San Rafael Swell, Utah - Camping

Tim and Brett invited me to join them for a quick weekend trip to the San Rafael Swell to enjoy the beautiful autumn weather.  We welcomed the arrival of spring with a camping trip to the same area several months earlier, so it seemed fitting to say goodbye to the warm weather with a similar trip.  We left Salt Lake on Friday afternoon and headed south, arriving in the San Rafael Swell a few hours later, greeted by red and white sandstone cliffs and hints of golden yellow foliage.  Tim and Brett have a favorite camping spot in Buckhorn Draw, and we found the site unoccupied when we arrived.  We quickly set up camp and enjoyed  the rest of the evening watching the shadows and light of sunset move across the canyon walls.

Tim and Brett setting up camp in Buckhorn Draw

My tent in Buckhorn Draw

Camping in Buckhorn Draw

Sunset in Buckhorn Draw

It was a clear, cold night, and our camping area was shaded well into the morning by the surrounding cliffs.  I decided to explore the surrounding area with my morning coffee and chase the sunshine to warm up.  With no wind and no people, the silence was remarkable.  The sagebrush, with its carpet of yellow flowers, filled the canyon bottom and signaled the arrival of autumn.

Buckhorn Draw

The sandstone cliffs of Buckhorn Draw

Flowering sagebrush

After a morning drive on several of the endless dirt roads in the area, we returned to camp with a pile of abandoned firewood that we planned to use that night.  I wandered into a small side canyon above our campsite and found the perfect rock for a nap in the warm sunshine. For me, there is a level of relaxation that only comes from being in the desert.

Side canyon above camp

Side canyon above camp

As the air cooled in the late afternoon, we started our fire and ate dinner while watching the sun set.  Later that night, a nearly full moon rose over the surrounding cliffs, illuminating the canyon in pale, white light.

Evening fire

Tim and Brett prepare their dinner

Vegan dinner prep and beer for me

Tim and Brett

Sunset at our campsite

As we made our way home on Sunday, we made a detour through Joe's Valley, a secluded mountain valley with a picturesque reservoir.  After some harrowing moments in deep mud on the Skyline Drive, we made it down to Ephraim and finally back home to Salt Lake City.  A big thanks to Tim and Brett for inviting me along on a great camping trip to the desert!

Joe's Valley Reservoir

Joe's Valley Reservoir

Tim at Joe's Valley Reservoir

Cedar Mountain Recreation Area, Utah - Camping

With springtime arriving in the Utah desert and excellent weather expected for the upcoming weekend, Tim and Brett invited me to join them for a quick camping trip to the San Rafael Swell.  We left Salt Lake City on Friday afternoon and made our way south, passing through Price and Wellington before exiting the highway near Woodside.  We headed west on the Green River Cutoff Road with no specific destination in mind.  An interesting rock formation caught Tim's eye, and after some debate, we decided to check it out.  Just above a rocky wash, with excellent views of Chimney Rock, we set up camp.  The view to our southeast was open desert, all the way to Green River.  We were surrounded by silence, far from pavement and other people.

Camping near Chimney Rock

Before sunset, we explored the wash that cut through the rocks just below our campsite.  A few places had characteristics of a slot canyon, with smooth, water carved waves of sandstone.

Exploring the wash below Chimney Rock

Water carved stone

Looking east from camp at sunset

Brett and Tim at camp

The wind really picked up during the night, but the morning was calm and sunny when I awoke.  The sun felt strong, and signs of spring were everywhere.  I love knowing that winter is over.  After breakfast in the sunshine, we decided to hike up the wash and explore the area above Chimney Rock.  Wildflowers were abundant and made for a striking contrast to the rugged landscape.

Dwarf Evening Primrose

Paintbrush

Hiking around Chimney Rock

Hiking around Chimney Rock

Tim above Chimney Rock

Enjoying the warm desert sunshine

Whipple's  Fishhook

Claretcup

After a few hours of hiking around Chimney Rock, we headed back to camp to relax.  The stillness of the desert, the complete lack of sound, is one of my favorite aspects of camping.  The warm sunshine after a long, cold winter, adds another level of perfection to the experience.

Camping with a view

We packed up camp on Sunday morning and headed back to Salt Lake.  Along the way, we stopped to view some roadside petroglyphs.  Farther north, we took the scenic route through Huntington Canyon where winter was still lingering.

Molen Reef Snake

Petroglyphs at Molen Reef

Molen Reef Snake

Little Grand Canyon and the San Rafael Swell, Utah - Hiking

The San Rafael Swell, located in south-central Utah, is a region of geological uplift that offers some of the best desert solitude anywhere in the state.  The area is managed by the BLM and contains several wilderness study areas, but it does not enjoy the same protection that national parks or monuments do.  This means that  people are free to hike, camp, and ATV without strict regulations or permits, but the area is also a constant battleground of ideas and opinions about how to enjoy and manage it.

Sunset in the San Rafael Swell

A three hour drive from Salt Lake on Friday afternoon brought us to the Wedge Overlook at the "Little Grand Canyon" in the San Rafael Swell.  It is a destination that I have been wanting to explore for a while and this past weekend was the perfect opportunity to check it out.  Camping is available at numbered sites near the Wedge Overlook and we had just enough daylight to enjoy the views of the canyon before setting up camp and settling in for the night.

The Little Grand Canyon in the San Rafael Swell

We woke up before the sun on Saturday morning and headed back to the canyon rim to watch the sun rise.  We had the place to ourselves and the quiet stillness of the desert air surrounded us as we enjoyed the spectacular views.  We wondered why we hadn't been to the Little Grand Canyon before!

Sunrise at the Little Grand Canyon

The Little Grand Canyon at sunrise

Roger enjoying the views

Grant at the Little Grand Canyon

After sunrise, we headed south to check out the Buckhorn Wash pictograph panel, an easily accessible and spectacular panel of Barrier Canyon style art located alongside the road.  After enjoying the pictographs, we left the car at a small parking area and did a short hike through a portion of Pine Canyon.

Buckhorn Wash pictograph panel

Buckhorn Wash pictograph panel

Pine Canyon

Pine Canyon

The temperatures were very warm for late September so we decided to head down to the San Rafael River to check out the old swinging bridge and walk along the river for a bit.  The river banks were extremely muddy from recent floods and the hiking wasn't as lovely as we were hoping, so hopped in the car and headed a little farther south to enjoy the scenery and explore a shallow side canyon leading down the the river.

 Swinging bridge

Hiking in the San Rafael River

Side canyon meets up with the San Rafael River

San Rafael River

The wind picked up in the middle of the night and storm clouds surrounded us on Sunday morning.  We made breakfast and quickly took down camp before the rain began.  We drove to Wellington, UT and up Nine Mile Canyon (which is actually over 40 miles long) since the weather wasn't looking very promising for hiking in the San Rafael Swell.  Nine Mile Canyon was a beautiful drive and some of the rock walls in the canyon are covered with petroglyph panels, a few of which we were able to view with brief hikes from the road.

 Rainbow as we left the San Rafael Swell

Nine Mile Canyon petroglyphs

 Nine Mile Canyon

Nine Mile Canyon

Should the San Rafael Swell be a national monument or a strip mine?  Should it be covered in oil wells, cattle, or backpackers?  It depends on who you ask, of course, but the reality is that the area is not particularly rich in oil or minerals, it's not as awe inspiring as Zion or Arches National Parks, and it's too fragile to support unlimited ATV and off-road use.  Maybe it should just remain the San Rafael Swell, a beautifully ugly and delicate place, where you can wander and enjoy without taking anything from it.