House on Fire

Around Blanding - Utah

Note: On dirt roads, road conditions can change constantly. Therefore, we strongly recommend that everyone check the road conditions before each trip. We do not recommend driving on unpaved roads before, during or shortly after rain or snowfall.

6020 ft
Altitude above sea level: House on Fire

Entrance fees and opening hours

*The Anual Pass is so to speak the "flat rate" for all Parks managed by the National Park Service. The pass costs a one-time fee of $80 and can be purchased at the entrance to each National Park, National Monument, etc. The pass is valid for 13 months.

Here are the GPX files of our drive and hike to House on Fire.

Our visits: So far 1 visit in October 2014

Trailhead and self pay station

House on Fire

Description of how to get there: The drive is basically easy. Coming from Blanding, turn off Highway 191 onto Highway 95. After following this road for 19.5mi, take another right onto Arch Canyon Overlook Rd. From here on the road is unpaved. But it is not far, after about 500m you have reached the trailhead. Now you pay the Cedar Mesa Day Use Fee ($2/person) and can start the hike.

Hike Description: The hike is also quite easy. You follow Mule Canyon for about 1.1mi until you reach the House on Fire on the right. The trail is level, you just have to cross the creek once or twice. Once at the House on Fire you have to climb up the slickrock to the house. This is partly steep, but the path is very short and therefore not a big problem.

Trail length: approx. 2.2mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: approx. 220ft
Time needed: 2-3 hours
Difficulty level: easy

Our rating: We liked the hike and also the House on Fire very much. The trail was easy to walk and can be done very easily even by non-hikers. We visited the canyon in October 2014 and also had a few colorful trees along the way. For us a nice hike for a morning. 

One more tip: If you want the glow of the indirect light, you should definitely be there in the morning. Once the sun has moved around the rock and is shining under the alcove, the indirect light is gone.

4/5
One of the creek crossings