Conditions Right Now
Use sunset as your turnaround alarm.
Why Hike This
The geology here is unusually easy to read. Hard Dakota sandstone boulders sit on top of softer Entrada pedestals, and the caprock shields the column beneath it from rain and wind while everything around erodes away, which is how you get the mushroom shape. The route starts at a cattle gate on the north side of Highway 89 and follows a sandy wash north, climbing out once around the 0.4 mile mark to get past a small pouroff. There is essentially no shade and the slope faces south.
The Trail
Mushroom rocks 20 minutes off the highway.
Heat note: desert country - in summer start at dawn and carry more water than feels reasonable.
Pack Loadout (Easy)
Water bottle, sunscreen, hat, snacks, comfortable shoes.
Getting There
Make it a weekend: Sunset Campground (Bryce) (Camping, 40 mi) · North Campground (Bryce) (Camping, 41 mi) · Wide Hollow Reservoir (Fishing, 49 mi) · Sevier River (Upper) (Fishing, 52 mi)
More hikes nearby: Buckskin Gulch (Wire Pass) (Hike, 10 mi) · Angel's Palace (Hike, 29 mi) · Kanab Sand Caves (Hike, 36 mi) · Peekaboo Loop (Hike, 39 mi)
Quick Answers
- How long is the Toadstool Hoodoos hike?
- 1.6 miles round trip with 127 feet of elevation gain.
- How hard is Toadstool Hoodoos?
- Easy. Kid rating: 5 out of 5.
- When should I hike Toadstool Hoodoos?
- Best season: All year.
- Why hike Toadstool Hoodoos?
- Toadstools is the rare roadside stop where the formations are worth the whole drive, not just a leg stretch. The trailhead is on Highway 89 between Kanab and Page, marked by a wooden BLM sign. The pedestals are fragile Entrada sandstone, so look and photograph but do not climb on them.