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Paria River > Bull Valley Gorge
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In the hilly, wooded country around the upper Paria River valley,
Bull Valley Gorge is a relatively well known canyon, yet well away from paved roads.
It can be quite testing to explore as there are several dryfalls to negotiate - the highest is 12 feet -
plus depending on recent weather, pools up to 4 feet deep and long patches of sticky, clayish mud may be encountered. The reward for the effort needed is over a mile of a deep, narrow Navajo sandstone canyon, quite similar to
Buckskin Gulch but with more variety of rock formations and colours. A unique extra feature is the wreck of a
1950s pick-up truck, wedged high above a section of narrows which now forms the base of the one road bridge across the canyon. |
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Location: The easiest approach is from the top end of the Cottonwood Canyon road, the paved route to Kodachrome Basin State Park - to get there, turn off along a track signposted to Johnson Canyon (the Skutumpah Road), across a stony creekbed and then drive about 9 miles on the mostly good quality road that does still have some steep sections, especially the ascent up a plateau near the start. The road fords several streamways, including Willis Creek (which has a year round flow) and Sheep Creek beneath a dam, both of which may be impassable after heavy rain. Bull Valley Gorge is not signposted but the bridge over the canyon is quite an obvious feature. The canyon can also be reached from the south, starting at the Johnson Canyon road that joins US89, and driving for 40 miles across the Skutumpah Terrace.
Permit: The gorge is within the
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument but no permit is needed for exploration.
Photographs: 7 views of Bull Valley Gorge.
Map: TopoZone topological map of Bull Valley Gorge.
Description: Bull Valley Gorge is very impressive when viewed from above, either side of the road bridge; it is about 40 meters deep, dark and narrow - in some places the edges are almost close enough to jump over. Mud, pools and boulders are clearly visible below, and the car wreck beneath the bridge can be seen by walking upstream a way and looking back. The surrounding land is hilly, but gently so; above the gorge is a low valley with a nearly flat floor, into which the sheer ravine cuts abruptly.
To explore the canyon, start by walking through a gate by the bridge and follow a faint path along the north side for about 15 minutes, until the gorge becomes shallow enough to jump down into. Turning back downstream, the channel deepens quickly, firstly by a 10 foot dryfall below a chokestone; a log may be in place to aid the descent. The gorge is narrow from the beginning and remains so until shortly past the road bridge. Rocks in the upper section are grey-white in color, solid, old and weathered with many narrow layers of different angles - similar to the nearby canyon of Round Valley Draw but slightly less pretty. When I visited, several days after rain, this early part had a many pools and patches of sticky mud. The deepest wading required was 3 feet (1 foot water and 2 feet of mud).
There are several other dryfalls to climb over, usually with water beneath. One of 6 feet also had a tree stump for assistance, and one of 12 feet is not easily passed without using a rope; one may be left in place. The bridge is reached soon after this, and seems a long way above, with the truck precariously wedged beneath a mass of rocks and tree trunks. Beyond this point, the canyon widens somewhat but still has sheer walls, and remains so for another mile. Smaller pools and boulders provide minor obstacles until the cliffs become less vertical and the canyon is lighter and more open. Large pine trees begin to grow on sand banks above the streamway as Bull Valley Gorge meanders away south, joining Sheep Creek and eventually the Paria River. A round trip to this point took just under 2.5 hours, a hike which judging on the amount of footprints seems to be followed by one or two people each day.
The pick-up truck was driven over the edge of the then narrow, wooden road bridge in 1954, an accident in which 3 men died. Their bodies were recovered but the truck was left in place, and the bridge that exists today was made by pushing large rocks and tree trunks over the wreck, forming a sturdy barrier about 5 meters thick. |
