Hike Balkan Dome and Pictograph Mountain Snow Canyon State Park, UT

Mar 29, 2018 — A few months ago, I did a beautiful traverse of the west rim of Snow Canyon State Park, and I saw lots of pretty peaks that looked worth doing. This shorter day visits a couple of those, Balkan Dome and Pictograph Mountain, as well as a short side-trip to a colorful lump on the gorgeous slickrock mesa north of Pictograph Mountain. These two peaks are fun scrambles within Snow Canyon State Park.

Starting from the parking area, head up a wash toward Balkan Dome. Find Class 2+ scrambles to the summit, and some Class 2/3 down scrambles along the north side. The route-finding gets a bit complex on Balkan Dome, and it takes some work to keep the route at Class 3, but it's definitely doable. It's basically a maze of small cliffs and humps of volcanic/sandtone rock that require lots of trial and error, or at least it did for me, but that aspect comprised most of the fun on this small peak. There is likely more that one option to get up and down off the north side of Balkan Dome, and I recommend trying to remember the way you came up in case you can't find a way down on the opposite side.

Head through the desert and pick up the Red Wash Trail which takes you just north of Pictograph Mountain. Locate a ridge with a social trail that follows cairns the whole way up. I didn't encounter anything harder than Class 2, but it was a fun, steep sandstone ascent. From the Pictograph Mountain summit, definitely take the time to go to the colorful slightly-less-high point just north of the summit, where there are really nice views and gorgeous rock formations.