Hell's Backbone Road & Bridge
Hell's Backbone
A high gravel road between Escalante and Boulder, where a narrow bridge spans a knife-edge ridge between two deep canyons.
Hell's Backbone is a gravel loop of about 61 km through aspen and pine forest in the Dixie National Forest, peaking at about 2,700 m. In the 1930s, a civilian conservation crew built a bridge across the narrow ridge known as 'Hell's Backbone', with deep chasms on either side: Death Hollow and Sand Creek Canyon. The scenery is thrilling. The road is open from about late May to October, and when it is dry, ordinary high-clearance vehicles can usually manage it. The one-way trip takes about 1.5–2 hours. The Hell's Backbone Grill in the town of Boulder at the end of the loop is famous.
Opening hours
Approx. late May to October
Nearby sights
- Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
- Anasazi State Park Museum
- Upper Calf Creek Falls
- The Hogback, Scenic Byway 12
- Lower Calf Creek Falls
- Escalante Natural Bridge
- Head of the Rocks Overlook
- Zebra Slot Canyon