Boulder Mail Trail

The Boulder Mail Trail follows the route packhorses once used to carry mail between Escalante and Boulder starting in 1902 — a telephone line strung tree to tree later followed the same path, and stretches of wire are still visible today. The modern trail runs about 14.5 miles across open slickrock benches, dropping through three major drainages: Sand Creek, Death Hollow, and Mamie Creek. It's a genuinely challenging route, better suited to a strong day hiker or an overnight than a casual outing.

What to know

• Death Hollow gets its name from a mule that fell to its death during a mail run — expect steep, exposed sections
• Plan on unavoidable poison ivy in Death Hollow and carry at least 4 liters of water per person in summer
• Trailhead access is off Hell's Backbone Road near the Boulder airstrip, about 24 miles from Escalante on Highway 12