This wander gives passersby a taste of the harsh Utah desert and cool rocks. The thin sand trail meanders through the scrub-brush, desert boulders and hoodoos about 1 mile to the first toadstool, a sandstone rock in the form of, you guessed it, a toadstool. Slanting, late-afternoon light is best for catching the shape and depth of the eerie features. The unmarked trailhead sits at a small parking area 1.4 miles east of the Paria Contact Station.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.19 MILES
Calling the view at Horseshoe Bend 'dramatic' is an understatement – the overlook sits on sheer cliffs that drop 1000ft to the river below, as it carves a…
Historic Lees Ferry & Lonely Dell Ranch
22.67 MILES
Lees Ferry was the site of the region's original ferry crossing, and of Charles Spencer’s 1910 effort to extract gold from the surrounding hills. Today it…
24.25 MILES
At 710ft tall, Glen Canyon Dam is the nation’s highest concrete arch dam (the Hoover Dam, 16ft taller, is a different kind of structure). Forty-five…
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Dozens of red, pink and white sandstone chimneys highlight this colorful state park, named for its photogenic landscape by the National Geographic Society…
Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center
23.62 MILES
This center on the west bank of the Colorado River has good background information on the region and the historic bridge. Look up – California condors are…
Navajo Village Heritage Center
27.6 MILES
The Grand Tour at this Navajo center offers a look at Navajo dwellings, a rug-weaving presentation and traditional Navajo storytelling, dancing and…
10.69 MILES
The movie set at Paria (pa-ree-uh), where many Westerns were filmed, burnt down in 2006 (apparently due to arson). A 5-mile dirt road leads to a picnic…
26.06 MILES
In 1869 one-armed John Wesley Powell led the first Colorado River expedition through the Grand Canyon. This small museum displays memorabilia of early…
Nearby Southwestern Utah attractions
10.69 MILES
The movie set at Paria (pa-ree-uh), where many Westerns were filmed, burnt down in 2006 (apparently due to arson). A 5-mile dirt road leads to a picnic…
2. Historic Lees Ferry & Lonely Dell Ranch
22.67 MILES
Lees Ferry was the site of the region's original ferry crossing, and of Charles Spencer’s 1910 effort to extract gold from the surrounding hills. Today it…
3. Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center
23.62 MILES
This center on the west bank of the Colorado River has good background information on the region and the historic bridge. Look up – California condors are…
24.25 MILES
At 710ft tall, Glen Canyon Dam is the nation’s highest concrete arch dam (the Hoover Dam, 16ft taller, is a different kind of structure). Forty-five…
25.19 MILES
Calling the view at Horseshoe Bend 'dramatic' is an understatement – the overlook sits on sheer cliffs that drop 1000ft to the river below, as it carves a…
26.06 MILES
In 1869 one-armed John Wesley Powell led the first Colorado River expedition through the Grand Canyon. This small museum displays memorabilia of early…
8. Navajo Village Heritage Center
27.6 MILES
The Grand Tour at this Navajo center offers a look at Navajo dwellings, a rug-weaving presentation and traditional Navajo storytelling, dancing and…