The goosenecks of the San Juan are a rare and amazing geologic formation. And
this view point of the river is easy to get to. Take the paved road right to
the park and check out how the river has carved a gorge into the plateau. Peer
down 1,000 feet to the river below and extend your view outwards to formations
as far away as Arizona. The walls of the canyon are made from shale and
limestone and are more than 300 million years old.

The river loops several times from the main vantage point. Over 1.5 miles as
the crow flies, the river actually flows six miles due to the crooked bends in
the San Juan. While there are no hiking trails within the park, there is a
rugged and challenging path into the canyon at the nearby Honaker Trail.

The park is about 50 minutes from Monument Valley Navajo Tribal park to the
south and Natural Bridges National Monument to the north, so is an excellent
stop on Utah's Road to Mighty.

The goosenecks of the San Juan are a rare and amazing geologic formation. And this view point of the river is easy to get to. Take the paved road right to the park and check out how the river has carved a gorge into the plateau. Peer down 1,000 feet to the river below and extend your view outwards to formations as far away as Arizona. The walls of the canyon are made from shale and limestone and are more than 300 million years old. 


The river loops several times from the main vantage point. Over 1.5 miles as the crow flies, the river actually flows six miles due to the crooked bends in the San Juan. While there are no hiking trails within the park, there is a rugged and challenging path into the canyon at the nearby Honaker Trail.


The park is about 50 minutes from Monument Valley Navajo Tribal park to the south and Natural Bridges National Monument to the north, so is an excellent stop on Utah's Road to Mighty.

$5/car up to 8 people. Camping $10/night first-come, first-served.

Look down upon the San Juan River 1,000 feet below you and see the results of 300 million years of erosion.

Utah State Park

Goosenecks State Park

Entrenched meanders are the deeply-cut river bends that make you want to pull out your camera and take a photograph.

Over 1.5 miles as the crow flies, the river actually flows six miles due to the crooked bends in the San Juan River.

Slickhorn Canyon on Cedar Mesa is a canyon of many shapes and colors twisted
and carved in eroded reds, browns, and yellows. It is an impressive canyon
with sandstone walls varying in height from 300 feet in the north end to 800
feet as the canyon approaches the San Juan River. Hiking in this canyon is
rugged. The creek channel is frequently clogged with boulders, and there are
many pour offs and steep talus slopes to be negotiated, challenging even the
experienced hiker. A permit to hike or backpack is required.

Slickhorn Canyon on Cedar Mesa is a canyon of many shapes and colors twisted and carved in eroded reds, browns, and yellows. It is an impressive canyon with sandstone walls varying in height from 300 feet in the north end to 800 feet as the canyon approaches the San Juan River. Hiking in this canyon is rugged. The creek channel is frequently clogged with boulders, and there are many pour offs and steep talus slopes to be negotiated, challenging even the experienced hiker. A permit to hike or backpack is required.

Bird's eye view of the park

Slickhorn Canyon

Road Canyon is accessed from the Cigarette Springs Road on Cedar Mesa. The
elevation in the upper ends of Road Canyon begins at approximately 6,200 feet
and drops to 4,900 feet at the lower ends. The walls of the canyon vary from
100 feet in the upper ends to over 500 feet in the lower ends. Erosion of the
colorful Cedar Mesa Sandstone has created a layer cake effect of multiple
tiers, especially in the middle and lower sections of the canyon. There are
numerous archaeological sites present. Please take care when visiting these
fragile sites. There are no maintained trails. Routes generally follow the
mostly dry creek bed. There are long stretches of slickrock, with several
pour-offs to negotiate. The canyon bottom is not as luch as some of the other
Cedar Mesa canyons, and shade is at a minimum. A permit to hike or backpack is
required.

