- Locale: near Goosenecks
- Time: 4-6 hours
- Fee: None
This 4.5 mile round-trip hike is steep, exposed, and perfect for those looking for a dose of geologic history or who want to get their heart pumping. Gold prospectors built the trail as a supply route in the 1890s, and it switchbacks down more than 1200 feet from the canyon rim to the San Juan River. Keep your eyes out for fossilized crinoids and brachiopods. Early geologists spray-painted numbers on all the different layers you will pass through – see how many you can spot! For those looking for a shorter hike, Horn Point makes a great destination at the 1.3 mile mark.
Special Considerations
This is a challenging, strenuous hike that offers little shade in the afternoon and no water along the trail. Best hiked end of September through early May. Avoid in summer. There are no amenities at the unmarked trailhead. Parking is limited to a few spaces.
- Tips For Visiting Here with Respect
Avoid Building Cairns
Building cairns can impact sensitive sites and are a form of vandalism to the natural world. You might not realize it, but some stacked stones may be ancestral shrines. Leave placement of trail directional signs and leveling of cairns to land managers.
Historic Artifacts Aren’t Trash
Leave historic artifacts like rusted cans right where they are. They help interpret the past and show who has been there before.
Pack Out Your Poop
Human and pet waste threatens fragile ecosystems and drinking water for hikers and wildlife alike. Poop near cultural sites is disrespectful to the Tribes and Pueblos that revere this sacred cultural landscape. When facilities are not available, please pack out your waste.
- Maps and Directions
- Coordinates: 37.188433, -109.953386
- Directions:
From Bluff, head west on Highway 163 to Highway 261 and turn right. After ~0.6 miles turn left onto Road 316. After ~0.4 miles turn right onto John’s Canyon Road (#244). Drive ~2.5 miles and stay left at “Y” in the road (there may be a water tank). Follow for ~1.4 miles and park. Rough road leads to trailhead at canyon's rim.