The northerly portions of this route pass by Kodachrome Basin State Park [1], with a fine selection of hiking trails through colorful rock formations. The short Nature Trail introduces the park's ecology. The Panorama Trail loops through a highly scenic valley with sand pipes and colorful rocks; the easy trail is three miles round-trip and takes about two hours.
Angel's Palace Trail begins just east of the group campground and makes a 0.75-mile loop with fine views; the elevation gain is about 300 feet. The Grand Parade Trail makes a 1.5-mile loop with good views of rock pinnacles; begin from the concession stand or group campground.
Eagles View Trail, a historic cattle trail, climbs nearly 1,000 feet up steep cliffs above the campground, then drops into Henrieville, two miles away; the highest overlook is a steep half-mile ascent from the campground. Shakespeare Arch Trail is a half-mile round-trip hike to a natural arch; access the trailhead by a signed dirt road.
Continue south on Cottonwood Canyon Road for 7.5 miles from the state park to the crossing of Round Valley Draw. From here, turn south on BLM Road 422 toward Hackberry Canyon. Hikers can travel the 22-mile length of this scenic canyon in three days or make day hikes from either end of the trail. The lower canyon meets Cottonwood Canyon at an elevation of 4,700 feet just above the mouth of the Paria River. Cottonwood Canyon Road provides access to both ends. A small spring-fed stream flows down the lower half of Hackberry.
Many side canyons invite exploration. One of them, Sam Pollock Canyon, is on the west about 4.5 miles upstream from the junction of Hackberry and Cottonwood Canyons; follow it 1.75 miles up to Sam Pollock Arch (60 feet high and 70 feet wide). Available topographic maps include the metric 1:100,000 Smoky Mountain or the 7.5-minute Slickrock Bench and Calico Peak.
The confluence of the Paria, Hackberry, and Cottonwood Canyons provide the backdrop to an excellent, although strenuous, day hike. The Box of the Paria River involves some steep climbs up rocky slopes as it traverses a tongue of slickrock between the mouth of the Hackberry and Paria Canyons. The route then follows the Paria River through its "box" or cliff-sided canyon in the Cockscomb formation.
The trail returns to the trailhead by following Cottonwood Canyon upstream to the trailhead. The round-trip hike is about seven miles long. Inquire at visitor centers for maps and about conditions.
Although not as well known as the lower canyon, the upper Paria River Canyon has some beautiful scenery and offers many side canyons to explore, too. The Paria lies west of both Hackberry and Cottonwood Canyons. Access to the upper end is from the Skutumpah or Cottonwood Canyon Road near Kodachrome Basin State Park [1] (elev. about 5,900 feet).
The usual lower entry is from near Pahreah ghost town (elev. 4,720 feet); turn north and go six miles from U.S. 89 between Mileposts 30 and 31 and continue past the Pahreah movie set to road's end. (The clay road surface is very slippery when wet but is okay for cars when dry.) The upper canyon is about 25 miles long, and the hike takes 3-4 days (allowing some time to explore side canyons).
You can find water at springs along the main canyon and in many side canyons (purify first); try not to use water from the river itself, as it may contain chemical pollution. Topo maps are the metric 1:100,000 Kanab and Smoky Mountain or the 7.5-minute Cannonville, Bull Valley Gorge, Deer Range Point, and Calico Peak.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/utah/the-escalante-region/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument/sights-along-hwy-12/kodachrome-basin-state-pa