Cottonwood Wash Route
Cottonwood Wash, Burro Wash and Sheets Gulch are all classic slot canyons accessible via unmarked backcountry routes.
Plan Around Cottonwood Wash Route
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Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Cottonwood Wash Route Details
Cottonwood Wash, Burro Wash and Sheets Gulch are all classic slot canyons accessible via unmarked backcountry routes. Although there may be a few rock cairns to point the way, hikers should nonetheless carry a topographic map, and use extreme caution in these narrow canyons during flash-flood season, typically July-September. These routes should only be attempted by experienced cross-country hikers. All three slot canyons are located within a few miles of each other and can be accessed via the Notom-Bullfrog Road. The 3.3-mile Cottonwood Wash route begins where the road crosses the wash and is marked with a sign and ends at an impassable pour-off. There's a parking area adjacent to the road here, as well as a designated auto route that extends a short distance up the wash for high-clearance vehicles only. The first few miles of each route cross BLM land, across sandy wash bottoms and surrounded by low hills, and each of the three slot canyons contain obstacles in the form of dry falls and "chock stones," large boulders wedged in narrow slots. All three canyons are also quite narrow in places, and will require most people to work their way through sideways or to wade through sometimes-present pools of water.
Difficulty
High
Distance
3.3 miles
Estimated time
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Cottonwood Wash Route
Compare nearby parks around Cottonwood Wash Route when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Cottonwood Wash Route
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Cottonwood Wash Route while the map context is still fresh.
1.1 mi away
Burro Wash Route
Burro Wash, Cottonwood Wash and Sheets Gulch are all classic slot canyons accessible via unmarked backcountry routes.
3.7 mi away
Sheets Gulch Route
Sheets Gulch, Burro Wash and Cottonwood Wash are all classic slot canyons accessible via unmarked backcountry routes.
5.0 mi away
Pioneer Register
About a half mile into the Capitol Gorge hike, visitors will come upon the Pioneer Register, a spot on the sandstone wall where early Mormon pioneers carved their names.
5.1 mi away
Pleasant Creek Route
Pleasant Creek runs year round and offers two backcountry hikes, one from upper Pleasant Creek to the west park boundary, and one from lower Pleasant Creek to the east park boundary.
5.1 mi away
South Draw Road
In the park's southern portion, the South Draw Road is a non-maintained, high-clearance 4WD road that runs from Pleasant Creek to the park boundary near Tantalus Flats.
