I recently made the hike to Sandstone Castles, but I have to admit I had never heard of it until this year. Some friends and I were planning an overnight hike to Twin Falls. My friend David had been to Twin Falls before and suggested we add Sandstone Castles to the hike. He had not been there before either. He looked for them on his last hike to Twin Falls but took a wrong turn and missed them. Once he told me about them and their proximity to Twin Falls, I was sold. We decided we would tackle this on Day 2 of our overnight group hike.
In case you missed Day 1, we started off from the Richland Creek Campground. We hiked the trail along Richland Creek to Richland Falls, and then on to Twin Falls. You can read all about Part 1 of this hike here, along with all the pics and video. In fact, I recommend giving it a look so you’ll know what the full hike to Sandstone Castles entails. There is another way to get there, coming in from the parking area several miles to the north. But there is some confusion on the AllTrails app about the length of that hike. And from what I’ve read, it doesn’t sound as good as this route. Please feel free to leave any info you have on that in the comments below. For this article we’re just focusing on the Richland Creek route. And we’re starting with our camp over Twin Falls.
But first…..
Directions
The trail head is in the Richland Creek Recreation Area, deep in the Richland Creek Wilderness. This is about 45 minutes northeast of Sand Gap, or about 30 minutes west of Witts Springs. Use the map below to map to any of those points, or map yourself directly here. Once you enter Richland Creek Rec Area, stay to the right (not the campground loop) and park in the parking area. The trail head is at the end of that road, past the gate.
What to Expect
The Camp
If you’re caught up on Day 1 of the hike, then you know how awesome Twin Falls is. Well, camped out right on top of that. There are several unofficial but well-established camping spots up there. We had the place all to ourselves. We set up on the Big Devils Fork side of Twin Falls pretty close to the water. By the way, if you do this overnight hike, get yourself a water filter. Seriously, you can’t carry enough water for drinking on the hike and cooking several meals. The water is safe, just get a filter. Also, buy some dehydrated pouch meals (like MRE’s). They’re actually not bad, especially after a full day of hiking. Your back will thank you for reducing the extra weight.
After setting up camp, we found there were plenty of tree limbs on the ground and lots of driftwood near the creeks for a campfire. We had a pocket chainsaw blade for cutting the big logs. You’ll need that if you want a big fire (don’t cut down any trees, you neanderthals in the back!!). It was a cold night, but our big fire helped. Bellies full from our pouch meals and sweet treats around the fire, it was an awesome night to be out there. The rushing water from the creek made sleeping pretty great too. Here are some pics from camp.
A quick Hike to Sandstone Castles
The trail from Twin Falls to Sandstone Castles is uphill 100% of the way. It’s not that far, maybe a mile or so. It only took us about 30-45 minutes to get there. But since it was all uphill, we decided to leave all our gear at camp, still set up, instead of carrying it. We would come back from the castles and pack up after lunch. So after breakfast and coffee, we filled our water bottles and up the hill we went.
The trail was pretty clean and easy to follow. There are a couple of steep climbs, but mostly it’s a steady uphill trail that’s pretty easy to walk. We weren’t exactly sure how far the castles were going to be or what to look for. But when we got there, it was fairly obvious. When you see a large bluff and the trail forks to the right and left around it, take the fork to the left. I think David had missed it before because he was expecting it to be much further. So he took the fork to the right and walked right by it! But if you scroll through my pics below, you’ll see exactly what to look for.
I was so glad we added this to our hike. In case you haven’t already googled pics of it, the Sandstone Castles is a series of bluffs with tunnel caves running through them. It’s really cool! You can go up inside each of them. You can even camp out in them if you want. But you’ll have to carry water a long way. They sit up high on the hill and have a pretty nice view of the canyon below. There are some cool rock formations here too. If you ever make it to Twin Falls, it’s well worth the time to go on up the hill to Sandstone Castles. I’ve got video and pics below to see for yourself.
Plan Your Trip
As I mentioned, this is not a quick and easy area to get to from most parts of the state. It does require some planning. It can be done in a day. But for that I recommend starting before 9 am if you want to have time to enjoy the falls. For overnight hikes I would start by noon. Unless you’re going with someone who has been there before, you will need a map. Remember, this area is deep in the wilderness about as far in the middle of nowhere as you can get. You will lose cell service long before you reach Richland Creek. So download or print a map before you go. There is a small spot of cell service at the top of Sandstone Castles. Nice to know in case of emergency.
Let’s talk about gear. I would not do the Richland Falls and Twin Falls hike with anything less than sturdy hiking boots and moisture-wicking socks. I think the rocky and rugged terrain is too much for tennis shoes or sandals. Ankle-high boots with thick soles will help protect your ankles and absorb the shock. Also, you will need river shoes for the water crossings. You will not reach Twin Falls without getting your feet wet. Click here to get our full gear lists for day hikes and overnight hikes. In particular, I recommend packing a water filter and no more than two bottles. There are plenty of opportunities to filter water along the trail. And the filtered water from those creeks is nice and cold, and taste great. This will be essential for an overnight hike, as you need your pack to be light as possible on this tough hike.
I don’t think I would do this hike in the summer. I think the heat of summer will make this hike really tough. More importantly, I don’t know how much water is in those creeks during hot summer months. If I’m going to do this hike, I want to do it when Richland Creek and both falls are at their best. But if you’ve read many of my blog posts, you know I like to hike from fall through early spring and spend my summers floating. So maybe I’m biased. If you choose to do this hike in the summer, use insect repellent and try to go right after a rain. Regardless of when you choose to go, please take care of this beautiful area and leave no trace. Take only pictures, and leave only footprints.
