Yellow Rock Nov 12 2019

Yellow rock is located just south of where Hackberry canyon joins Cottonwood creek. Park 14 miles up Cottonwood canyon road at a side road just before the proper hackberry canyon trailhead. From there the trail is directly across cottonwood creek from your car.

This is cottonwood creek when dry. It usually has a couple of inches of water that must be considered.

After crossing the creek look for this steep rocky trail up a draw. At the top of the pitch is a false summit where you go right on a better trail to circle around to the actual ridge top where the Rock is visible.

The last little bit before the false summit.

View from the ridge top. The trail here cuts left toward the left (south) end of the rock but you could go any way you like as long as you remember where you are now in order to find the start of the trail back down.

We headed toward the buff colored area in the middle of the Rock and walked right toward the north end to overlook Hackberry canyon.

This is nearly to the north end overlooking Hackberry canyon. There are people on the rim looking down. The peak you see is on the other side of the canyon.

View across the canyon showing that there are many more acres of sandstone to explore to the north. To get there you have to find a way across Hackberry creek which is a slot canyon at this point.

Snail rock on the edge of Hackberry canyon overlook.

Another view across the canyon.

The rock can be explored without having to climb difficult sections.

This is the white highpoint you could first see from the ridge. When you get there it is not clear that the other knob to the south is not higher. But it's color is different. This is looking north from the saddle between the two.

From the other knob looking north. Castle rock in the distance.

From the south end of the rock we worked out way down avoiding the actual South Face that is pretty steep. The colors on this end are the best. And late afternoon light in the winter is best.

At the bottom of the south end is a redrock formation. Further south from here are sandstone flats with great color. But we headed back toward the car from here heading toward the area we noted at the point where we first crested the ridge to see the first view of Yellow Rock.

Going back down the steep section. It is very steep. We had three falls but only one minor injury.