Devils Garden is a fun to explore, scenic spot to visit in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. If you have plans to drive down Hole-in-the-Rock Road, here are five reasons why you should visit Devils Garden.
#1 This Place is a Beauty!
With hoodoos, crazy rock formations, and arches, Devils Garden is a beautiful spot to visit in Utah.
#2 It’s a Very Quick Visit
On the fastest of itineraries, Devils Garden deserves at least a quick peek. Most people spend around a half hour to an hour here, but with as little as 15 minutes of your time, you can go exploring and snap a few photos.
There is no official hiking trail. This is more about wandering among the rock formations than hiking point to point.
#3 Perfect for Kids
Traveling with kids? Devils Garden is perfect! There are so many nooks and crannies to explore, with spots to go rock scrambling and exploring.
#4 It’s Free!
Entry into Grand Staircase-Escalante is free.
#5 Less Crowded than Bryce Canyon
If you want to see hoodoos without the crowds, Devils Garden may be perfect for you. It may not be as spectacular as Bryce Canyon, but this is a quieter, off-the-beaten-path destination that makes for a wonderful experience. We were here on a late afternoon in May and had Devils Garden all to ourselves.
Plan Your Trip
Getting Here
Devils Garden is located on Hole-in-the-Rock Road in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. From Highway 12, drive 12 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock Road. There will be a sign identifying Devils Garden and a parking lot located just off of the road. There are restrooms here.
When to go
Grand-Staircase Escalante is open year round. The most pleasant times to visit are during the spring and fall seasons. It can get very hot in the summertime. If it is raining, Hole-in-the-Rock road may be impassable, even if you have a 4×4.
What else to do in the area
On Hole-in-the-Rock road, there are many more hiking trails. We hiked Zebra Canyon (just 4 miles away from Devils Garden) and Peek-a-Boo Canyon and Spooky Gulch. Further down Hole-in-the-Rock Road you can also hike the Dry Fork Slots, Chimney Rock, and several other trails.
Please practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace: plan ahead, stay on the trail, pack out what you bring to the hiking trail, properly dispose of waste, leave areas as you found them, minimize campfire impacts, be considerate of other hikers, and do not approach or feed wildlife.
If you have any questions about visiting Devils Garden, let us know in the comment section below.
More Information about Utah
SOUTHWEST ITINERARY: Two Weeks in the American Southwest: Grand Canyon & Utah’s Mighty 5
GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE: How to Hike Zebra Slot Canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante
WILLIS CREEK: Hiking the Willis Creek Slot Canyon in Utah
BRYCE CANYON: One Perfect Day in Bryce Canyon National Park
CAPITOL REEF: 14 Amazing Things to Do in Capitol Reef National Park
CAPITOL REEF: Complete Guide to Cathedral Valley Loop: Route, Maps & Photos
CANYONLANDS: White Rim Road: The Ultimate Experience in Canyonlands National Park
CANYONLANDS: 12 Best Things to Do in the Needles, Canyonlands National Park
ZION: The Complete Guide to Zion National Park
We have LOTS more information about Utah in our Utah Travel Guide.
You Might Also Like:
- ARIZONA: 15 Best Things to Do in Sedona, Arizona
- ARIZONA: Should You Visit Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon?
- COLORADO: 15 Epic Day Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park
- WYOMING: How to Spend One Perfect Day in Yellowstone National Park
- ALASKA: 5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Eielson in Denali National Park
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Comments 18
How far off the road is the parking lot for Devils garden hike? Can a mid size SUV make it?
Author
Yes, a mid-size SUV will do just fine on Hole in the Rock Road. There most likely will be some washboarding of the road, so your car might rattle a bit, but an SUV will do fine. To get here, it is a 12 mile drive on Hole in the Rock Road from Highway 12. This will probably take about 30 minutes to 40 minutes. Cheers, Julie
I feel stupid asking this but what does etiquette say you do if hikers are coming the other way in the narrow part of the canyon. Who backs up? Perhaps there’s not much traffic but envisioning these scenarios at the slots or Angels landing gives me anxiety, lol. Clearly I’m not an
experienced hiker — you have to start somewhere!
Author
The general rule is that those hiking uphill have the right of way. So, if someone is hiking uphill, and you are hiking downhill, scoot off the trail and let them pass. If you are going uphill, you have the right of way. If it is a flat trail where you meet, or a canyon, then it can go either way. In canyons, where there is little extra space, try to pause in a wider section to let others go by you.
Because of COVID, most hikers step off the trail, pull up their masks or buffs, and turn their heads away from the trail (us included). Sometimes, we get off of the trail first, and at other times, the other groups of hiker get off of the trail first. It just seems to work out. When in doubt, step off the trail to let others pass. And if anyone is coming up behind you, step aside to let them pass, too.
Cheers, Julie
did you see any good camp sites near Devils Garden?
Author
No, but then again, we weren’t looking for any. You could check the BLM website to see if there are any campsites on Hole in the Rock Road. Cheers, Julie
Thank you so much for sharing your journeys. We can not wait to try these.
Hi Julie,
We plan to visit the Mighty Five in October, 2020. After we spend a day hiking in Bryce Canyon, we plan to see the sunrise the next morning and then drive to Capital Reef. On our way to Capital Reef, we would like to stop and see Devil’s Garden, hike Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Gulch and try and make it for sunset (at Sunset Point) in Capital Reef Park. Is this too aggressive or can it be done? Also, thanks so much for all of your great information and suggestions while hiking in this amazing area. We have never been and are now in our planning stages and constantly refer to all of your hiking pictures and awesome information. It has been so valuable to us!!
Author
Hello Sandra. I’m glad we could help! Your plan sounds great and you should have enough time to do these hikes and get to Capitol Reef in time for sunset. Do Spooky and Peek-A-Boo first (before Devils Garden). They require more time and are a lot more fun. Then, if you are short on time, you can literally just hop out of your car and quickly see Devils Garden. But if you are doing fine on time, you can spend more time exploring Devils Garden. Just know when sunset time is, and how long it takes to drive to get to Capitol Reef from Devils Garden, to make sure you get your timing right. Have a great trip…out of everywhere we have been in the world, Utah is one of my favorite places. Cheers, Julie
Hello! We are planning on going here tomorrow. Did you camp along Hole in the rock road?
Author
No, we stayed in Tropic, near Bryce Canyon.
What time should we enter the Bruce Canyon park to watch the sunrise at Sunset Point.
Author
It depends on the time of year you are visiting. You can do a Google search for sunrise times in Bryce Canyon on the date that you will be there, to get the info you need. Cheers, Julie
My kids LOVED Devil’s Garden. We spent about an hour here climbing, exploring, and snapping pictures.
Thank you so much for sharing this great information! I’ve never been, but I’m taking a small group of Scouts there and this will be so helpful!
I love all of these pictures! I’ll definitely be stopping by Devils Garden on my next trip to Utah!
I love all of your trip advice but I have to emphasize just how bad the road is getting into Devil’s Garden. Hole in the Rock Road is a bumpy washboard that is pretty much impossible to travel unless you are in a high clearance vehicle. We spent about 45 minutes rattling down this road in a Honda Odyssey and finally had to give up and turn back. We didn’t even get within sight of Devil’s Garden. It was so slow going and beating our van to death. I’m sure it would have been great if we were in an SUV or something else. Not worth it in anything low clearance though!!!
Author
The condition of the road can change month by month, from what I know. Just depends on the maintenance of the road. We learned that driving at a fast speed actually makes your vehicle rattle less. I don’t if it’s better for your car but it sure doesn’t feel as rough. Cheers, Julie