Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos
This fantastic spot known as Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos is usually missed by people making a Southwest road trip. And if you plan to drive from Kanab, Utah, to Page, Arizona, or the other way round, why don’t you stop for a two-hour hike to admire those formations from another planet? In this short article, we would like to share all the required information to plan your visit to Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos.
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What are Toadstool Hoodoos?
The Rimrocks hoodoos are balanced rock formations that remind me of toadstools. The hard, darker caprock cover (Dakota Sandstone) creates an umbrella, and the lower eroded sandstone formation (Entrada Sandstone) is a stem foundation. On this trail, those formations are grouped like mushrooms in the forest.
If you like this kind of rock, you should also consider visiting Wahweap Hoodoos located between Big Water, Utah, and Page, Arizona. Unfortunately, the hike is much longer and not that easily accessible.
You can also try to visit two other groups of Paria Rimrocks. One is above Toadstool Hoodoos, and you can spot some of them from the trail, and another one is below the rim, accessible from a different road nearby.
How to get to Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos?
The Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos hike is located next to the highway US89 in Utah. It’s very close to the other attractions like the famous Wave formation, Buckskin Gulch, Coyote Buttes, and many others in the Paria River area. It’s also close to Page, Arizona, and the famous Upper Antelope Canyon, Lower Antelope Canyon, Canyon X, and Horseshoe Bend.
If you love amazing and spectacular rock formations, consider visiting the Great Chamber at Cutler Point near Kanab. Also, visiting Old Paria, the setting for Westerns, can be a great adventure.
Driving from Kanab to Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos
If you are driving from Kanab, Utah, just take US89 to the east. After 44 miles (milepost 19.3), look carefully for the small parking lot on the left side of the road. Be careful because it’s easy to miss it. Visiting these rock formations is one of the funniest things to do while in Kanab.
Driving from Page to Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos
Driving from Page, Arizona is precisely the same, just take US89 to the west, and after 29 miles, look for a lot on your right. Then park the car at the Toadstool Hoodoos trailhead. If you plan your trip from Page, check out our pictures and tips from breathtaking Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon.
GPS coordinates for a trailhead are: 37.101310, -111.873169 or N37 06 04, W111 52 23
Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos Trail
Entrance to this trailhead located on the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument area is free of charge and open year-round. You don’t need a 4×4 to get here. Trailhead is located next to US Highway 89.
From the parking lot, the hike is pretty straightforward, although there is no one path. You can just try to get to the hoodoos themselves and then wander among them. The Alltrails application might be helpful because not all formations are visible from the path. Many people go right, but there are a lot of hidden gems on your left as well.
Following the Alltrails application trail will be 1.8 miles long, and the elevation gain should be about 140 ft. But meandering among those incredible hoodoos will be longer and more time-consuming. However, we recommend it because those formations are lovely, and you can try to find as many of them as you can. Plenty is hidden.
Hiking Tips
My partner Chris and I made this hike during one of our Utah road trips. We enjoyed this place and can recommend it. So, we share our tips and insights and present photos we took during this hike.
The hike is excellent for all levels of experience. You can bring your dog, but he must be kept on a leash. Please also remember to bring a lot of water because this hike has no shade. You can also avoid doing it in the middle of the day, which is an even better idea from a photography perspective.
The trail may not be accessible after the rain because the soil is in the area is clay-based.
We have prepared a simple Toadstool Hoodoos Trail map for your convenience:
How to prepare for the hike?
The hike is very easy from a technical perspective, so you don’t need to prepare in any particular way to get to Toadstool Hoodoos. But the most important thing is to ensure a good weather forecast (no rain and no flood risk) because you will be stepping on the clay soil.
The second important factor is to choose a not-very-hot day because, on this hike, you will not find any shade. You will be hiking in open terrain exposed to the sun, so please check our hiking tips and packing list before you go. The hike is not too long, so a big bottle of water will be enough even on a scorching summer day.
Where to Stay when visiting Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos ?
As we already mentioned, Toadstool Hoodoos are located close to the U.S. 89 between Page, AZ, and Kanab, UT. So the best places to stay are in those two small towns.
