These massive tilted plateaus are what give The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument its name. Sandy inclines that end abruptly at cliffs that drop hundreds of feet to the various rivers that cut and carve their way to the ocean. Rock Springs Bench is more extensive than most with the Paria River canyon on the west, and Hackberry canyon located to the east. Smaller tributaries exist along its face such a Death Valley Draw, but Paria and Hackberry are the vast canyons that have created this bench.

Just past the Kodachrome Basin turn off, where the blacktop ends, follow Cottonwood wash road and make the first turn right. The route follows Watsons Ridge, and several good camping sites exist along this road. At Ott's Corrals, turn right and follow the path through Rock Springs Creek. Here, the sandy trail turns south and heads in pretty much a straight line to Johnson Hole Saddle. Just before arriving at the 3-way junction of Johnson Hole Saddle, an ATV trail follows a westerly direction and ends near a massive canyon on a raised white scree hill.

The high saddle offers beautiful views in all directions, and the entire ATV ride to this point is almost an hour long. At this location, I gathered my pack, followed the faint old ATV trail up the small rise, and continued heading south. UNP 6526 is another 45 min hike, up the sand and scree ridge to the summit. Several large ravines cut into the rim, offering stunning views into Johnson Hole Canyon to the east. A more direct line requires one to hike closer to the center of the saddle, through the straggling brush and Juniper trees.

Ravines cut into high saddle offering views into Hackberry Canyon

Peak 6526 is composed of a sandy summit. Identifying the high point is difficult in the drifting sand, but the current summit pile is at 37.42571, -112.02098. After reaching the summit, continue walking south to the first cliff face provides an excellent viewpoint. From this viewpoint, one can quickly identify various major landmarks to the south, east, and west.