Lower Calf Creek Falls is a waterfall of about 150 feet on Calf Creek in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Garfield County, Utah. Spring-fed and flowing all year, it pours into a deep pool in a Navajo Sandstone alcove at the end of a sandy canyon hike.
The falls
Calf Creek slides down a near-vertical cliff in a single horsetail drop into a large pool enclosed on three sides by sandstone walls. The World Waterfall Database puts the drop at about 150 feet based on lidar data; earlier surveys listed 126 feet. The creek's flow begins several miles up canyon at seeps and springs, and mist and shade keep the alcove cooler than the canyon floor, with monkey flower and maidenhair fern growing near the seeps.
Getting there
The trail starts at Calf Creek Campground on Highway 12, 15 miles east of Escalante. The BLM rates the 6-mile round trip as moderately difficult because of sandy stretches; elevation change is minimal, and average hikers take 3 to 4 hours. Day use costs $5 per vehicle, and interagency passes cover it. The site reopened on September 27, 2024 after a closure. Restrooms are at the trailhead, but there are none along the trail, and trash must be packed out. The campground lot can fill by early afternoon in summer.
When to go
Water runs year-round. Spring and fall, or an early start on summer mornings, are recommended; the hike is hot in summer and hikers must carry enough water. Potable water is available in the campground from April to October; creek water isn't safe to drink. The falls face southeast and sit in shadow for most of the day, so arriving mid-morning provides good light.
On site
The pool is a popular swimming spot, and swimmers should wear waterproof sunscreen to protect the creek. Rocks fall without warning from the overhanging cliff and can reach both the pool and the shoreline: in June 2025 boulders landed between swimmers and the shore, and in 2024 a visitor hit by falling rock was evacuated by medical helicopter. Stay alert near the base. Flash floods from summer thunderstorms run down the canyon. Dogs must be leashed.
History and name
Along the trail are a Fremont granary built more than 800 years ago, a second granary and three large red Fremont pictograph figures. Pioneers kept weaned calves in the natural pasture of the box canyon, which gave Calf Creek its name, and in the early 1900s a local farmer grew watermelons along the creek.
Nearby
Upper Calf Creek Falls is about 2.5 miles away upstream on the same creek. Silver Falls is about 18.3 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.