Cohab Canyon is a very cool hike in Capitol Reef National Park that goes through very colorful sandstone walls, with small slot canyons between. There are two ways to enter the canyon and it can either be done from either side as a there and back or one way if you have a an extra car. The entrances are either next to the Fruita Campground or across the street from the Hickman Bridge Trailhead. The coolest part of the canyon is closest to the campground, but that trail is very steep. We opted to start from the other side. Near the trailhead we saw four deer!

The hike is uphill for the first half mile. Then it splits to go different directions. The signs were a bit confusing. In the photo below the trail comes from the right side. The campground arrow shows a sideways U. The trail you should follow heads right briefly and then has a switchback to head left. I love the textures in this canyon!

Just down the hill from the signs, there is an option to head up the other side to two lookout points: North and South Fruita Overlooks. We took the extra mile to do both. It is back uphill for the first part and then splits to head to each viewpoint. We weren’t very impressed. The views are nice, but not much better than you can get on the regular trail.

We returned to the main trail. There was some cool rock formations, but it gets even better as you go.

The desert doesn’t have a lot of plants, but the flowers that were blooming were beautiful! We saw a few lizards as well.

As you near the Fruita Campground side, you start to see more and more red. There starts to be a few places where there might be hidden slot canyons, but there are signs asking that you stay on the trail to help the vegetation grow.

There is one little slot that is directly next the trail. My son had so much fun climbing in it!

As you pass that slot canyon, you can see the towering canyon walls all around!

This is very near the end of the canyon and you can look down into the campground.

If you have a separate car you can walk down, but if you are doing a there and back you can turn around and head back the way you came.

 

Stats: Distance – 3 miles round trip
Approximate hiking time – 2-3 hours
Elevation gain – 793 feet
Difficulty – Moderate
Trail – well maintained trail of dirt and rocks,
Bathrooms – At Hickman Bridge Trailhead or Fruita Campground
Seasons to hike – Year-Round
Permits needed – $20 per car for a 7-day pass or National Parks Pass
Pets allowed – No

 

Hickman Bridge Trailhead

 

 

Fruita Campground Trailhead

 

For more hikes in Capital Reef, check out this post:

Hickman Bridge

Sulphur Creek Waterfall

Cassidy Arch