The Toadstools Hike is located just east of Kanab. It is a short walk to a very interesting hoodoo inside of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This flat, easy 1.5 mile walk is appropriate for all age levels, but make sure to bring sunscreen, water, and a hat as it can be brutally hot in this area of the state. There is no shade anywhere along the trail.
Where is The Toadstools Hike located?
The Toadstools Hike is located about 44 miles east of Kanab. There is a large parking lot on the north side of the road. A sign clearly marks the beginning of the Toadstools Hike, so you can’t miss it. This parking lot can hold quite a few cars, as the trail is quite popular.
The Trail
Once you go through the S curve in the fence, the trail gets a little confusing. It appears to have a few ghost trails, but they all go the same place. We found a few people walking to the right toward the wash, but we stayed up by the hillside on the left. Both trails merge in a few hundred yards, so don’t worry too much about how you start out. We found it easiest to follow beneath the electrical wires until you get to a more defined trail.
After a little while, the trails converge and follow the bottom of a wash. The wash isn’t perfectly flat, and there is a very slight climb all the way to the toadstool, but it is barely enough to notice. In a few places, the trail walks along a narrow ridge alongside the wash, which is pretty beautiful as you are walking along a sort of hogsback with drops of just a few feet on each side. The rocks are very beautiful all along this trail.
Finally, you turn a corner and the main Toadstool comes into view. It is pretty tall and impressive. There are good spots for photos without crossing over the slickrock to it, but it is difficult to get a photo without people in it. It is worth the additional 50 meter walk to get right up close to the Toadstool.
There are multiple Toadstools clustered behind the big one. These are located to the right along the cliff face. We walked over to them, and found them to be nice, but not nearly as large as the first one. They are only about 80 meters away, and the walk is quite easy. You can explore around this area for quite some time and enjoy the rock formations. Please remember to be careful where you climb, and also to treat these formations carefully, too. Don’t ever etch in the sandstone, but leave it as you found it.
All the Info you Need
The Toadstools hike was really nice in the autumn, and a fun thing to do while in Kanab. This trail is dog-friendly, but dogs must be on leash. For other fun things to do in Kanab, check out our list!
- Distance: 1.5 miles
- Elevation Gain: 140 feet
- Dog-friendly, but on leash
- No shade
- Portable toilets at trailhead
- Rating: Easy! Great for families.
