Fallen Roof Ruin
Road Canyon, Utah

     Road Canyon, a little visited canyon tucked away on the Grand Gulch Plateau of Utah, is a veritable treasure trove of interesting Anasazi ruins—at least four well preserved ruins are accessible, with the most visually striking being Fallen Roof Ruin.

     From the parking area, a well-defined trail lined with cryptobiotic soil crust, wildflowers, and an occasional lizard, allows the hiker access to the west end of Road Canyon. The trail then veers north along the rim of the canyon for bout 0.3-mile before descending to the canyon bottom via an easily missed spur trail—watch for cairns that mark the descent. Scramble approximately 125 feet down the rocky slope to a wash that connects Road Canyon with a small side canyon—turn east and hike into Road Canyon.

     As you hike along the wash, watch for a red hoodoo capped with a white top rock—spot this rock spire and it won’t be long before you reach the first ruin. The trail follows the bottom of Road Canyon for approximately 0.7-mile before reaching the access point for Fallen Roof Ruin—150 feet above the canyon floor. Fallen Roof Ruin, so named for the slabs of rock that have separated from the alcove’s ceiling and fallen to the ground below, is easy to see from the trail—scan the northern rim of the canyon as you walk.

     Once you spot the cliff dwelling, simply pick a route and climb up the slickrock towards the ruin—it is an easy scramble to reach the alcove.

     Fallen Roof Ruin, a magnificent example of Anasazi life, consists of four small rooms—three of which remain perfectly intact, complete with ancient hand prints painted on the rock ceiling. You are free to explore the ruin, but be mindful of where you step or place your hands and, of course, do not enter the rooms—any misstep could damage the ancient structures. Pick, Dar, and I spent close to an hour enjoying the beauty of the ruin, taking particular note of the amazing light that reflects from the canyon in mid-morning to cast a warm glow on the alcove—midmorning is the best light for photography.

     After photographing and/or exploring Fallen Roof Ruin, you can continue down canyon to more ruins or return to the trailhead—we turned around and hiked back to the car for a hurried departure. Our next destination, Mule Canyon, is also best viewed in mid to late morning and we were burning daylight. For those hikers not pushed for time, it is possible to complete a 12-mile roundtrip hike in Road Canyon.