Murphy Wash Trail

Route Description for Murphy Wash Trail

The Murphy Wash Trail is a gorgeous hike in a lovely area of Canyonlands National Park. This trail has a section of steep switchbacks down a vertiginous drop. If you are nervous about heights or are not a fan of elevation changes, this trail might not be the best for you. However, if you are up for the challenge, tie on a sturdy pair of hiking boots and pack along lots of water and snacks before you hit the trail. The desert terrain of the Murphy Wash Trail is absolutely gorgeous. If you’re lucky, you might even see desert wildlife sharing the trail with you. If you do see any wild animals, give them lots of personal space, and do not feed them your snacks.

From the trailhead, follow the path southwest to a divide, take a left at this first divide. Head down the switchbacks to the second divide; take another left here to follow the wash bed.

The Murphy Wash Trail will eventually meet up with the White Rim Road. This is the turn-around point for this route. If you want to spend more of your day exploring this area, you can extend this hike by following the Murphy Loop up and along the Murphy Hogback trail back to the trailhead.