Trail Description - Upheaval Dome. Our legs were strained and pained beyond belief, thoughts of tossing the backpacks went thru our heads. A 1.7-mile hike visits two overlooks along the rim of this three-mile wide 1,000-foot deep crater. But he looked and sounded like he saw Death. Watch the route behind you carefully in case you lose the cairns and need to backtrack a bit. At one point I had to hold onto and rotate around a projecting rock to get from one ledge to the next. Maps: USGS Upheaval Dome; Trails Illustrated Island in the Sky. 8.3 miles. (I love climbing over boulders.) The entire Syncline area has a fascinating—and controversial—geological history. It is a very beautiful hike, but I have no desire to repeat it. Travel quickens in and across several wash segments (6.5 – 8.0 miles), but remain alert for vague entry - exit points. The two most common theories—the “salt dome” theory and the “meteorite impact” theory—are explained in a brochure available at the visitor center. Syncline Loop. As it loops around the dome crater, you will descend steeply down rugged Upheaval Canyon, then come back through The Breach on the other side via a beautiful and challenging route up the Syncline Valley. One of the highlights of this area is the massive Upheaval Dome, which the Syncline Loop Trail traces on its difficult 9-mile journey. The route is difficult to follow and exposed to steep drop offs. Most visitors choose to do the loop clockwise, perferable for having the sun at your back most of the day with an early start. Upheaval Dome is an anticline where rocks have been pushed up and then eroded, forming a crater and other interesting features. The next day, I hiked 14 miles in the Needles(Elephant Hill to Chesler Park to Druid Arch and back to Elephant Hill) and drank half the water I did on the Syncline and had much better control of my leg muscles at the end. A “good” fall wouldn’t be fatal, but could end in a really bad day. In fact, you get a better view of the mysterious crater from this short trail. The strenuous, 8 mile Syncline Loop Trail follows the 2 valleys either side of Upheaval Dome, in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park; the dome can be reached by a 2 mile extension Made a very early start on a nice cool day. The trail, recommended for experienced hikers only, descends rugged Upheaval Canyon and climbs out via a beautiful and difficult trail up the Syncline Valley. This is my last video from Utah before I head north. After the boulder section, the hike improves, almost enjoyable...eventually you make your way to the marker sign that indicates the trail direction to continue, and you get a false sense of hope that it'll be soon over...but eventually you come to grips that you need to make your way back up thru a series of rocks and switchbacks that leave you wondering if you will ever get out of that mess alive. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); You can contact ProTrails directly through our Facebook or Instagram accounts. At 1.75 miles the trail crosses a slickrock wash to a pair of cairns that mark a second steep drop to the canyon floor. DO NOT BE An IDIOT LIKE ME. This is not what I would call a "hike" it is a hike with some climbing that could be fatal for an inexperienced "climber". It is the number one trail I would repeat if I visit Island in the Sky again. This is a great way to observe and study the geological wonders of the Upheaval Dome area without taking the arduous 8.3-mile Syncline Loop Trail. I ran into a (upper 20-ish) solo hiker who was on the way down. “ View the brilliant colors and mysterious geology of Upheaval Dome from two wonderful overlooks. Upheaval Dome in the most puzzling geological feature in Canyonlands National Park. Then we hit the boulder field, a massive scramble along a poorly marked route including hops/jumps over boulder spaces with nothing to hold onto, where a missed landing could result in a horrible fall. It took four/five days for the leg muscle pain to disappear, walking was a challenge for a couple days. The trail generally favors the right side of the wash crossing and entering it several times. It took me four hours to finish the final 1.5 miles, which normally would have taken about 1-1.5 hours. It is difficult. Hi, It seems like I have been working on this video for ages. Continuing around the loop, the trail abruptly ascends into a side canyon called Syncline Valley. ", " Let me start with this, I know what I did was stupid, now, and I learned, the hard way, to stay in my lane and limitations. I followed it counter-clock-wise until I reached the junction with Upheaval Dome Spur Trail. Click here to access the online reservation system, Peekaboo Trail: Lost Canyon and Squaw Canyon, 8.4 miles (distance may vary on routing through canyons), 5,675' (5,753' max elevation : 4,235' low elevation), -1,440' net elevation loss (+2,060' total roundtrip elevation gain), "“Intense” Elevation Gain. He was very relieved to know the hard part was past - yet he still had 1300’ elevation climb. At another, I had to pull myself up onto a ledge and slide my knee over the side to get up. The literal centerpiece of this 7.6-mile loop is an anomaly in an already otherworldly landscape. At-large sites must be at least 1 mile away from any road and 300' from any archeological site, historical site or water source. Trail extensions lead into the Upheaval Dome Crater and out to Green River via Upheaval Canyon. By then we had about one liter of water each, the harsh heat was gone, so that wasn't a major worry. Carry ample water, and expect longer travel times than the distance would suggest. Call the Backcountry Reservation Office for more information: 435.259.4351. Sturdy shoes with good soles are highly recommended. This difficult primitive trail does not feature views of Upheaval Dome per se. ", N38 25.584 W109 55.572 — 0.0 miles : Upheaval Dome Trailhead, N38 25.679 W109 56.371 — .88 miles : Begin 1st very steep drop, N38 25.649 W109 56.520 — 1.2 miles : Brief reprieve between descents, N38 25.874 W109 56.850 — 1.75 miles : Begin 2nd very steep descent, N38 25.880 W109 56.955 — 2.0 miles : Travel moderates near canyon floor, N38 26.070 W109 57.116 — 2.25 miles : Mild travel in wash on canyon floor, N38 26.193 W109 57.282 — 2.5 miles : Brief rise up right side of wash, N38 26.498 W109 57.330 — 3.0 miles : Wash is variously narrow an twisting, N38 26.678 W109 57.394 — 3.3 miles : Upheaval Canyon Trail split, N38 26.677 W109 57.246 — 3.45 miles : Hard break left up stone stairs, N38 26.673 W109 57.173 — 3.55 miles : Upheaval Dome Spur Trail split, N38 26.967 W109 56.957 — 4.05 miles : Mild travel up Syncline Valley, N38 27.117 W109 56.723 — 4.3 miles : Begin steep travel into upper canyon, N38 27.177 W109 56.702 — 4.45 miles : Cross notch steps over dropoff, N38 27.192 W109 56.576 — 4.7 miles : Travel moderates in upper riparian area, N38 27.255 W109 56.335 — 4.9 miles : Level travel in lush, spring / seep fed area, N38 27.246 W109 55.943 — 5.4 miles : Lush, level area - look for wildlife, N38 27.145 W109 55.722 — 5.7 miles : Hard right turn up tall, narrow gap, N38 27.009 W109 55.712 — 6.0 miles : Steep travel up open slickrock face, N38 26.871 W109 55.325 — 6.4 miles : Variously moderate and shifting course, N38 26.642 W109 54.970 — 6.9 miles : Moderate travel in diverse landscape, N38 26.281 W109 54.976 — 7.4 miles : Moderate travel in widening area, N38 25.950 W109 55.177 — 7.9 miles : Moderate travel in open landscape, N38 25.580 W109 55.570 — 8.4 miles : Upheaval Dome Trailhead, This is a strenuous, primitive trail.