Paria Rimrock Toadstools, Southern Utah

The Paria Rimrock Toadstool rock formations are on the south edge of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  This group of "hodoos" rock formations is just one of many that can be found in the exposed Entrada and Dakota layers of rock that runs from Lake Powell in the east to the Coxcomb Monocline. 

The toadstools or balanced rocks have an Enrtrada sandstone block on top that prevents erosion below it. I guess the layer below (Dakota sandstone) is softer than the Entrada sandstone and it erodes away except the stuff that is protected under the harder Entrada boulder causing the pedestal with time.  These are some crazy looking rock formations that just seen to defy logic, but here they are and there are more in other locations, this is just the easy to get to ones.  Here is a photo of the most notable ones as you come up on them from the south.

And then this one is as you get closer.

This next one gives you an idea of what the surrounding area looks like.

Just a little way northeast there are some more of these toadstool rocks.

So if you are traveling on the 89 or are going to hike Paria River Canyon that is just across the highway, and you have a little time, I think this short hike is well worth it.

This hike to the Paria Rimrock Toadstools is just an easy 1.5 mile round trip hike leading north from the highway to the hoodoos and balanced rocks. Drive north on highway 89 from the Glen Canyon Dam. Turn into the dirt parking area on the right just past Utah mile marker 19. The site is about 30 miles west of Lake Powell and 40 miles east of Kanab, Utah. Look for a series of white cliffs with vivid chocolate brown striping on the north side of US-89.

There is a gate and a sign in register.  The trail itself starts just inside the fence and is 0.8 mile each way, with mostly level and easy walking. It follows a sandy wash part of the way, then cairns (stone markers) lead you the rest of the way.

There is also a group of there "toadstool" rock formation closer to Lake Powell called the Wawheep Toadstools.  This is a series of several alcoves of these formations.  They are located at Wahweap Creek just outside of Big Water, Utah but the hike for these is much longer (9.2 miles roundtrip)  

This is a post of a trip into the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument that is somewhat near this hike. 

http://azjonesoutdoor.blogspot.com/2010/10/yellow-rock-and-hackberry-canyon-utah.html          And here is a post on the Paria River Canyon hike that is close by to this hike (just across the highway). 

http://azjonesoutdoor.blogspot.com/2010/11/paria-river-canyon.html  
http://azjonesoutdoor.blogspot.com/2010/09/exploring-buckskin-gulch-and-paria.html