As we had to cancel our planned trip to Cane Wash, due to a service for our Jeep, we thought about to visit Eardley Canyon. Some time ago, we read Rolfs description of Ernie Canyon and decided to visit the neighbour canyon.
Without having any detailed information we started from Green River, UT on I-70 until we reached the exit to UT-24. We follow UT-24 towards Hanksville. At 12S 54798X 429013X (UTM/NAD27) we are turning right on a dirt road, which leads towards the Reef. The following picture shows the turnoff.
We are following this easy dirtroad:
On the way there was also some water….
…and sometimes a little bit rough:.
Here a picture of the vicinity, shortly before we reach the parking area for Eardley Canyon.
Did we reach Eardley Canyon ? The parking spot is after the next dome (12S 54475X 429288X).
Here a view of the Reef:
The hiking trail leads in a wash into the Reef:
In the wash some indian paintings could be found. This we got to know later after being back in Green River.
We are going further in the wash and soon the rock face came closer.
It also got rockier in the wash:
Here views from the canyon walls:
Some snow could also be found:
Soon we are reaching a point, where canyons come in from the left and the right side:
On the left side a bypass could be found, which leads closer to the slot region of Eardley Canyon.
We still were hiking straight:
It got somehow rough.
And here we made a break:
Further ahead the boulders are getting bigger and bigger, so that we decided to turn around and to walk back to the parking spot.
On the way back, here a view into the canyon, which comes from the left….
…before we are continuing our way in the wash back to our car.
The following pictures we have taken on our drive back to UT-24, so that one can get an impression about the trail:
Soon we are back at UT-24.
When we were back in Green River we got to know, that we haven´t been in Eardley Canyon. Our complete hike lead us along Straight Wash. Eardley Canyon starts later from Straight Wash. Overall it was a nice half day trip with a relaxing hike. But one should not go into Straight Wash(Eardley Canyon if it rains or after rainfall as it is a channel for all the water from the San Rafael Reef plateau region coming down and going thorugh Eardley Canyon/Straight Wash. This also explains the moving of the big boulders in the upper portion of Strraight Wash.
Here you are able to download a gpx file of our trip:
Tracklog: Eardley Canyon/Straight Wash, San Rafael Swell, UT (882 downloads )
The map gives an overview over the visited region:
