Pothole Point
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
Never step into the potholes or touch the water — these fragile biological communities take years to establish and a single footprint can destroy an entire colony of organisms.
The slickrock surface is uneven and can be slippery when wet. There are no railings or defined edges, and some sections slope toward drop-offs, so keep children close.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
Visit within a day or two after a rainstorm — the potholes come alive with fairy shrimp, tadpole shrimp, and other cryptobiotic creatures that can lie dormant for years between wet periods. In dry spells, the potholes are just empty divots.
Wear shoes with solid grip rather than smooth-soled sandals. The slickrock is genuinely uneven with dips and ridges that can roll an ankle, especially if you're watching the scenery instead of your feet.
Late afternoon light turns the sandstone a deep orange and puts the Needles formations into dramatic relief — bring a wide-angle lens and get low to shoot the potholes with the spires in the background.