Overview

Hype:

Bull Valley Gorge is a popular slot canyon hike south of Bryce Canyon National Park. The route is famous partially because of a car accident that occurred in the 1950s. A pick-up truck was driven over the edge of the then narrow, wooden road bridge in 1954, an accident in which three men died. Their bodies were recovered but the truck was left in place, and the bridge that was built after that was made by pushing large rocks and tree trunks over the wreck. The rock bridge collapsed in 2018, and in 2020, a new bridge was constructed. As you hike under the bridge, the car is clearly, and somewhat eerily visible high above.

Canyon Rating: 1A

Time: 1-2 hours

Length: 1.8 miles round trip

Longest Rappel: N/A

Gear: None

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 37.471906, -112.110323.

Park on either side of the road.

Route

Approach

The trailhead begins at the north end of the bridge. From the trailhead, hike northwest along the north rim for 0.4 miles until you reach a spot where the canyon walls are short enough that you can easily climb down to the bottom of the canyon. The trail is well traveled and easy to follow.

Canyon

Once you drop down into Bull Valley Gorge, start hiking down canyon. You'll soon arrive at a short downclimb. When we were there, someone had stacked some logs up to help people climb up and down, and I expect that the logs are often there because of the popularity of the canyon. Continuing down canyon, there is a fun little tunnel you'll have to crawl through underneath a giant boulder. There are a couple more small downclimbs and then you'll arrive at the bridge. Near the cayon rim just up canyon from the bridge is an old car wedged between the canyon walls. Cross under the bridge and continue down canyon for a few monre minutes until the canyon opens up. This is a good spot to turn around.

Exit

Go down canyon as far as you want, then return the way you came.

Maps

Closest City or Region: Cannonville, Utah

Coordinates: 37.471906, -112.110323

Interactive Guide Map

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September 27, 2020 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Madilyn Dye, Cooper Dye, Anthony Dye, Arianne Dye, Miller Dye, Ondylyn Wagner, Killian Wagner, Shaylin Dye, Juniper Dye,

Logistics

Start: 10:40

Finish: 1:30

Story

After doing Dunham Slot, we headed over to Bull Valley Gorge for a quick romp before heading home. We had a great time at Bull Valley Gorge! It was easy enough that the kids were able to hike the whole thing basically on their own. My company had done the design on the new bridge over the canyon, so I stopped and took some drone video of the new bridge before we left.

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Pictures