Lower Muley Twist Route - 23.8 Miles Round-Trip

From the trailhead located on the Burr Trail Road (very small area to park), the route drops quickly and easily into Lower Muley Twist Canyon. To begin the Lower Muley Twist route, after dropping down about 50 feet into the wash, be sure to follow the twisting drainage down canyon (turn left). The canyon forms a short section of narrows midway between the trailhead and The Post cutoff trail which you will reach in about 4 miles.

The slickrock canyon walls are white Navajo sandstone colored by streaks of desert varnish. The red sandstones are the Kayenta and Wingate formations.

Four miles south of the Lower Muley Twist trailhead is The Post cutoff trail which is marked by a sign. **At this point, day hikers should either backtrack to the Lower Muley Twist trailhead or continue 2 miles to The Post parking area via the cutoff trail, depending where you are parked. The Post cutoff trail climbs up and over the Waterpocket Fold, providing dramatic vistas. The trail traverses steep slickrock with loose footing and is exposed in several places. Use caution, especially if wet or icy conditions exist.

Continuing south through Lower Muley Twist Canyon, it is eight more miles to Halls Creek Canyon and then 5 miles north to The Post. Large, dramatic alcoves highlight the lower portion of the canyon. Here the Wingate sandstone has been undercut forming high overhangs and sandstone caves.

Near the end of Lower Muley Twist, the canyon turns toward the east and becomes narrow with high walls. At this point, the tall red cliffs of the Strike Valley rim are visible ahead.

As you exit the canyon, cairns on the north (left) side of the wash will mark a route out of the drainage and across a low ridge to the northeast. This route connects with Halls Creek and saves hiking time. If you stay in the Lower Muley Twist drainage, the route connects with Halls Creek in approximately a half mile.

If you are hiking south from The Post, it is easy to miss the route into Lower Muley Twist Canyon. Track your location on a map and scan the steep slickrock slopes of the Fold for the upper portion of the north-facing wall of Lower Muley Twist Canyon. The wall is stained with desert varnish and is visible a good distance up Halls Creek. When you are due east of this landmark, look for a way over the low ridge separating Lower Muley Twist and Halls Creek to enter the canyon via the short cut or stay in Halls Creek until you encounter the Lower Muley Twist drainage further downstream.

Between Lower Muley Twist Canyon and The Post there is a section of Halls Creek that cuts a meandering channel into the Navajo Sandstone. This is a longer but more scenic route, or you can bypass this section of Halls Creek by following an old jeep road.