Utah whitewater - Escalante River, Garfield / Wayne/ Kane County
Garfield / Wayne/ Kane
county,
Calf Creek to Coyote Gulch section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.
CLASS I-II 70 miles
Keep in mind the very remote nature of this river. This is not a casual trip for inexperienced boaters. Once you put-in at Highway 12 you will soon be a full-day hike from the nearest meaningful dirt road (Hole in the Rock Road). Thought the river is relatively easy, you are committed to getting yourself all the way to Coyote Gulch (Crack-in-the-Rock) or to Lake Powell. Probably the greatest danger is from strainers created by countless trees that have fallen (or been cut and dumped) into the channel. The river may be Class II+, but the group should
have Class IV backcountry experience. There is no easy out if you screw up! Contrary to conventional wisdom, our group of four, found that older, hardshell kayaks worked very well for this trip. When it came time to exit the river we simply hauled the boats up the cliff at Crack-in-the-Rock
with a rope. The climb out and Crack were done at night to avoid heat. River was 200+ cfs for our trip. Says Chris Peterson
Keep in mind the very remote nature of this river. This is not a casual trip for inexperienced boaters. Once you put-in at Highway 12 you will soon be a full-day hike from the nearest meaningful dirt road (Hole in the Rock Road). Thought the river is relatively easy, you are committed to getting yourself all the way to Coyote Gulch (Crack-in-the-Rock) or to Lake Powell. Probably the greatest danger is from strainers
created by countless trees that have fallen (or been cut and dumped) into the channel. The river may be Class II+, but the group should have Class IV backcountry experience. There is no easy out if you screw up! Contrary to conventional wisdom, our group of four, found that
older, hardshell kayaks worked very well for this trip. When it came time to exit the river we simply hauled the boats up the cliff at Crack-in-the-Rock with a rope. The climb out and Crack were done at night to avoid heat. River was 200+ cfs for our trip. Says Chris Peterson
The beautiful scenery of Garfield / Wayne/ Kane County and the playfulness of the water will make you feel great. This stretch of Escalante River in Garfield / Wayne/ Kane County is 70 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class I-II section. This is
the only paddling section along Escalante River. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds
nearby. A stretch of this length does require some preparations, so it looks like you will be camping out. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside Utah you might find the rivers here a bit more manageable, so if you're not from around here don't forget that many
runs in this state are very easy. Getting a good workout and spending some quality time in nature will have you coming back for more.
Briefly about the general area: Going for a hike along the Upper Trail will let you absorb the natural beauty of this region. Escalante
River is a location that is reasonably dried up regularly; August is the wettest month with most rain, and June meanwhile is the driest month. For the period of the summertime months here at Escalante River, high temperatures typically get into the 80's. Throughout the moonlight
hours it's typically in the 50's. For the duration of the wintertime highs are generally in the 30's, and throughout the dark hours in the winter at Escalante River temperatures descend to the 10's.
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All Utah Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Utah.Books about whitewater paddling on Escalante River, Utah List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Escalante River, Utah.Find a whitewater outfitter in UtahWhitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.Outdoors Recreation Near Flagstaff, Arizona Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Flagstaff, Arizona, the metro area neareast to Escalante River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
These outdoors activities are available near Escalante River.