Almost heaven, the Escalante is a vast area of fascinating canyons cut into Navajo and Wingate Sandstone, with abundant arches, lush streams and lovely vistas. It is quite a place, not the least for its vastness and variety. Both single and multiple day adventures are possible, thanks to steady supplies of beautiful water in many canyons. The number of published technical thrash-fests are few; the number of divine, incredible explorations high. The level of adventure is high - please help keep it this way.
The Escalante is a traditional-style canyoneering area. Please do not place bolts.
Special Considerations
The Escalante is spread out. It often takes an hour or more to drive to your trailhead from the main road. Be sure to plan your travel, and have enough water, food and fuel to avoid emergencies. No water is available outside of town and a few key spots. This is a big, wild place - treat it with respect.
For technical canyoneers, please respect the wilderness nature of the Escalante canyons. Almost all of the canyons in the Escalante have been descended without the use of drilled anchors - please respect the local standard, and come prepared to descend difficult canyons without drilling. Advanced natural anchor skills will also allow you to descend with little trace of your passage. Please.
This archive represents many of the first canyons I attempted to elucidate for the benefit of fellow desert lovers, and the descriptions are... what they are. Juvenalia. A bit rough, compared to the current level of polish. Many people still find them useful, however, so let's keep them available, with the understanding that they have not been maintained and thus should be read with a grain of salt.
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| Northern Escalante | |
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Upper Calf Creek Hike 2A II |
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Lower Calf Creek Hike 1A II-III |
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| Central Escalante | |
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Phipps Canyon and Arch Hike 2A III |
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| Hole in the Rock Road Canyons | |
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Egypt 3 Slot Canyon 2A III 3 stars or 3B III |
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Dry Forks, Coyote Gulch: Peek-a-Boo, Spooky & Brimstone Canyons 2A II-III |
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Heart of Coyote Dayhike 2A III (5.4R) |
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Davis Gulch 3B 5.6 IV |
