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Fisher Towers

A half day hike around hoodoos and huge sandstone spires with extensive views over the Colorado River valley.

★★★★

Wow factor

★★★★

Overall rating

★★★

Difficulty

★★★★

Trailhead access

★★

Crowds

The chances are you’ve seen Fisher Towers on TV (though you may not have known it) as they have featured in numerous commercials and movies. The towers are popular not just with hikers but also rock climbers due to their challenging vertical faces. The tallest, Titan, is 900 feet high and some climbs take days.

 

The larger than it needs to be parking area is reached from a good 2WD dirt road off UT128, 21 miles from its junction with Highway191 outside Moab. 128 is a very scenic road that hugs the Colorado river much of the way, and there are a few other hiking opportunities along its route, such as Professor Creek.

 

The trail is constructed, well marked and is generally safe for well-supervised children. It’s a 4-5 mile roundtrip through the towers area up onto a ridge with 360 degree views. If you just want to get to the Titan tower then that’s about a 3 miles roundtrip. From the start the trail heads up and along a ridge, dropping into a deep ravine at the base of the towers, views changing at every turn,  before climbing up to the base of Titan. 20-30 minutes further the trail reaches a mushroom rock on the ridge with panoramic views over the Colorado River, Castle Valley and more. This is where the trail ends. There are a few steps and ladders to negotiate but it’s all relatively easy. Note, the elevation gain to the top ridge is over 1800 feet and here’s little shade at midday.

 

If you don’t want to run with the pack in the nearby national parks, this is a spectacular option. Good for kids too, even if you just hike part way. Photographers, in particular, will find plenty to keep them occupied, because as well as the towers there are lots other surreal rock formations. Visit them while they’re still here. The  wonderful ‘Cobra’ hoodoo collapsed in 2014.

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