Bald Knoll

Best Time to Visit Bald Knoll

The source material doesn't specify a preferred season for visiting Bald Knoll. No seasonal guidance is available for this backcountry geologic site beyond what's covered in Reaching Bald Knoll.

Backcountry Tips for Visiting Bald Knoll

• Bald Knoll appears on USGS topo maps and in volcanology surveys under several other local names — Black Knoll, Buck Knoll, and Corral Knoll — worth knowing if you're cross-referencing maps or research on the area.
• The source material doesn't include trail distance, elevation, or permit information for Bald Knoll — this is a geologic point of interest for topo-map or volcanology research rather than a standard signed hike.

Reaching Bald Knoll

Bald Knoll doesn't have a signed trailhead — access is by dirt road across Dixie National Forest and BLM-adjacent land near the Alton coal mine area. There's no marked route or visitor infrastructure, so reaching the cone is more of a backcountry navigation exercise than a hike to a trailhead. Check current road conditions before heading out.

What to Expect at Bald Knoll

Bald Knoll is a cinder cone on the southwest edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, sitting in the gap between the south end of Bryce Canyon National Park and the western boundary of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It's the youngest of a cluster of basaltic volcanic vents in the area, with a well-preserved crater still visible at the summit. A lava flow from the cone traveled roughly seven miles to the southeast. Geologists place the flow in the late Pleistocene, though the cone's fresh-looking form has led to age estimates ranging from a few hundred to several thousand years old. This is a geologic feature rather than a maintained hiking destination — expect a backcountry visit rather than a developed overlook.