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After touring the Glen Canyon Dam, we asked a ranger in the visitor’s center for a short hike we could fit into the end of our day. He gave us directions to the Hanging Garden hike. The turn-off is 1/4 mile from the opposite side of the Glen Canyon Bridge from Carl Hayden Visitor Center on Highway 89.
There aren’t great signs for the turn off, so we initially parked at the wrong trail-head.
Our ‘wrong turn’ was an interesting hike meandering around the cool sandstone formations on the shore of Lake Powell.
Then we went a little further down the road and found the right turn-off. Trail-head parking is 500 yards off of Highway 89 on a dirt road.
This short, 1-mile round trip trail was created by the park service and leads to a startling green oasis beneath the rim of a butte. The route is easy to follow with a path marked by rocks along the entire route. There was no shade on this trail, but that was the only difficult part of the hike.
There is a seep spring hidden beneath the sandstone. This spring captures rainwater and then slowly releases it, causing vegetation to grow vertically on the sheltered wall. It was pretty cool to see this in the midst of the barren landscape.
To see my other Glen Canyon National Recreation Area posts, please click on the links:
- Horseshoe Bend
- Lone Rock Beach
- Navajo Bridge (Coming soon)
- Wahweap Overlook & Marina (Coming Soon)
- Colorado River & Petroglyph Walk
- Glen Canyon Dam and Overlook
- Antelope Canyon (Coming Soon)
Location: Scenic View Drive and Hwy 89, Page, AZ
Designation: National Recreation Area
Date designation declared: 10/27/1972
Date of my visit: 8/18/2014
Sometimes the best adventures come from a “wrong” turn.
Too true!😀
I hiked this last year with a friend, but we found the trail difficult to follow! Determination paid off & we did finally find the hanging garden!!
Yes I do recall a section where the stones disappeared and we weren’t sure which way to go.
I love that you noted the seep spring. Isn’t nature amazing? I have a spring well here on my place that is all of seven feet deep. Even at the height of the draught a few years ago it never went dry. Not that same as a seep spring mind you…but still. Its so cool that you noticed it.
Thanks! I don’t think I noticed it…more like learned about it when doing the hike with my child. Seeing greenery growing out of a wall in the desert is enough to make most kids ask why😀
Love the sandstone formations! Beautiful photos!
Thanks so much!
Looks like the wrong turn took you to a great adventure with some great sandstone views 🙂
Yes it was! Thanks for commenting!
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Great pics! We did the dam tour but not this hike – thanks!
Thanks! As I recall, we Completed the hike just before it started raining
There are few destinations as enchanting as the Four Corners Area. I never tire of these red rocks! Beautiful photos.
Thanks! I love this part of the country too!
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