This trail is located in the southern part of Canyonlands National Park, the Needles District. You have to enter the park and pay the entrance fee to get to the trail. Supposedly this is the toughest trail in the park. Little do we know what an adventure waits for us…

We attack the challenging switchbacks which are too tight to turn in one try but some offer room to turn around. The incline is steep with rock steps, loose gravel and sand. Once on the top we tackle a similar scenario down the other side. At one spot a sign recommends to back up from on switchback to the next because space is limited. After this part the trail continues fairly easy over rocky sections with sandy areas in between. Soon we get to the start of the loop and the road becomes more challenging again. A rocky, tippy step makes the rig lean towards a overhanging boulder and a narrow passage leads through two rock walls. Once we get to the well marked Devils Kitchen which offers some nice backcountry campsites (permit needed) it's not far to the fork to Devils Lane. The loop continues to the right but we detour to the left for a few miles to hike 0.6 miles on the Joint Trail to the fabulous chasm, a slot sometimes barely wider than a foot.
We return to the loop and pass the 'Silver Stairs' a series of rocky steps. A short spur road takes us to the Confluence Overlook where the Green and Colorado River meet. At this viewpoint we meet a nice family from Georgia who has rented a Jeep to get to this overlook. After a short break we return to the loop where a tough downhill section provides another nice obstacle before we reach the switchbacks. This is where we meet the family with the rental Jeep again. As we watch them attempt the first obstacle before the switchbacks I notice something dangling under the car. It turns out that the rear driveshaft came loose from the differential and is banging up the undercarriage. After we pull the driveshaft we strap the Wrangler uphill. With only the front wheels driving the rig they have no chance getting over the rocky ledges alone.
It takes some work manouvering the two Jeeps around all the switchbacks but finally we reach the top. From here we drive seperately towards the trailhead and the Wrangler has no difficulties getting over the fairly flat terrain. Working our way down the switchbacks to the parking lot is not a problem for the handicapped Wrangler - you always get down somehow, right…

For those who are uncertain about the difficulty ratings, this is an excellent trail because one of the toughest parts is just at the start. The scenery is absolutely awesome and the level of challenge just right.

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Directions: Go to the Canyonlands National Park Needles District, continue past the visitor center and follow signs to Elephant Hill.