Gypsum Canyon

Gypsum Canyon is a remote and rarely driven trail that crosses from the Beef Basin area of Bears Ears National Monument into the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and accesses two viewpoints of Gypsum Canyon, a side canyon of Cataract Canyon. Of the two, the western viewpoint is the most spectacular as the road ends right on the canyon rim at the edge of a thousand-foot cliff with an epic campsite. You round a corner and pass through a gap in the cliffs surrounding the canyon, and then there it is below you. The eastern spur ends at the top of a bluff still a distance from the canyon rim and would require a short hike to have any views into the main canyon.

The moderately difficult road crosses flat sandy meadows. Route finding is the greatest challenge, as the road can get very faint and overgrown with tall grass. You will almost certainly be alone on the entire trail. The campsite on the rim of Gypsum Canyon would be a perfect place to camp during a longer overland trip through the area as long as it isn't windy.