Desert varnish covers a cliff along a sandbar in the Escalante River in Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, giving it a tiger strip like appearance. Desert varnish is created by the gradual deposition of various minerals on the sandstone’s surface from storm run off. It appears in various colors and is most often seen in cliff faces like the one above.
This cliff is located along the path to Stevens Arch, one of the highlights found on a hike through Coyote Gulch, which connects to the Escalante River down stream from this point. Stevens Arch is a natural sandstone arch perched several hundred feet above the riverbed.
The Stevens Arch trail is accessed from trailhead at the end of Fortymile Ridge Road, which branches east from Hole-in-the-Rock Road at milepost 35. The road is 7 miles in length and features deep sand toward the end, requiring a high-clearance vehicle.
Visitors often combine a trip to Steven’s Arch with a hike through upper Coyote Gulch, which shares this trailhead. Coyote Gulch flows into the Escalante River downstream of the trailhead. It features a number of interesting natural and historic features, including several more arches, and giant alcoves, as well as Indian petroglyphs.
If you do decide to combine trips, there are exit points at Jacob Hamblin Arch about half way through Coyote Gulch, as well as the Red Well Trailhead and the Hurricane Wash Trailhead. The Hurricane Wash Trailhead exits directly on Hole-the-Rock-Road. Hurricane Wash is also a good entry and exit point if you have a low-clearance vehicle. But also presents the longest hike.
National Park Service: Website
Canyons of the Escalante Hiking Guide (NPS)
Suggested Reading:
Non-Technical Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau – Mike Kelsey
Canyons of the Escalante – Trails Illustrated Map – National Geographic
Hiking Grand Staircase-Escalante & the Glen Canyon Region – Ron Adkison