careful attention to the quiet markers on the trail. Upper Calf Creek Falls is a true Escalante gem, rewarding those who can navigate its tricky path with a peaceful and beautiful oasis. I hope this guide helps you find it, and that the video gives you a taste of both the wildness of the storm and the calm of the falls.

Sending Love and Positive Vibes,

Shauna from VRGetaways

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