Canyonlands – Murphy Point Trail

Hiking Canyonlands Murphy Point Trail

Canyonlands Murphy Point Trail is one of the most surprising trails I have been on. The trail is in the middle of the park and doesn’t seem like it will have any of those iconic Canyonland views. That is until you get closer to the end where the ground drops off and the canyons stretch as far as the eyes can see!

Getting Started – The Deception

As you make your way down the path on the Murphy Point Trail you start to think that maybe you are in the wrong place. The narrow trail looks out over flat prairie with some grasses and some short trees and bushes. Surely, this isn’t the famed Island of the Sky in Canyonlands. Where are all the canyons?

The trail heads across this flat section for about a mile. I began to think that I was hiking in the wrong park. There isn’t much of a challenge to the long narrow trail. About a half mile in is the junction with the Murphy Hogback trail but other than that the trail is pretty unremarkable. Indistinguishable from many neighborhood open spaces across the country. The trail is still holding onto its secrets though. Secrets that begin to take shape as you continue on.

Mid Section – The Turn

About a mile and a quarter into the hike the trail both literally and figuratively starts to make a turn. The trail makes a left hand turn and starts a very slight downward descent. Very slight and yet so important. As you make your way down the descent the trail turns almost magically. The grass thins out and the trail becomes more of a rock and sand mix. The easy to follow path is gone and now cairns guide the way across the mostly flat rocks.

The wide packed dirt runs off in every direction, only moving for the hearty trees that decide to grow close to the ground. Through the dirt you can follow the path of the rocks until a smaller path begins to take shape. This also becomes the section of the trail where the secrets begin to show hints of what they will soon become!

The Views at the End!

The path continues and begins to form a funnel, forcing hikers toward the views that are already drawing them in. The horizon changes from grass and bushes to what might be. The terrain changes from the green of the leaves to the brown of large boulders. Each step moves a little faster in anticipation of the views to come. And then you are there. Standing on the edge looking over a grand canyon speckled with million year old towers of rock.

The clouds cast shadows on the rocky terrain below. At the bottom, the Green River meanders across the floor of the canyon. What was once a grassy field in any direction is now like something from a different world. the views from the edge are magnificent and humbling. It feels like you are looking across the surface of the moon.

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I made my way down the narrow path to start this hike but it wasn’t this. Despite knowing that I was in Canyonlands, I forgot just what I was standing on. Thousands of feet and maybe millions of years all just opened up in front of me from that ledge. While the hike isn’t the most challenging and a bit unassuming to start, it ends with one of the biggest surprises around. Like a sparkler vs the grand finale of a fireworks show. One of those hikes I couldn’t believe I was doing and now I can’t get out of my mind.

Distance and Elevation

If you don’t have the AllTrails app you might want to check it out, I really love mine. It records your progress and is a great way to search for hikes that are nearby and gives you difficulty measurements. According to AllTrails today’s hike was around 3.52 miles and had a total elevation gain of about 180 feet including undulations. That put the high point at around 6,267 feet. I was also moving for a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes.

I am a Pro member of AllTrails and love it. If you are interested in the platform, please consider using my affiliate link for AllTrails. It gives me a small commission with no extra cost to you.

Effort

The hike out to Murphy Point at Canyonlands is a little deceptive. There isn’t any challenging elevation gain. In fact, the hike is basically point to point. However, I think I will rank this as a moderate hike because of the possible conditions of hiking in Canyonlands. The sun and exposure can be relentless and some of the trail requires following cairns to find your way. This increases the chances of getting lost or taking a bit longer than expected. To me, that means that you want to have a bit of experience before attempting this hike so I will rank this as a moderate hike.

Terrain

As I mentioned in the Effort section, the hike to Murphy Point is very exposed. I mean there is little to no shade on this hike and the desert air can get very hot! The trail itself is hard packed dirt with sections of rocky terrain. There are sections that require following cairns to not get lost. Traction isn’t much of an issue until you get close to the end where the rock gets a little steeper and slick but nothing overwhelming. Mostly you want to be prepared for tough exposure in the heat and wind and pack protection from the sun.

Access to Canyonlands Murphy Point Trail

The Murphy Point Trailhead is located about halfway between Mesa Arch and Grand View Overlook in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands. There was a picnic table, pit toilet and room for about 10 cars in the smaller parking lot. There is a daily fee of $30 per vehicle for entrance into Canyonlands, though annual passes also will grant you access.

Wrapping up the hike to Canyonlands Murphy Point Trail

I really can’t believe how much I ended up liking the Canyonlands Murphy Point Trail. I honestly only stopped at the trailhead because it had some open parking and a bathroom. After casually walking down the grassy section of the path, I wasn’t expecting much. Then I found amazing views and some solitude to enjoy them!

The path can be a little dangerous, with a ton of exposure under a hot and unforgiving sun. However, if you are prepared, this can be one of the most relaxing and enjoyable hikes in Canyonlands!

I have added this hike and all of my hikes to my interactive map page that you can find here. If you have a suggestion or comment you can email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com. Or follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!

Gallery of Canyonlands Murphy Point Trail