Soldier Pass Trail Preview

Should you hike Soldier Pass? What the film settles

Two landmarks, one fork, and a cave the film does not go to.

The landmarks come early. Devils Kitchen, the collapse sinkhole, is beside the trail at 4:38, and the Seven Sacred Pools come at 8:46, dry or full depending on the season. For families and anyone short on time the pools are the finish line, not a compromise: Seven Sacred Pools. Do not wade in them; they are fragile and slick.

The fork is the decision. At 29:45 the film passes the wilderness boundary post where the use trail to Soldier Pass Cave leaves on the right. The film stays on the main trail and does not show the spur or the cave. If the cave is your goal, read the jeep road, the boundary sign and the fork and the cave spur first; if anyone is unsure about the spur, the main trail carries on without it.

The climb to the pass is the hardest walking. Past the fork the grade picks up through scrub oak from 33:34, and the loose stone in the rocky wash at 41:50 is the hardest footing of the hike. The film ends near the top of the pass at 49:50. The guide sets out turnaround rules.

The lot decides your day. The trailhead lot is small. Read why the parking lot decides your day and how to time the day around the gate.

Turn around at the pools if your group just wants an easy walk; most of the climbing comes after the fork.

What the full film shows, chapter by chapter

Timestamps read from the full 50:02 film. Owners can jump straight to any chapter.

1. 0:00 Soldier Pass trailhead The small lot and the paved start; about 4,460 ft.
2. 4:38 Devils Kitchen sinkhole The collapse pit beside the trail at about 0.3 mi.
3. 8:46 Seven Sacred Pools The slickrock basins — dry or full depending on the season (0.5 mi, about 4,515 ft).
4. 12:54 Red dirt between the junipers Easy, level walking (0.7 mi).
5. 17:02 Washes and the first slickrock Gentle grades with the cliffs ahead (0.9 mi, about 4,525 ft).
6. 21:10 Open ground below the cliffs The valley widens; the pass is visible ahead (1.1 mi).
7. 25:18 Slickrock shelf Bare rock and a few rocky steps (1.3 mi).
8. 29:45 Wilderness boundary post: the fork for the cave The marker at about 1.4 mi where the use trail to Soldier Pass Cave leaves on the right. The film stays on the main trail; the cave itself is not shown.
9. 33:34 Climbing toward the pass The grade picks up through scrub oak (1.7 mi, about 4,635 ft).
10. 41:50 Rocky wash: the steep part Loose stone in the drainage — the hardest footing of the hike (2.0 mi, about 4,820 ft).
11. 45:58 Near the top of the pass The grade eases just below the Brins Mesa junction (2.2 mi, about 4,910 ft).
12. 49:50 End of the film 2.4 mi and about 4,925 ft on the overlay; the walk back is not shown.

Not in the film: the cave spur and the cave, the Brins Mesa junction, and the walk back.

Planning the real hike? Read the full Soldier Pass trail guide for difficulty, parking, permits and route-finding details.