How long is the hike to Reflection Canyon?

About 17 miles round trip by my GPS: 8.4 miles out and 8.7 back, from an unsigned pullout at about mile 50 of Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Other sources give 15.6 to 18 miles, depending on the line you take across the slickrock.

Do you need a permit for Reflection Canyon?

To camp, yes: a free backcountry permit for any overnight stay in Glen Canyon's Escalante District, from the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center. There's no quota, and a day hike needs none. Glen Canyon's entrance fee ($30 a vehicle in 2026) applies too.

Do you need 4WD for Hole-in-the-Rock Road?

High clearance at least. In September 2026 the BLM rated the road high-clearance 2WD, with 4WD recommended for the last 7 miles; it's impassable when wet. We rented a 4WD Jeep in Escalante, and our small car would never have made it.

Is there water on the way to Reflection Canyon?

No. There's no water on the route and no way down to the lake from the rim. The Park Service says at least a gallon a person a day; hikers commonly carry 6 to 8 liters each for the overnight in spring and fall.

When is the best time to hike to Reflection Canyon?

Spring (late March to April) and fall (October to early November). Summer is very hot with no shade, and monsoon storms from mid-July to September can flood the road.

Can you fly a drone at Reflection Canyon?

No. Drones are banned in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes the rim.

Glen Canyon · 2 days · 17.1 miles

Reflection Canyon Hiking Guide

Hole-in-the-Rock Road to the rim above Lake Powell in 2 days.

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Real pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.

A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
The rules and camping

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The route

My GPS recording of 2 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Reflection Canyon route: 2 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Hole-in-the-Rock Road and Reflection Canyon. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 2 days
Distance: 17.1 miles
Climbing: About 1,480 ft (450 m) up
Permit: A free backcountry permit to camp
Start and end: An unsigned pullout on Hole-in-the-Rock Road

What's inside

Where things stand. Reflection Canyon in October 2026: the road report, the record-low lake, the alerts and the permit, checked on the Park Service's and the BLM's own pages.
Both days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the route, where to turn back, maps with elevation profiles, and links to that day in my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings of both days, with waypoints for the trailhead, the overlook and our camp on the rim, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps. There's no trail on the slickrock: you'll want them.
The permit and camping. The free backcountry permit and where to get it, camping on the rim, WAG bags, and the rules on fires, drones, dogs and groups.
Getting there. Escalante, Hole-in-the-Rock Road, the car you need and the Jeep rental, and what it costs.
Heat, water and safety. The months that work, how much water to carry, navigation on the slickrock, the rim, floods and the road.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of checks and a printable one-page summary of the route.

About this trip

In November 2020 my brother and I hiked out to Reflection Canyon in southern Utah: down Hole-in-the-Rock Road from Escalante in a rented Jeep, about 8.4 miles across the desert and the slickrock to the rim above Lake Powell, a night on the rim for the sunrise, and the same way back. It's the trip from my film Hiking 20 Miles to Reflection Canyon Utah. This guide has my GPX files, maps and notes for both days, the free permit and the camping rules, the drive and the car you need, how much water to carry, the 2026 lake level and road conditions, heat and safety, and a trip sheet.

Watch the film on YouTube (248K views).

The Day 1, The trailhead to Reflection Canyon page from the Reflection Canyon Hiking Guide

Free sample + packing list

Try Day 1 free, plus my packing list

The trailhead to Reflection Canyon

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated October 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

How long is the hike to Reflection Canyon?: About 17 miles round trip by my GPS: 8.4 miles out and 8.7 back, from an unsigned pullout at about mile 50 of Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Other sources give 15.6 to 18 miles, depending on the line you take across the slickrock.
Do you need a permit for Reflection Canyon?: To camp, yes: a free backcountry permit for any overnight stay in Glen Canyon's Escalante District, from the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center. There's no quota, and a day hike needs none. Glen Canyon's entrance fee ($30 a vehicle in 2026) applies too.
Do you need 4WD for Hole-in-the-Rock Road?: High clearance at least. In September 2026 the BLM rated the road high-clearance 2WD, with 4WD recommended for the last 7 miles; it's impassable when wet. We rented a 4WD Jeep in Escalante, and our small car would never have made it.
Is there water on the way to Reflection Canyon?: No. There's no water on the route and no way down to the lake from the rim. The Park Service says at least a gallon a person a day; hikers commonly carry 6 to 8 liters each for the overnight in spring and fall.
When is the best time to hike to Reflection Canyon?: Spring (late March to April) and fall (October to early November). Summer is very hot with no shade, and monsoon storms from mid-July to September can flood the road.
Can you fly a drone at Reflection Canyon?: No. Drones are banned in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes the rim.

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