This hike goes through the narrow, high walled heart of Cottonwood Canyon after passing through a very colorful Wingate canyon. There are some great views and a couple scramble challenges.
| TIME: | 8 - 10 Hours if you drive South Draw. |
| ELEVATION GAIN: | 1600 feet round trip. |
| DIFFICULTY: | Easy route finding. Difficult scrambling. |
| MAP: | Golden Throne, Notom |
| GEOLOGY: | Interesting erosional patterns in different rock layers. |
| PLANTS: | A nice variety. |
| CIRCLE TRIP | No. |
| ACCESS: | From the Visitor Center drive south on the Scenic Drive to Pleasant Creek. Drive, or walk, across the creek and continue south for 2.5 miles keeping an eye on the cliff wall to the east (left). Park (A) so that the first low saddle in the cliff wall is due east, and walk up to that saddle. |
In the first open area after leaving the road the main shrub is Big Sage and the other tall shrub with small slim leaves is Fourwing Saltbush.
To get to the saddle go up either side of the wash but the left (north) side is probably easiest. (B) Once at the saddle the main bush is Birchleaf Mountain Mahogany and the silver green leafed plant is Silverleaf Buffaloberry. Looking east from the saddle there is a colorful view. First is the red brown Wingate Sandstone, then the tan Navajo Sandstone, and farthest away the Henry Mountains.
The water from the east side of the saddle drains into Cottonwood wash so generally, just go downstream. There is a game trail that wanders through the bushes and rocks along the right (south) slope. The canyon will narrow significantly through the upper part of the Wingate then open up where some side drainages come in. There is a tall dead tree in the beginning of the open area and back up the wash 100 feet or so there is a live tall tree that is a Douglas Fir. A large Ponderosa Pine is 150 feet downstream from the dead tree. Under that first ponderosa, next to the wash, there is a Rubber Rabbitbrush plant.
After thirty minutes from the saddle the country again opens up and there is some tan rock ahead in a low cliff and beyond. (C) Turn right (south) and go down the wash, paying attention to the junction for the return trip. Five more minutes down there is a large pour-over that can most easily be passed to the left (east). Below that pour-over there is a significant wash junction and the joined washes go east. The detour around the pour-over goes south and east a bit so when back in the main wash the junction is out of sight upstream. Here, be sure to note where to leave the wash on the return. Make a drag mark in the sand with your toe. (D)
Go east, downstream, and not much farther down the wash the red rocks stop and the tan rocks begin. The red rock just before the Navajo is the Kayenta Formation, often difficult to distinguish from the Wingate. Once in the Navajo there is more moisture in the wash and there are some Tamarisk with their long branches and soft wispy foliage. There are also a number of Cottonwood trees.
Not far beyond those trees there is a thirty foot pour-over that stops progress that direction (unless rappelling is part of the plan). At the pour-over turn around and about thirty feet up the wash from the bedrock there is a leafless green stemmed Mormon Tea growing at the base of a dead tree. Touching the Mormon Tea on the upstream side there is a Squawbush.
A long side trip is necessary to get into the lower part of Cottonwood Canyon. Go back up stream and around the first sharp bend to the left (west). There is an opening on the right (north) side that is easily walkable. (E) Walk up on the slickrock and go up but almost parallel to the main wash.
The first canyon on the right (north) is a dead end so traverse northwest past it (H) and over to a sizable wash coming from the north.
Once in that wash, with a view north to a broad, broken saddle between high points, (I) walk north up or beside the wash. At the broken cliff below the saddle climb where ever is comfortable. A good slickrock route is to follow the water course on the right (east) side, going up to the east, then turn left (north) to the saddle. (F)
From the low point of the saddle, walk west to a point two thirds of the way to the west wall.
Next, turn right and walk north to the rim of the next east - west trending valley. Wind down the broken cliff into that valley then head right (east) down across the meadows (J) and down a steep bouldery slope to a boulder filled wash. Go on down the wash and it will become more friendly, eventually getting to the main Cottonwood Wash (G) just before entering a narrow run between towering sandstone walls.
The trees at that junction are Box Elder.
Turn left and go downstream. Not too far down between those walls there is a fifteen foot pour-over to be conquered. A water hole at the bottom adds to the fun.
Below, the canyon widens and narrows, twisting through the Navajo Sandstone with numerous intriguing side canyons along the way. An oval shaped arch, Gilliland Arch, is on the left in some contorted rock. Below the arch there is a high pour-over with a Cottonwood tree at the base. Close below that is another pour-over. The route does not go down to the base of either of those.
From the top of the first pour-over, look at the right wall of the canyon. A bit above eye level there is some darker brown thin layered sandstone on the top of a ridge. Just beyond that ridge there is a rubble pile of the same rock. The route goes off the right side of the pour-over, down some along a bench, then up a steeper slickrock slope and along below the rubble pile of darker rock.
From that point (about level with the top of the pour-over) there is a steep route down a cut to the main wash. Once back in the main wash it is not that far to the top of a fifty foot pour-over (P) that ends the trip.
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23June2017
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