West Fork Trail

The Trailhead: You can park at either ends of the trail. To access off of FR 154: From Escalante, turn north on the Hells Backbone Road/Pine Creek Road (300 E.). At 0.7 miles the road will fork, stay right. After 3.5 miles the road will turn to dirt and is now called Forest Road 153 (FR153). At 13.6 miles the road will fork, continue straight at the junction, following signs to Posey Lake Campground. Continue past the campground. At 22 miles the West Fork Trailhead is on the right side of the road. Park in a pull-out along FR 154. 

To access from Cowpuncher and Blue Spruce Campground: From Escalante, turn north on the Hells Backbone Road/Pine Creek Road (300 E.). At 0.7 miles the road will fork, stay right. After 3.5 miles the road will turn to gravel and is now called Forest Road 153 (FR 153). At 13.6 miles the road will fork, turn right following the sign to “Hells Backbone Bridge” (FR 153). At 18 miles turn left on FR 145 to Blue Spruce Campground. Drive approximately 2 miles (stay right at the signed junction) and park in the small parking area on the left. 

The Trail: From FR 154 follow the rock cairns and carsonite signs through the open meadows. At .25 miles the trail crosses the drainage. After about a mile the trail goes through a wire fence and begins its steep downhill. At 2.9 miles the trail crosses and old road. At 3.4 miles the trail reaches the Great Western Trail junction, continue straight. The trail then crosses Pine Creek and ends at the other trailhead.