Dougherty Basin Trail

Dougherty Basin Trail (Forest Trail #34035) reaches the Dougherty Basin fishing lakes in the North Creek Lakes area of Dixie National Forest's Escalante Ranger District, high on the plateau at roughly 9,700 feet. Access runs west from Escalante on Highway 12, then onto Forest Road 149 (signed for Barker Campground/North Creek Road) for about 16.5 miles to the Upper Barker Reservoir parking area, where the trail system into the basin begins — it also connects with the Barker Lakes Loop.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources stocks the basin's lakes with brook trout, and fishing is the main draw alongside the alpine scenery of meadows and high peaks. A backcountry campsite with a bear box and fire pit sits along the way. This is Forest Service ground, not park land — dispersed camping and dogs are the norm here, unlike inside Bryce Canyon proper. Check with the Escalante Ranger District (435-826-5499) on current road and trail conditions, especially early or late in the season when the high plateau holds snow.