Upper Calf Creek Falls

Upper Calf Creek Falls is the reward that fewer than ten percent of visitors to the lower falls ever claim. The upper falls are 88 feet high — shorter than the more famous 126-foot lower falls but every bit as beautiful — and the trail to reach them is a different experience entirely. Where the lower falls trail follows a gentle, sandy creekbed for three miles, the upper falls trail drops steeply from the Highway 12 trailhead, descending roughly 500 feet in less than a mile over slickrock, sand, and rocky terrain that demands attention and solid footwear.

The trailhead sits along Highway 12 between Escalante and Boulder, about two miles east of the lower falls trailhead. The trail is marked with cairns across open slickrock — the route-finding is not difficult in clear conditions but could be disorienting in fog or rain. The descent is steep enough that the return climb will test your cardiovascular system, and the desert sun on the exposed slickrock makes the effort feel more strenuous than the modest distance would suggest. Bring more water than you think you need.

The falls themselves are a single-drop cascade into a pool that is smaller and more enclosed than the lower falls' plunge pool. The canyon walls close in tightly around the falls, creating an amphitheater of sandstone that amplifies the sound of the water and concentrates the mist. The pool is deep enough for swimming, and the cold water — fed by the same creek that creates the lower falls downstream — is bracing enough to erase any memory of the hot climb you just endured.

The solitude is the upper falls' greatest distinction. The lower falls are popular enough that the trail sees steady traffic throughout the hiking season. The upper falls, despite being easily accessible from the same highway, receive a fraction of the visitation. The combination of a steeper trail, less prominent trailhead signage, and the human tendency to choose the more famous option means that visitors to the upper falls often have the canyon to themselves — an increasingly rare commodity in the Escalante region.

The two falls make a natural pair, and hiking both in a single day — the lower falls in the morning, the upper falls in the afternoon — creates a complete Calf Creek experience that covers six miles of hiking and two dramatically different waterfalls. The lower falls offer the grand reveal at the end of a long approach. The upper falls offer a steep descent into an intimate canyon with a fraction of the crowds. Both are essential, and choosing only one is like reading half a book.