Trail Overview

This sandy single wide track with a few turnouts for passing is the Southern route to access the Cosmic Ashtray. 4x4 is highly recommended. The Ashtray is approx. 4.3 miles past the trailhead at Harris Wash so the length of your hike will depend on how far up Harris Wash Road you go. The last half mile section is very deep sand, but is less than a mile hike to the Cosmic Ashtray. There are a few washes to pass through, and is highly recommended to not pass if there is rain in the forecast at all. There are no trail signs to find the Ashtray, and no service out here, so be prepared with GPS coordinates and an offline map. Take plenty of water and gas as there are no service stations within 30 miles, and no shade on the hike. It is possible to climb into the bowl, but you'll need to bring rope to repel down and get back out. Please stay on the designated roads and always pack in what you pack out.

Photos of Cosmic Ashtray via Harris Wash Rd

Want to see more?
View All Photos

Difficulty

Crossings through some riverbeds, some rocky terrain and steep grades. One vehicle width with places to pass.

Technical Rating

Olivier B

Nov 20, 2024

Open

Used that road to go up to the Cosmic Ashtray. Was a bit worried because of the deep sands but that zone is actually far away on the trail. The trail is pretty easy but have to cross the Harris wash and many washes so be sure to check the weather or you’ll probably be stuck. A stock pickup truck is just fine for this trail. Once you see the warning sign for deep sands, don’t even try to go further as you’ll just save about a 0.1mi walk. Not worth risking getting stuck! It’s about a 2.5mi walk round trip from the deep sand sign (vs 7.5mi for the popular hike). From the sign follow the deep sand then turn left on the wash and basically go straight all the way. It will go up and down on the hills, pretty high steeps to climb but not that hard. It’s better to stay of the left of the canyon but you can cross further away. Look in the distance, you’ll see the highest point on the furthest hill (see my last picture), that’s the Cosmic Ashtray.