Date: Sunday – Monday, March 24 – 25, 2019

Miles: 8.8 miles

Elevation Gain: 1667 feet

Difficulty: Difficult

Time: Overnight Backpacking Trip (2hrs to site, 3.5hrs to parking lot)

Type: Weekend hike from Denver (6hr drive)

Trail Head:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/syncline-loop

Notes:

Welcome to Utah! This is our second year in a row backpacking Canyonlands National Park for spring break. This time we selected a primitive campsite in the Island in the Sky district, about a six hour drive from Denver (closest city Moab).

We started the loop clockwise from the Upheaval Dome Trailhead, descending over 1500 elevation in two miles. The trail down was relatively easy to follow, heading down into the wash around mile three. Our campsite was 3.7 miles into the loop, right off the junction of upheaval crater spur and syncline loop trails. We were happily surprised to have a water source (syncline valley) next to our site— perfect for staying hydrated in the burning sun.

We hiked out the following morning, starting at 6:30am to beat the full sun. From the campsite, the first mile gains significant elevation through a rocky canyon— very difficult to navigate at times. The steepest sections were strenuous with a backpack, requiring scrambling and light climbing. The rest of the 5.1 mile section continuously climbs in elevation, requiring a few other scrambled steps, but mostly following the wash.