Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Utah / Grand Staircase-Escalante

Boulder Mail Trail (Boulder to Escalante via Death Hollow)

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, BLM (between Boulder and Escalante)

The Boulder Mail Trail follows a historic route across the slickrock between the towns of Boulder and Escalante. Hiking Project says it was first used to carry mail and supplies by horse, a telegraph line was added around 1910, and much of that line still stands. Death Hollow, the deep canyon at its center, “is so named after a mule fell to his death during one of the mail delivery trips.”

It’s a point-to-point trip, usually done over two days, through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

The hike

Hiking Project lists the trail at 15.6 miles, with about 2,300 feet of climbing and 3,265 feet of descent heading from Boulder to Escalante. Road Trip Ryan gives the same distance and 8 to 10 hours of walking. The upper trailhead is near the Boulder airstrip, off the Hells Backbone road; the lower trailhead is on the east side of Escalante, near the cemetery. The BLM’s road report listed the Hells Backbone road as 2WD and in good condition on Aug. 27, 2026.

Road Trip Ryan describes the route in segments. From the upper trailhead, the trail crosses cedar flats and drops into Sand Creek at 2.5 miles. It then climbs slickrock, following cairns and the old telegraph line, for about 4 miles to the rim of Death Hollow. The descent is a constructed, steep section with zigzags that Backpacking Routes calls “precarious and steep.” In the canyon, hikers wade the creek; Backpacking Routes calls it “a mid-thigh saunter.” The route leaves the canyon floor about 20 to 30 minutes downstream on the right, a turn Backpacking Routes says is hard to find.

After a steep, cairned climb out of Death Hollow, it’s 2.3 miles to Mamie Creek, where Road Trip Ryan describes a side trip of 45 to 60 minutes to a natural bridge that requires wading. Antone Flat follows, with slickrock and a few pools. The last 6.5 miles descend to the Escalante River, follow it downstream past private property, then head upstream to the trailhead.

Both guides warn about poison ivy in Death Hollow. Road Trip Ryan recommends long pants and suggests walking in the streambed where it gets thick. Road Trip Ryan lists spring, fall, and winter without snow as the seasons; Backpacking Routes says summer can be very hot on exposed rock.

For another Escalante-area canyon, see Coyote Gulch. For a Capitol Reef canyon off the Burr Trail Road, see Lower Muley Twist Canyon.

Tips

Camping

The BLM says “free permits are required for all overnight stays within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument,” available at visitor centers or developed trailheads. Backpacking Routes says a free walk-up permit is available at the Escalante ranger station, and if it’s closed, each trailhead has a register to sign. The BLM requires that “all solid human waste must be carried out using portable human waste containment systems,” such as WAG bags, and that toilet paper and hygiene products be packed out too.

Road Trip Ryan describes “quite a few campsites” at Sand Creek, close to the start, “good camping” in Death Hollow, and “many excellent camp sites and pools” at Mamie Creek. Backpacking Routes recommends Death Hollow for camping and water, and dry camping above it after the climb out.

Inside Intel: Road Trip Ryan’s author preferred Mamie Creek over Death Hollow for camping, for its many sites and pools. Backpacking Routes’ author points to the plateau after the climb out of Death Hollow for dry camps with “ample spots” and good views.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Into and out of Death Hollow:

The constructed descent into Death Hollow is steep and zigzagging, then you wade the creek and make a steep, cairned climb out. Poles help on all three, if you set them up right.

Get the trekking pole tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.