Kanab is an excellent base for exploring the Paria River and Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness. It has great accommodation and restaurants with good food. Our favorite lodging in Kanab is Best Western. If you prefer an RV Campground, our favorite in Kanab is Hitch-N-Post RV Park.
We also stayed at the Best Western in Page. They offer good quality at an affordable price. But there are many other lodging possibilities in Kanab, Utah, and Page, Arizona. Kanab is one of our favorite towns in Utah.
Photography Tips & Hints
Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos are a paradise for photographers. Different formations can be magnificent when composed with fantastic light. Unfortunately, this is a desert; very often, days are sunny, and the sky is flat and blue.
So, if you have any impact on your planning, try to be here early in the morning or just before sunset. Sometimes, there is a chance for beautiful colors of the sky. It is also a perfect idea to be here during rain or after it, although the trail might be impassable due to the soil nature. Always check the weather forecast before planning a photo session here.
Another great idea is to come here at night and try to catch some Milky Way or star trails. It looks very well but requires some preparation and bringing at least a tripod. The area has very low light pollution, and the Milky Way is usually very well visible.
You can also play with depth of field, as you can see in some of our pictures. The idea is to focus on the flowers, grass, or another stone and blur the toadstools in the background. Use your imagination to create amazing photos. The place has the potential—the rest depends on you.
Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos – Related Articles
If you have decided to go on this hike, you have another fantastic trail very close. The Nautilus Utah hike is on the same route between Page and Kanab. And if you read our tips, you can do those two hikes in less than a half day.
Other articles that cover nearby southern Utah area:
- 25 Best Things To Do in Kanab Utah, in 2024
- Exploring Paria Townsite in Paria Rainbow Mountains
- 7 Best Outdoor Towns in Southern Utah
- Hiking Belly of the Dragon, near Kanab, Utah
- Tips for Exploring Factory Butte in Utah
- Driving to Grosvenor Arch, Utah
- Driving the Cottonwood Canyon Road in Utah
- Exploring Utah’s Hidden Gem: Willis Creek Slot Canyon
- Driving to Grosvenor Arch, Utah
- Visiting Kodachrome Basin State Park
- Escalante, Utah: A Personal Guide to the Best Outdoor Adventures
- How to Get to the Great Chamber Kanab at Cutler Point?
- A Guide to Zebra Slot Canyon Hike in Utah
Mushrooms cast into stone! That is how I would describe them. It would be amazing catching them in corners during a hike – which probably is the best way to explore this place. Nature sure has its own art forms that sometimes stun you. Was there are river or water flowing to erode them in this manner? Super useful tips on photography and hiking.
OMG the landscape looks so surreal. For me it looks like salt formations ; Its amazing to see such hidden gems of USA. As hike to Toadstool Hoodoos is moderate difficult and easily doable, would like to visit this just for the sake of Photography! Nature at its best here.
We always thought that hoodoos were pretty much vertical. And then we saw the whimsical creations at Goblins Valley State Park in Utah. I had not seen hoodoos formed like toad stools before reading this post. It is fascinating that they manage to stay standing. We will definitely want to visit the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and take the Alltrails application trail to see these interesting formations. Good to now it is a hike that is good for most people.
These are some of the most unique rock formations I have ever seen! These tips for getting better photographs of the hoodoos are great. I would be the kind of person to just show up at any time and assume I can get great shots. I love the idea of seeing the milky way in the background of these hoodoos!
The Toadstool Hoodoos are super cool! I would love to take your suggestion and come here in the night, I’m sure the Milky Way would be at it’s best and the rock formations would look incredible set against it!
The Rimrocks hoodoos look just incredible. Nature has its own way to create such beautiful things. Looking like mushrooms, these rock formations look fascinating. I wonder how they were formed. Thanks for sharing the tips for visiting the place, especially the photography ones. I am sure photographers will have a great time while shooting in this area.
I visited this with my parents years ago, but completely forgot about it! My husband and son would love this! Thanks for the reminder!
The visit to Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos from Kanab, Utah to Page, Arizona is worth doing road trip. I loved those unique Rimrocks hoodoos. They look perfectly balanced rock formations and resembles like mushrooms. As I am not much a very good hiker then good to know that from the parking lot, the hike is pretty straightforward and we do not need strenuous hike to get the glimpse of these Toadstool Hoodoos