Not to be confused with the Devils Garden Trail we just hiked in Arches NP, this Devils Garden is a popular stop off Hole-in-the-Rock Rd. in Grand Staircase-Escalante NM. Located 12 miles from Hwy. 12, the area requires little or no physical exertion, only time. (Although the road itself can be an obstacle!)

Like many of the hikes off Hole-in-the-Rock, Devils Garden isn’t visible from the road. But a quarter mile south and suddenly swirling sandstone formations appear out of nowhere.

Even though it was early evening, there were a decent amount of people out. The parking lot was fairly full and several families were making dinner at the picnic tables. I was caught off guard; I assumed less people would be out and about. But it was so easy to spread out and explore different areas of the garden that it didn’t feel busy once we started walking around.

A collection of mushroom-capped hoodoos and stumpy pillars, Devils Garden really is like a playground. There’s no need to stick to the path. We climbed on top of some formations, ducked in and out of others, and avoided a large group of kids and parents playing tag. (Truman was not a fan of the running children.)

Devils Garden was such a fun place to explore. We only spent maybe 30-45 minutes wandering around. On any other trip I would have combined it with a longer hike, but this was the perfect way to cap a long day.