Go Together Life

📍 Out and Back Route | 2.8 km | 56m Elevation | ~40 mins
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Quirky Little Gem Worth Pulling Over For

---

If you’ve been grinding through monster hikes with miles of uphill slog and knees-shredding descents, Belly of the Dragon is going to feel like a delightful little gift from the hiking gods. Sitting right off Highway 89 near Mt. Carmel, Utah (and dangerously close to one of our favorite gas station snack stops), this “hike” is more of a whimsical roadside wander with a touch of scrambling thrown in.

Honestly, calling it a hike feels a bit like calling a cupcake a “meal”:technically true, but mostly just a sweet treat.

---

Getting Into the Belly

The most challenging part of the whole outing happens in the first few minutes, when you have to clamber over and down rocks to slip into the mouth of the tunnel. Given our group’s history of bumps, scrapes, and occasionally ill-advised stunts, it was a minor miracle that we all made it down unscathed.

Inside, the tunnel feels mysterious and just a little spooky. While light filters in from both ends, it’s dim enough that we quickly pulled out our phone flashlights to keep from walking into a wall, or each other.

---

Inside the Tunnel

A narrow, sandy trail runs down the center, but we couldn’t resist scrambling along the rocky edges instead. It’s a lot more fun to channel your inner mountain goat than to just walk a straight line.

One note: the tunnel walls are carved with plenty of graffiti from visitors past. Please resist the temptation to add your own, the rock has enough “love notes” already.

---

Beyond the Belly

On the other side of the tunnel, a short sandy walk brought us to our turnaround point, a small but surprisingly enchanting partially frozen waterfall. We visited in early April, when snow still dusted the ground and the air carried that crisp, just-before-spring bite.

Most people we saw stopped at the far tunnel entrance, poked around for ten minutes, and then turned back. But we stretched the experience a bit longer by inventing elaborate backstories for every hiker we passed, a side effect, no doubt, of the fact we’d been reading about Mormon history over dinner the night before.

---

Know Before You Go

You don’t need much for this adventure, just clothes that can handle a little scrambling and a flashlight or headlamp for the tunnel.

Why it’s worth it:

• It’s a 30–40 minute stop that breaks up a drive beautifully.
  
• Perfect for stretching your legs between Zion and Bryce Canyon.
  
• Bonus points if you reward yourself afterwards with pie in Mt. Carmel.
  

---

Lessons Learned

• “Hike” is a generous term, but we love it anyway.
  
• The entrance scramble is the trickiest bit, take your time.
  
• Bring a light source, even on sunny days.
  
• Frozen waterfalls are extra magical.
  
• Pie is always a good post-hike tradition.