Hiking Toadstool Hoodoos: A Unique Utah Adventure

We have wanted to hike the Toadstool Hoodoos Trail at Grand Staircase Escalante in Utah for a few years, and we finally visited during our June 2025 trip. We fell in love with the hoodoos of Utah since our first visit in 2020; their shapes and uniqueness are remarkable as they appear in groups across southern Utah. The Toadstool hoodoos are named for their resemblance to giant mushrooms.

Location

The Toadstool Hoodoos Trail is just of Hwy 89 about 45 miles east of Kenab, Utah. You can also reach the Toadstool Hoodoos from Bryce Canyon by driving through Escalante via the Cottonwood Canyon road which showcases some of the amazing scenery in the backcountry of Utah.

The Trailhead

You can easily find the trailhead for the Toadstool Hoodoos just off of Hwy 89 and there is also an ample parking lot here. We arrived at the Trailhead late morning and it was already hot. Of course, being a desert trail, we expected it to be hot. We had our water packs filled, hats and sunscreen on and we were ready to go see the hoodoos! Notably there is signage at the Trailhead explaining the route. I will tell you, the only shade we came upon was when we reached the first Toadstool Hoodoo and it provides the shade!

The Trail

The trail was easy to follow. It was a sandy trail, packed in places and also loose sand. A bit of walking on rocks when you get closer to the Toadstools but no scrambling. At 1.6 miles round trip this is a relatively easy trail, although the sand and heat makes it a bit more difficult. All in all, this is a classic desert hike.

The Toadstools

You will see the first red rock Toadstool Hoodoo standing proud. This toadstool is the iconic balanced rock formation you see in photos of the Toadstool Hoodoo hike. But don’t stop here! Just a bit beyond and behind this redrock formation are more smaller toadstools scattered around like mushrooms in a garden. We knew about the first Toadstool Hoodoo but not the scattered ones, so it was a nice surprise.

After seeing the hoodoos we went back the same way we came in.

Conclusion

All in all, the hike to the Toadstool Hoodoos was short and quick and also showcased some of the variable and unique terrain in Escalante and Utah. In addition, the hoodoos are very accessible and pretty cool to see. There and back took us a little over an hour, but we spent quite a bit of time taking photos. Conversely, from the trailhead to the first hoodoo was about 20 minutes. Although hot, like most desert hiking, it is a dry heat and wasn’t miserable with humidity. I think this is a great short hike if you are in the area. My next post will be on a beautiful slot canyon called Wirepass.

Planning Our Utah Trip

While planning for our trip to Bryce Canyon I referred to the Falcon Guide Book, Hiking Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. If you click on the link you can buy it through Amazon. I also bought a map, Bryce Canyon National Geographic Map, but you can also picked up from the lodge and it worked fine for the basics although not as extensive for hiking.

I also like the Falcon Guide Book for Escalante, Hiking Grand Staircase Escalante and Glen Canyon Region also from Amazon. Again, I used the National Geographic Grand Staircase Escalante Map for this as well. In Escalante especially, we lost GPS service for quite a bit of our time here. Although there are well marked signs, the map was a good tool to have.

We also watch lots of You Tube videos on the areas we want to go and get some great ideas. I can’t think of any particular channel we follow, we just google and watch whatever comes up.

Our Favorite Hiking Gear

We have been hiking for quite a few years now and here are a few of our favorite hiking gear items:

Womens’s Hiking Shoes: This is the first trip I wore my new Merrill Women’s Bravada 2 Hiking Shoes and they are the best hiking shoe I have had yet. They are lightweight, fit like a sneaker and have a good grip;..

Men’s Hiking Shoes, Steve absolutely loves his Hoka Speedgoat 6 Trailrunners. Although these are not specifically hiking shoes, but trail runners, he loves that they are lightweight, have a good grip, great support and comfortable.

Men’s Compression Socks– Due to varicose veins, Steve wears Bomba’s compression socks. He says they are great for hiking and traveling. You won’t find these on Amazon but here is the Bomba’s link.

Women’s Wool Socks. I always wear wool socks when hiking, no matter what the weather. My favorite brand is Darn Tough and they just do not wear out. I have some pairs over 10 years old and they are as good as ever.

Steve’s Backpack. Steve uses the Gregory 24 L backpack and likes that it has a water reservoir, pockets, and is easy to organize.

My Backpack– I use an 11 year old CamelBak Hydration pack which I can no longer find. The Rouge CamalBak is very similar as it has a 2.5 L bladder and 2 outside pockets. I am hoping I never have to replace mine as I love it, but if so, I would buy The Rogue.

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Click on the Below Links for More Utah Fun!

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Mossy Cave Trail-Bryce Canyon June 2025

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Sunset at Arches National Park, Utah, Sept 2020

Ten Great Arches at Arches National Park, Utah, Aug 2016

The Gen-X Travels recommendations for hotels, restaurants, activities or tour companies are based on our own experiences unless noted. We are not sponsored by any business or company and all trips are at our expense. All photos are by myself or my husband unless otherwise noted. We are affiliates of some companies such as Amazon,Viator, and others which we do receive a small commission from, at no cost to you if you buy or book through one of our links.