Off-Trail Hiking to the Cosmic Ashtray in Utah

Hiking to the Cosmic Ashtray is quite the novelty. The hike itself isn’t all that amazing, but seeing such a unique landmark pop out of nowhere is quite the experience!
My friends and I like to joke that this place is so strange, it’s actually a portal to a hidden dimension.
But you need to be in the know before you go. There is no official trail, meaning you’re going to want a GPS track to follow.
Hike responsibly!
Secret campsite GPS:
This is an advanced backpacking route that requires you to pack in all of your water, pack out all of your poop, and navigate with a GPS. There is no cell service, so have a map downloaded for offline use.
You want to make sure you use a tool like weather.gov to check for rain in the forecast. Rain will make Hole in the Rock Road impassible.
✨Camp site GPS Coordinates
To get exact GPS coordinates, sign up for my mailing list. Reply to the first email with “Gimme the Cosmic Ashtray Campsite” and I’ll send them your way!
Sign up below:
bit.ly/desertpackinglist
✨Cosmic Ashtray GPS coordinates:
N 37.68326, W 111.31537
✨ Additional Resources ✨
Hiking to the Cosmic Ashtray: bit.ly/4bJd5Gs
✨Visiting responsibly
Rule number 1 when visiting the desert is DON’T BUST THE CRUST! That weird, raised, bumpy soil you see is alive. It’s called cryptobiotic soil and it is an integral part of preventing erosion and allowing for plant life to thrive in the desert. It is fragile and stepping on it will ruin years of development.
Stay on marked trails when possible. If you do venture into the backcountry, pay attention to where you’re walking. Camp and walk on hard surfaces where possible. Here are a few more resources for visiting responsibly.
Practice Leave No Trace: bit.ly/leaveitbetterthanufoundit
Hiking Safely in the desert: bit.ly/deserthikingtips
Desert Camping Hacks: bit.ly/desertcampinghacks
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For the latest local info about the best outdoor hot spots in Utah (including places you’ve never heard of before), head on over to www.foxintheforest.net.
✨Packing Lists and Gear:
Hand-picked, incredible outdoor gear that keeps you moving: bit.ly/outdoorgearthatrocks
Snag the Desert Packing List: bit.ly/desertpackinglist
✨About the Photos and Video:
Transparency is important to me when it comes to photography. There is Instagram and there is reality. And you should be inspired by BOTH.
I intentionally use photos and videos that have been edited for color and lighting, and ones that haven’t.
All the photos and videos you see of the Cosmic Ashtray were taken by me or my hiking buddy. I rarely edit other people out of photos (and I would make a note here if I did!).
#utah #escalante #hikingadventures #hikingadventures #hiking
✨Time stamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:11 - Safety and hiking responsibly
00:42 - Best time to hike to the Cosmic Ashtray
00:59 - Reaching the trailhead
01:18 - Trail information
01:40 - How to find the Cosmic Ashtray
02:02 - Things to do at the Ashtray
02:17 - Nearby camping
02:37 - Outro