By Dave Webb, December, 2017
Key attractions: Unusual rock art images and colors. Ghostly figures, some with white, yellow and green hues.
Location: Just south of Coral Pink Sand Dunes, NW of Kanab, Utah. A short distance SE of Zion Park.
Approximate coordinates:
37.067642°
-112.649504°
We hiked on a warm December day and conditions were great. We soon shed jackets. There was a little ice visible in shady areas, but none on the trail. Still some colored leaves on scrub oak on the canyon side.
This is a very scenic area and would be worth exploring even without the pictographs. And the rock art panel is impressive, one of the better in this area.
High clearance four-wheel drive is needed to get to the trail head, mostly because of deep sand.
Directions:
From Kanab, drive north on US 89 for about 7 miles.
Turn left (west) onto the paved Hancock Road. The turnoff is marked by a sign saying the road goes to Coral Pink Sand Dunes. The road is not named on the sign.
Drive the Hancock Road west for about 6 miles. Look for the unmarked Sand Spring Road. If you get to Coral Pink, you've gone too far.
Drive southwest on the Sand Spring Road. After about one mile you will see Sand Spring, which is an important landmark. Continue about 15 miles past the spring and look for a spur running south. It is signed for South Fork Indian Canyon.
Drive that spur for about 1.75 miles to the designated parking area on the ridge above the canyon.
For the last few miles, the road is narrow with sandy and rocky stretches. You do need a high-clearance 4x4.
A sign at the trail head provides information about the rock art site.
From the parking area, a well-established trail leads down the ridge to the alcove sheltering the pictographs. The hike is only about a mile, round trip, but the trail is steep. I rate the hike as moderate.
We hiked with a guide from Forever Adventure Tours, out of Kanab. He was excellent, knowledgeable and personable.