Murphy Loop
The Murphy Trail is a beautiful, long hike down to and through a canyon in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. This trail is moderately challenging with sections of steep switchbacks, so make sure you arrive prepared. The Murphy Trail sees little traffic, so it's a great place to go for a long, peaceful hike in the Utah desert.
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Route Description for Murphy Loop
The Murphy Trail is a gorgeous, 16.1 km hiking loop through the Murphy Wash in the Utah desert. The most challenging part of this hike is the descent down into the wash; this section is steep, so hikers should be prepared with good, supportive footwear. Hiking poles can be a great asset on this trail as well to aid in the ascents and descents. Arrive prepared for a big day, and the Murphy Trail is all yours. This hike doesn’t get a lot of visitors, so it’s a fantastic place to go for some peace and quiet in Canyonlands National Park.
From the trailhead, follow the path to a divide—stay left and continue on to the next divide. This split marks the beginning and end of the loop. Take a right at this divide to hike the loop counterclockwise. Follow the cairns and stay left at the subsequent divide until you return to the beginning of the loop.
From the end of the loop, simply retrace the main trail back out to the trailhead. If you are looking for more to do in the area, check out the Murphy Point Trail that shares the same trailhead or head down the road to the White Rim Overlook and Gooseberry trails nearby.
Getting to the Murphy Loop Trailhead
From the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, follow Grand View Point Road for 13.8 km to the Murphy Trailhead on the west side of the road.
Route Information
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