A Page Arizona Sunset Hike - Toadstool Hoodoos Near Kanab Utah
We definitely applied the adventure rules to our trip to Arizona in the fall of 2021. That included a quick jaunt into Utah looking for yet another sunset. A short drive from Page you will find the Toadstool Hoodoos.
We packed a picnic and headed west. With few exceptions, any drive in this area of the country is incredible - this was no exception.
The trail is easy, with less than 100 feet of elevation gain and about 1.6 miles — a highly recommended, mars-like trek through the desert. Best during sunset or sunrise.
Toadstools?
You can see where they get their name. While the photos give you an understanding, they are nothing short of awe-inspiring in person. After some post-trip research, I’m a bit smarter on Toadstools. They are two types of sandstone. The soft Entrada sandstone eroded over time, but the Dakota on top is much harder and formed a cap. You get a formation that is very similar to a toadstool mushroom. That all makes sense to me.
If you go back in time, these formations were actually inside plateaus1.
Fascinating.
Why hoodoo?
The name is derived from Hoodoo spirituality, in which some natural forms are said to possess certain powers. Legends abound in Navtive American culture too. For example, the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon were considered petrified remains of acient beings who had been sanctioned for misbehavior.
Link to trailhead here. You can’t miss it, right on the highway.
More photos and videos here.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hoodoo_formation-Big.jpg