Overview

Hype:

The Main Fork of Bluejohn Canyon is quite fun. The main narrow section is very steep is mostly consists of moderately exposed downclimbing. Ropes are not necessarily required, but many groups will want them.

Canyon Rating: 3A

Time: 3-5 hours from car to junction with East Fork

Length: 4.5 miles one way from car to junction with East Fork

Longest Rappel: N/A

Gear: Rappelling gear recommended

Fees: None

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Getting There

Navigate to 38.341679, -110.292125.

Route

Approach

Park at the Hans Flat Road turnoff. There is a metal shack with "Motel 8" painted on the side. From the parking area, head northeast until you intersect the Main Fork drainage. From there, just follow the drainage down.

Canyon

There are no mandatory rappels. All drops can be downclimbed by competent climbers. However, a rappel rope or handline may be desirable for some group members as there are several large drops.

After the narrows, the canyon opens up into a wash. From here, you can either continue down canyon to the lower Narrows and all the way down to the Great Gallery in Horseshoe Canyon, or you can exit via West Fork or the West Exit to a car shuttle, or you can retreat back up Main Fork back to your vehicle (no shuttle required).

Maps

Closest City or Region: Hanksville, Utah

Coordinates: 38.366097, -110.282138

Interactive Guide Map

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April 22, 2017 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Anthony Dye, Eric Burrows, Rob Whitaker,

Logistics

Total Time: 8 hours 40 minutes to do East Fork, Squeeze Fork and Main Fork.

Story

Approach Hike from Parking to East Fork: 40 minutes

East Fork to Bottom of Squeeze Fork: 1 hour 40 minutes

Up and Down Squeeze Fork: 30 minutes

Bottom of Squeeze Fork to Junction with Main Fork: 2 hours

Junction to Top of Main Fork: 2 hours 50 minutes

Return Hike from Top of Main Fork to Parking: 1 hour

This trip was Rob's idea. He'd been wanting to do this canyon for ages, and he finally found someone to go with him. We had a lot of fun. The water was freezing. The wash hike between canyons was longer than we wanted, but it is what it is. We went down East Fork, then when we got to the bottom of Squeeze Fork, Anthony and I climbed up Squeeze Fork and then returned back down. Then we all continued down East Fork to the confluence with Main Fork. From there, we hiked up Main Fork and then climbed out the top.

Pictures