What to See and Do
Hiking and Biking
Crack Canyon Trail
Crack Canyon Trail is a rocky canyon trail located in Utah's San Rafael Swell. The trail has an elevation gain of approximately 1,000 feet. The trailhead is located at the Crack Canyon Campground, and the trail itself winds through a variety of terrain, including red rock canyons, sandstone cliffs, and juniper-covered hillsides. There are several opportunities for hikers to view petroglyphs and other Native American artifacts along the trail.
Length: 4.9 Miles
Intensity: Moderate
Chute Canyon Trail
The Chute Canyon Trail is three miles east of Crack Canyon and is located in the Chute Canyon Recreation Area in southwestern Utah and is about three miles from the Crack Canyon Trail. These two trails are often hiked back to back. The trail winds its way through a canyon with high red cliffs on either side. There are several places where the trail narrows and you must scramble over rocks.
Length: 8 Miles
Intensity: Easy
Fishing and Boating
Wild Horse Creek, 30 miles from Crack Canyon, offers opportunities for fishing where brown trout, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and white fish are found. Nearby boating and river rafting activities can be found around Green River as well at Green River State Park.
Climbing
The Crack Canyon Trail has rock climbing spots along the way, but climb at your own risk. The Canyon has many grades and rocky inclines that require intense hiking. There are opportunities to boulder climb among some of these grades. For more notable rock climbing and bouldering, head to nearby Capitol Reef National Park, where rock climbing is allowed by permit only.
Wildlife Viewing
Crack Canyon itself will not display much wildlife, but a trip to Wild Horse Creek will provide opportunities to see wild horses, deer, elk, bighorn sheep, black bears, and coyotes. These animals are mainly nocturnal and dangerous.
Stargazing
The Crack Canyon features several open spaces where stargazing can be done. The absence of artificial lighting brings the sky to life with great views of constellations and the Milky Way. For really great stargazing experiences, navigate southeast to Capital Reef National Park, which is designated as an International Dark Sky Park because it offers some of the clearest night skies for stargazing.