There are affiliate links in here.  I get a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you.

It was a coolish morning, as coolish as the desert can be in May, and I was off to explore Pedestal Alley on Burr Trail.  There is parking on the left side of the road across from the trailhead, which is marked with a sign, on the right.  

The trail basically follows a wash and is also marked with cairns, which are more helpful once you’re on the open rock.  The trail follows the wash most of the time, but occasionally it goes up onto the sand through the plants.  If you want, you can just follow the wash instead of the cairns.

It takes maybe 20 minutes to get out of the wash, so a couple of hours is good for this to allow for more wandering and exploring.  Pedestal alley was one of the first hikes near Bullfrog that I did and it was a good introduction to the desert scenery that I would now call home.  

It was pretty windy the day I was there so it was kind of hard to see on my way out with sand being blown all over and into my eyes.  It would be better pretty much anytime after mid-May.

I wasn’t able to follow the whole trail because, you guessed it, work.  It was a nice way to spend the morning and it’s a fairly easy walk.  Its wide open, but has the towering walls around you at the same time.  It’s pretty cool, but there are other places I like much more.  It’s definitely worth a visit if you have the time and are in the area, though.

Where is Pedestal Alley?

Pedestal Alley is about ten miles (maybe a little less) from Bullfrog. It’s a nice hike to do on a weekend trip to Lake Powell.  To get there from Bullfrog, head out on Highway 276 and turn left onto Burr Trail.  Follow that for a few miles and you’ll see a small brown sign on the right for Pedestal Alley Trailhead.

There is a parking area on the left side of the road by the giant rock formation.  Park there and walk over to the trail.  If you get to the wash you have to cross, you’ve gone too far.  It’s just before that.

How long is the Pedestal Alley trail?

The hike is three miles round-trip and is best done in the fall and spring.  There is no shade on the trail so it can get very hot.  I think it would be miserable to do in peak summer months. 

If you do this in the spring, I would definitely bring sunglasses because apart from the sun, it can get windy and they can help keep sand out of your eyes.

Is the Pedestal Alley trail hard?

Not really! Its a pretty flat trail and easy to follow since its marked well by cairns (rock piles like in the photo above.) The hardest part would be that there’s no shade so it could get very hot in the summer.

Is the Pedestal Alley Trail worth it?

If you’re in the area, yes, but I wouldn’t go way out of my way for it. Its a nice trail and great for stretching your legs after (or before) driving the Burr Trail.

What else is there to do near the Pedestal Alley trail?

There isn’t tons to do right in the area but there is enough to keep you busy for a day or two. You can drive the Burr Trail, explore the Henry Mountains (with the proper vehicle), hike to Halls Creek Overlook, hike Surprise Canyon, or hike Headquarters Canyon.

Utah posts you may also like:

Have you been along Burr Trail?  Did you go to Pedestal Alley?  What do you think of it?