Escape From Little Purgatory, with Rock Art

Rating: 6 miles and 1000 feet of climbing/descending. Half cross-country and half on various grades of trail. Large areas of natural terrain with considerable loose rocks in places. Moderately steep and slippery slopes to negotiate.

Be aware that there will be a 20 minute car shuttle on pavement and easy graveled roads.

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This hike is in conjunction with Mindful Scramblers.

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This hike is somewhat close to Quail Lake, but it's far above the water along high ridges. The route also travels thru Little Purgatory proper, an enclosed basin 300 feet deep and over a mile wide, ringed with colorful banded cliffs and floored with numerous natural animal trails.

It starts with a stiff 500 foot climb up the side of the Virgin Anticline
near Harrisburg. It's pretty steep and rocky but fully doable by good hikers.

At the top, we come into view of the Little Purgatory basin. After getting an eyefull we descend steeply to the bottom and frolic along the numerous animal trails that lace the area, eventually reaching a steep valley leading up thru the cliffs and to a grand view of the lake.

We then tramp along the rocky edge of the lake basin until we reach the smallish earthen dam on the lake's eastern side.

At this point we'll take a short side trip, descending 150 feet to the Virgin River nearby and a very large group of petroglyphs by the riverside. This could be the largest set of glyphs in Dixie.

Be aware that these glyphs are on rather slanted rock slabs, so ankles will be tested when exploring for glyphs.

After that, we climb back up to the top of the dam, cross it, ascend a shorter but steeper slope, and thence onto an old boy scout trail that parallels the river, high above.

After a time we reach another rock art location close to a hidden spring, very nice. Soon after that, we come to the end of the trail and the trailhead.

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In short, it's a longish, rough-and-ready hike where few people ever go, along with great views and enough Native American rock art to satisfy anyone.

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Prep: Boots and leather gloves, layers for temp changes, two big bottles of water and some food. Optional hiking pole.

Meet: We will meet at the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources building on the lake shore drive next to the main dam. From Highway 9, turn onto SR-318 and go one mile. You will see the lake and an official building with a parking lot near the end of the dam.
From there we'll drive about 2 miles on easy dirt to the ending point of the hike and leave some cars, then return to the pavement and go around the lake to Harrisburg, where the hike starts.

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See you there! M+J :)

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Notice: Meetup organizers are not touring guides and are not park rangers. Expect the same risks and take the same precautions you would if you were hiking alone. You are solely responsible for your own safety and well-being. By signing up for and/or attending this Meetup event, you acknowledge, understand, accept, and agree that hiking and other outdoor activities can be dangerous and can cause serious bodily injury and possibly death. The organizers of this group and current and former members cannot be held responsible or liable in any way for the actions of any participant - including you - at any event. All attendees participate at an event at their own risk and are solely responsible for any damage to their property, and/or injury to themselves or their guests. By signing up for and/or attending this Meetup event, you affirm that you understand this disclaimer and that you knowingly and voluntarily agree not to bring any type of claim arising out of or related to this Meetup event against the organizers of this Meetup group.