Overview

Hype:

Little Canyon is a short slot canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It is located just to the south of Brimstone Gulch. The entrance requires two people or specialized canyoneering gear. The rest of the hike is very easy and very tight.

Canyon Rating: 2AII

Time: 1 hour

Length: 4.4 miles round trip from the parking lot or 0.6 miles round trip from the mouth of Brimstone Canyon.

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

Permits: Free permits are required for overnight trips. Permits are available at several trailheads and at the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center

Getting There

Navigate to 37.476802, -111.220171.

Maps

Closest City or Region: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

Coordinates: 37.474449, -111.195076

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June 18, 2011 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Zac Dye,

Story

After I freaked out from claustrophobia in Brimstone Gulch, Zac and I decided to explore a parallel canyon called Little Canyon. So off, Zac and I went, with only Anthony’s directions on how to get there. I love Anthony to death, but he’s terrible at giving directions. Last year his directions to our camping spot near Crawdad Canyon led me 40 miles past where everyone else was camping. Luckily this time, we were able to find Little Canyon without a problem. We just went back the way we came, turned left at the confluence, and 3 minutes later, we were at the mouth of Little Canyon.

From what we could discern, Little Canyon is rarely visited. There was no trail to the canyon that we could find, there was a huge Sacred Datura plant at the entrance, and we had to bush-whack through part of the canyon.

We’re guessing that the canyon lacks popularity, not because it isn’t amazing, but because the entrance to the canyon is marked by a steep, 9-foot drop that is almost impossible to climb by yourself.

Zac and I had to do some brainstorming before we found a way up the small cliff. I boosted Zac up onto my shoulders so he was high enough to get up. Then he secured a piece of webbing to his ankle, and I climbed the rope.

The first hundred yards is pretty cool, with some wavy rocks, then it open up and has lots of underbrush to navigate through.

After another hundred yards, it gets tight again.

We went in for a while but then turned back when the going got a little rough.

When the walls got closer than 8 inches apart, I’d had enough. Besides all that, we were in a hurry to get back and hopefully join up with Tara and Arianne. So we turned around.

One hour and 10 minutes later, we arrived at the mouth of Dry Fork Narrows of Coyote Gulch and, by a stroke of very good luck, we ran into the girls right as they were coming out.

Pictures