Neon Canyon itinerary
Every published mile marker on the Neon Canyon route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one — and which permit each stretch needs. To watch dates and set alerts, go to the Neon Canyon / Golden Cathedral permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Neon Canyon. One reservation is a trailhead or zone plus an entry date; you roam after that, issued by walk-up.
- Stops mapped
- 5
- Across the markers
- 5.0 mi
- Published route length
- 10 mi
- Published ascent
- 900 ft
How long it takes: 1 day or overnight. That is the figure the permit publishes — this page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
Adding up only the climbs between markers gives 85 ft, which is a floor rather than the total: anything that rises and falls between two markers is invisible to it.
The Neon Canyon route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
5,633 ft
Egypt Trailhead
Access via Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Rough road, high clearance required.
2.0 miles · 833 ft down to Fence Canyon Junction
Mile 2.0
4,800 ft
Fence Canyon Junction
Drop into drainage system.
1.5 miles · 300 ft down to Neon Canyon Entry
Mile 3.5
4,500 ft
Neon Canyon Entry
Steep descent into the main canyon.
0.5 miles · 85 ft up to Golden Cathedral
Mile 4.0
4,585 ft
Golden Cathedral
The famous light beam alcove. Best light 10am-12pm.
1.0 mile · 36 ft down to Escalante River
Mile 5.0
4,549 ft
Escalante River
Canyon terminus at the river.
Getting a Neon Canyon for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Neon Canyon dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations — they return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag watches Neon Canyon around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.