Powell Point

Powell Point is the southern tip of a narrow promontory jutting off the Table Cliff Plateau, part of the Escalante Mountains in the Escalante Ranger District of Dixie National Forest. Named for explorer John Wesley Powell, it sits at 10,188 feet, high enough that weather and altitude are a real factor any time of year. Ancient bristlecone pines grow here in a cushion-plant community found on the plateau's distinctive Wasatch Limestone soils, home to rare, locally endemic plants.

Good to know

• On clear days the view reaches Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Bryce Canyon, the Henry Mountains, Navajo Mountain, and into three states
• The walk from the parking area on Table Cliff Plateau to the point is about a mile, through spruce and fir forest at high elevation
• Loose talus and unstable cliff edges make careful footing essential near the escarpment
• The plateau draws intense summer thunderstorms with dramatic lightning — get off the point well before storms build