Hike and Scale Whale Rock in Canyonlands, Utah
Whale Rock is a uniquely shaped, massive sandstone that resembles a whale. The whale sits on a one-mile roundtrip hike that is easy for any age. If you ever wanted to scale Moby-Dick here is your chance. The highlight of the hike is climbing onto and exploring the whale from its tail to its “blowhole.” Once you’ve climbed the blowhole you have conquered Whale Rock.
The trailhead to Whale Rock is located near the end of the Upheaval Dome Road in Canyonlands National Park. From the trailhead you can see a massive mound of rock that is, in fact, your scalable whale. The hike is short and fun, and most people enjoy the puzzle of finding the whale shape in the rock.
The hike starts out on an open dirt path, it weaves through some brush and onto and over some smaller rock formations. Watch out for cactuses along the way, as the whale has been rumored to set traps to protect itself from predators (we might have made that up). Once you reach the whale, it’s scaling time. Walk along the whale and take in some pretty nice views. Once you reach the blowhole, climb to the top and tame the wild beast.
Overall, the hike is very easy and can be done in as little as 20 minutes. Because we take our time and explore we stretch this out to a solid 40-minute roundtrip. It’s a great trail for hiking with kids or getting in a quick, entertaining run. And if you ever wanted to catch a giant whale, well this checks that box, too.
Cost of Adventure
- Per vehicle: $30 (for 7 days)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total distance: 1 mile
- Calories burned: 50-100
- Time suggested: 30 min
- Family friendly: YES
- Park size: 257,640 acres
Challenge Yourself
When it comes to any whale, the challenge is obvious. Scale the whale, tame the whale, conquer the whale, complete the challenge. Set out on your journey to Whale Rock. The challenge is to ascend the whale and climb on top of its blowhole. Once there you’ll have become the Alexander the Great of whale explorers.
Find Great Photo Ops
The views of the surround landscape at Whale Rock are all amazing. There isn’t a direction that isn’t picturesque. Once you’re on Whale Rock and at a good vantage point, click away and capture some epic social media material.
