UT – Fishlake National Forest, Cooks Mesa (04/24)

When right is right but left is best, and maybe there’s a third option that’s the real winner. Cooks Mesa is the flat ridge at the end of the canyon, below the red cliffs.

I heard it was free park entrance day which for me means run! Plus it was a weekend which also means run. After exiting Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and with a detour to Dixie National Forest where I hiked to Chriss Lake, I landed in Torrey. I still had some trails left to hike in Capitol Reef National Park but they could wait a couple days. I had a flyer from my last visit about Cooks Mesa. I found it on my map and reviewed online and app information. It was all a bit confusing.  If you look closely you can see the dotted line heading up from the denoted trailhead, and also connecting to the dashed-line road.

My map indicated this was an unmaintained trail.

I first drove to Meeks Mesa Trailhead and I couldn’t find the trail let alone parking. It’s turned into a giant dispersed camping area. So then I drove to the parking area near the dirt road. It’s a smaller dispersed camping area but at least I found parking, a trail (old road), and a sign indicating no motorized vehicles.

And so it began.

Soon I reached a fork. While the left fork was marked on my digital map, the right seemed more traveled.

Hiking the Right Fork

It started off quite sandy but well-traveled and seemed to head in the correct direction.

However, all too soon I found myself in this canyon.

I didn’t mind too much as the rocks were interesting.

There was a lot of this orange-colored rock.

As the sandstone layers eroded the white striping, which is a harder rock, retained its shape.

I also found some gypsum.

A little over an hour after starting I found myself blocked since I wasn’t interested in bouldering. The well-used route seemed to disappear.

Hiking the Left Fork

I loved this LEFT Trail. It led me through the geology features, up close and personal views!

This was my turnaround point. I didn’t have another mile and 1,000′ left in me after my early unnecessary detour. Cooks Mesa would have to wait another day.

There was petrified wood lying around.

This LEFT Trail will be known as geology WOW!

Thankfully the trail wasn’t slippery and there were only a few eroded sections.

Will I regret turning around?

Signs of volcanic activity.

Hiking the Meeks Mesa Trailhead Option

I couldn’t stop thinking about regretting not trying this option, especially since I was nearby, the weather was great, and it was Sunday so I wasn’t going into Capitol Reef National Park on a weekend. I drove to the “trailhead” and found a place to park and walked around looking for the trail. This is why the trailhead was nearly impossible to find especially as there wasn’t any signage since this is an unmaintained trail.

I finally found it when I saw another hiker heading up. I’d read this trail started out steep so I was pretty confident I was in the right place. If you look closely you can see how the trail follows the spine of the colorful mounds. It was steep but didn’t feel treacherous going up or coming down.

The next sections were a bit more technical and required a bit of scrambling.

Finally, at the top, I was welcomed by this prehistoric creature.

This trail primarily follows the rim, inviting views into the basin where I’d hiked the previous day. I liked the perspective. You can hike this as a loop enjoying both the geology and rim sections.

The color of the day was red!

Although I found a little pink.

Petrified wood was scattered around.

Nearing the end of the canyon and Cooks Mesa.

The end of the canyon and officially Cooks Mesa according to Gaia.

I followed the trail across the Mesa finding views of the rim I’d attempted to reach the previous day.

And the rim I’d walked earlier today.

I had a hard time capturing both canyon walls.

THIS is Cooks Mesa, not all that impressive but no regrets about these geology-rich hikes.

A distant look at Cooks Mesa.

In summary, take the right fork if you want to explore a canyon and do a bit of challenging scrambling. It has more deep sand sections as well. Take the left fork for geology WOW! Both of these forks require navigation skills as there are lots of cattle trails.

If you don’t mind steep or exposure then the main trail might be best. I think the loop would be best starting from this trailhead as it’s easier to stay on track and get to Cooks Mesa first.

I’d read that Meeks Mesa required scrambling so I didn’t investigate but the overlook might be a decent option. The red track is day 1 and purple is day 2.

Links:

• Other Jaunts in Utah and Fishlake National Forest