Devils Garden
- Alex Cabrero
- Jul 9
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
(near Escalante) This is one of those places where you can ponder time. Maybe it’s the endless skies, the red rock formations older than most religions, or the way your cell phone says “No Service” like it’s happy for you. Either way, if you’re ever in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument near Escalante, Devils Garden is one of those places you just have to see.
I visited this spot in October of 2024 with my close friend Jordan and his wife Heidi, who were visiting Utah from North Carolina. One of the hikes they read about and wanted to do on their trip was Lower Calf Creek Falls, which is also in the Staircase. You can read about our hike to that waterfall here. We got to Escalante the day before that hike and I knew they would love Devils Garden. It's not one of those places you read about in tourist brochures. Jordan, with his delightfully and endearing over-obsessive planning, had ChatGPT help map out his Utah trip. And not even AI suggested Devils Garden, which tells me us locals are still better at knowing this stuff :)
Devils Garden isn't as famous as Arches or Bryce Canyon, but honestly, that's part of what makes this place special. You don’t come here to check off a list, you come here to breathe, explore, and remember what it feels like to just be in awe.
It's located about 13 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock Road, which is a name that sounds like a punk band but is actually a fairly tame dusty dirt road. At least up to this point (it sure gets a lot bumpier and rockier as you make your way to Hole in the Rock). To get to Devils Garden, you don’t really need four-wheel drive, but it helps to know that dirt road can get bumpy at times with the graded surface in some areas.
Once you pull into the parking area, there’s no marked trail… and that’s the beauty of it. Devils Garden is less of a hike and more of a choose-your-own-adventure walk through wind-carved rock formations that look like nature’s sculpture garden. You can climb around the hoodoos, stand under natural arches, or just sit on a rock and let the ancient silence do its thing.
Once they got the feel for the place, Jordan and Heidi wandered off in different directions like excited kids let loose at recess. I don’t blame them. When I first visited years ago, I did the same thing. The place sparks curiosity. One minute you’re admiring an arch that somehow still stands despite physics, and the next you’re posing for pictures in front of rocks that look like melted castles. The shadows shift as the sun gets lower on the horizon and suddenly everything glows gold. It’s the kind of place where even non-photographers start talking about lighting. We visited at the perfect time professional photographers call the "Golden Hour."
We stayed for about an hour, watching the colors change from beautiful bright orange to faded red and brown as the sun got lower. Jordan ran up one big rock to have a seat and just look into the distance. I took a picture of him because it looked like he was pondering why my fantasy football team always beats his.
We left before it got dark. We were hungry and wanted to grab some food and have a little campfire at the rental they were staying at before bed. On the drive back out on the Hole-in-the-Rock Road, I love that they both enjoyed the place and were talking about it. Even though I have been to Devils Garden a few times before, it never gets old and seeing the looks on their faces reminded me of how truly awesome Utah is and that I'm fortunate to live here.
If you are in the area, I feel Devils Garden is absolutely worth a stop. Even if only for 20-30 minutes. There’s a timelessness here that makes you forget about schedules, notifications, and whatever else was stressing you in the real world. Here, you just… exist. And maybe that’s the point.
LOCATION: Google Maps Link Bureau of Land Management website There are pit toilets at the trailhead and make sure to bring water. There is some shade if you get close to a large slab of rock. Please don't leave behind any trash. This place is special because it's natural and it would be awesome to leave it that way for the next visitors, especially first timers like Jordan and Heidi.
Oh, and by the way, Jordan beats me all the time in fantasy football, but since this is my website... :)
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