Upper Barker Trailhead

Upper Barker Trailhead sits at the end of Forest Road 149, roughly 16.5 miles off Highway 12 west of Escalante, in an aspen-and-spruce forest above 9,000 feet on the Dixie National Forest's Escalante Ranger District. It's the starting point for the Barker Lakes Loop, an easy 2.9-mile hike or horseback route around Upper Barker Reservoir that passes Flat Lake, Blue Lake, and Yellow Lake, each with a backcountry campsite (bear box and fire pit included).

Good to know

• Vault toilets and seasonal potable water are available at the adjacent campground and day-use area
• OHVs and e-bikes are not permitted on the loop trail itself
• Sections can be faint; watch for cairns and blazes, and expect mosquitoes in spring and early summer
• Weather turns quickly at this elevation, so pack layers even in summer