Road Canyon is accessed from the Cigarette Springs Road on Cedar Mesa. The elevation in the upper ends of Road Canyon begins at approximately 6,200 feet and drops to 4,900 feet at the lower ends. The walls of the canyon vary from 100 feet in the upper ends to over 500 feet in the lower ends. Erosion of the colorful Cedar Mesa Sandstone has created a layer cake effect of multiple tiers, especially in the middle and lower sections of the canyon. There are numerous archaeological sites present. Please take care when visiting these fragile sites. There are no maintained trails. Routes generally follow the mostly dry creek bed. There are long stretches of slickrock, with several pour-offs to negotiate. The canyon bottom is not as luch as some of the other Cedar Mesa canyons, and shade is at a minimum. A permit to hike or backpack is required.

Road Canyon

Bullet Canyon is a tributary and popular access route into Grand Gulch. A 7.2
mile, moderately difficult hike leads to the junction with Grand Gulch. Grand
Gulch is a popular area for hiking and backpacking to see Ancestral Puebloan
cliff ruins and rock art in a natural setting. Grand Gulch and its tributaries
feature miles of winding canyons lined with cliffs that provided sheltered
overhangs to people in the past. Some ruins are amazingly inaccessible,
perched high on ledges and under overhangs. Other attractions include the
scenery and wildlife, as well as the solitude of desert canyons. Hiking and
backpacking in Bullet Canyon requires a permit or day pass. For permit
information click on the following links:

**Cedar Mesa Backpacking Permits**

**Cedar Mesa & Comb Ridge Day Hiking**

Bullet Canyon is a tributary and popular access route into Grand Gulch. A 7.2 mile, moderately difficult hike leads to the junction with Grand Gulch. Grand Gulch is a popular area for hiking and backpacking to see Ancestral Puebloan cliff ruins and rock art in a natural setting. Grand Gulch and its tributaries feature miles of winding canyons lined with cliffs that provided sheltered overhangs to people in the past. Some ruins are amazingly inaccessible, perched high on ledges and under overhangs. Other attractions include the scenery and wildlife, as well as the solitude of desert canyons. Hiking and backpacking in Bullet Canyon requires a permit or day pass. For permit information click on the following links:<a href="https://www.recreation.gov/permits/445861" rel="nofollow">Cedar Mesa Backpacking Permits </a><a href="https://www.recreation.gov/activitypass/50c69634-1b00-11eb-82d6-dec19ab5394e" rel="nofollow">Cedar Mesa & Comb Ridge Day Hiking</a>

Bullet Canyon

Government Trail is a popular access route into Grand Gulch. The 3.6 mile
trail to the junction with Grand Gulch is easy to moderately difficult. Grand
Gulch is a popular area for hiking and backpacking to see Ancestral Puebloan
cliff ruins and rock art in a natural setting. Grand Gulch and its tributaries
feature miles of winding canyons lined with cliffs that provided sheltered
overhangs to people in the past. Some ruins are amazingly inaccessible,
perched high on ledges and under overhangs. Other attractions include the
scenery and wildlife, as well as the solitude of desert canyons. **Hiking and
backpacking in Government Trail requires a permit or day pass. For permit
information click on the following links:**

**Cedar Mesa Backpacking Permits**

**Cedar Mesa & Comb Ridge Day Hiking**

Government Trail is a popular access route into Grand Gulch. The 3.6 mile trail to the junction with Grand Gulch is easy to moderately difficult. Grand Gulch is a popular area for hiking and backpacking to see Ancestral Puebloan cliff ruins and rock art in a natural setting. Grand Gulch and its tributaries feature miles of winding canyons lined with cliffs that provided sheltered overhangs to people in the past. Some ruins are amazingly inaccessible, perched high on ledges and under overhangs. Other attractions include the scenery and wildlife, as well as the solitude of desert canyons. Hiking and backpacking in Government Trail requires a permit or day pass. For permit information click on the following links:<a href="https://www.recreation.gov/permits/445861" rel="nofollow">Cedar Mesa Backpacking Permits</a><a href="https://www.recreation.gov/activitypass/50c69634-1b00-11eb-82d6-dec19ab5394e" rel="nofollow">Cedar Mesa & Comb Ridge Day Hiking</a>

Goosenecks State Park

Directions

Reviews

Nearby Parks

Slickhorn Canyon

Road Canyon

Bullet Canyon

Government Trail