Wiregrass Canyon • Hike • Utah • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Southwest, UT

Hiking		Mar 24 2024
		emilystardust • Triplogs 792

Hiking	3.11 Miles	428 AEG

Hiking	3.11 Miles	1 Hour 24 Mns	2.25 mph
	428 ft AEG	1 Min Break

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

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Nov 08 2021

jillyonanadventure

Routes 175
Photos 2,335
Triplogs 191

44 female

Joined Jan 21 2019
Pine, AZ

Southwest, UT

Hiking		Nov 08 2021
		jillyonanadventure • Triplogs 191

Hiking	1.27 Miles	240 AEG

Hiking	1.27 Miles	44 Mns	2.01 mph
	240 ft AEG	6 Mns Break

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My ankle is still healing so was trying to find an easy but scenic hike to do on my way out of my solo trip to Alstrom Point. Note: I didn’t remember to start recording until somewhere around my turnaround point, so mileage is off; my Garmin says 3.2 miles.

You start off in a wash and you can see there’s definitely some potential pretty quickly. There’s a viewpoint down into a wide slot that’s pretty incredible, so don’t skip that side trip! About a mile in, I ran into a couple who told me that there was a couple of arches another 1/2 mile down the canyon. I continued and there was some light scrambling/downclimbing to get down into the slot area. My ankle didn’t get mad at me so I was psyched!

The first arch is at a point where two canyons intersect. It’s a small one but it’s pretty cool to walk through! There was some interesting geology in that side canyon as well. Continue down the original canyon and you’ll see another arch/alcove that’s a really pretty photo opp. I didn’t want to hike too far in so I turned around a bit past that second arch.

I took a side trip down the other side canyon that I saw from that first overlook and this was a real gem! The geology was insane and I was just completely wowed. I attempted to enter the slot but it was very muddy and not ankle sprain friendly so that was a bummer! I turned around and then scrambled back out and uphill back to the wash area. It was only 60 degrees when I started but it was quite warm in there on the exit through the wash. Back up at my truck the breeze was wonderful, so I think the canyon was just trapping in heat.

This was a perfect hike for me with my limitations and I loved every second of it! Definitely going to make a return trip so I can continue on in there! (Also, this TH is before the road gets rough so it’s fine for any vehicle! Edit: there was a wash to cross with a tiny bit of water I forgot about. I still think it’s fine for any vehicle unless there has been heavy rain.)

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Restless between adventures...

3 archives

Mar 31 2018

andreaKong

Triplogs 1

46 female

Joined Mar 31 2018
Glenwood Springs

Southwest, UT

Hiking		Mar 31 2018
		andreaKong • Triplogs 1

Hiking	9.00 Miles

Hiking	9.00 Miles	5 Hrs	1.80 mph

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To give a family perspective with young children (6-14). As some have noted the hike is longer than indicated. It is more like 4.5 miles to get to the water. The best part of the hike was the first mile or so. We had to scurry down some really neat white sandstone with cool formations about a half mile in. Truly, the kids could have played there for a couple hours. After that, in another half mile or so, you come to a small arch. Then, for the next two miles the canyon slowly widens as it winds around. You see some neat formations and have a few valleys you can scramble up but nothing in particular to note. In other words, it was fine but if I did the hike again I would probably just do that first mile and have a picnic. After that, you come to an old ox-bow that has now cut through another arch you climb through. After that, the valley gets wider, the sand deposits get deeper and you start to see more and thicker willows so you know you are getting to occasional high water. We eventually got blocked by water/swamp and couldn't go further without a significant effort up over the top. With our younger ones we were not inclined. So we hiked back out. In all, 9 miles of mostly gradual slopes along the wash bottom. Other than a small portion at the beginning, there is nothing that would be considered a "slot", just a narrow wash.

To drive to it you do come to a wash that you have to drive through. If the water is just a few inches, it is solid enough a passenger vehicle goes through fine. In late March we did have some water but it was no big deal in our mini-van. Even if there is some trouble you are really close to the main road and can even see the self-storage units up on the hill so no worries.

Feb 16 2014

camiles

Triplogs 108

51 male

Joined Feb 19 2012
Tucson, AZ

Southwest, UT

Hiking		Feb 16 2014
		camiles • Triplogs 108

Hiking	10.00 Miles	1,900 AEG

Hiking	10.00 Miles	5 Hrs	2.00 mph
	1,900 ft AEG

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We read about this hike while looking for hikes to do near page - at the visitor center in Big Water they had a sheet with directions and told us what to look for which was much appreciated (the road was in good shape when we went although there was a wet/flowing stream crossing very near the beginning which was probably possible but would have been uncomfortable/ill-advised in a passenger car - huge ruts on the side of the road certainly show what a muddy mess this road could be when wet). What we did not realize is that with the current lake levels even 5ish miles down the canyon there is no hint of the lake! The park service still indicates 3 on at least one website - we read the report from Vaporman from 2007 on 8 miles round-trip to the lake - but when we climbed out to the rim after about 5 miles (in an area marked with quite a bit of 'lake' on the USGS map) we could not even see water! Always possible that it was closer and we just didn't see it - but it looked like it would be quite a bit more hiking to really get to the lake...

This was still a great hike - beautiful canyon with interesting walls and arches. We did this later in the day and the last few miles back were under the nearly full moon - the canyon was quite a bit more fun and dramatic in the moonlight! Great hike although have to admit that it would have been just a touch more fun to either get to the lake or have known not to expect it...

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmiles/sets/72157640909213723/

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May 07 2011

BubbaSue

Photos 63
Triplogs 10

60 female

Joined Mar 17 2011
Page, AZ

Southwest, UT

Hiking		May 07 2011
		BubbaSue • Triplogs 10

Hiking	5.00 Miles

Hiking	5.00 Miles

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Did the Wiregrass Canyon hike. There was no marker at the trailhead, and I have a feeling I started at the wrong place. Where I started, there was a pouroff right at the start and I never found a way down into the canyon, so mine was a rim hike. I wandered over and hiked along another canyon to the east for a while. The views were great and it was an easy hike. Close to the canyon edge the ground was sandy and covered in thin rocks that break underfoot so you can't get too close to the edge. The colors were very muted, so pictures don't show how beautiful it is.

The HAZ directions didn't make sense to me so I stopped at the Grandstaircase/Escalante visitor center in Big Water where I got a map. The turn off of 89 is directly across from the visitor center, so coming from Page, you take a right onto Ethan Allen. after about 1/4 mile you come to a stop sign with a tan warehouse building facing you with the number 300 on it. You turn right onto Smoky Mtn Rd. The ranger told me to go down the road to where the stream crosses, then go 4 1/2 miles from there to where you see a flattened area where you can park. I drove around and never found a parking area, so I chose the wash closest to where he said and started there.

Wildflowers Observation Light

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"Live in the Sunshine
Swim the Sea
Drink the Wild Air." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Oct 01 2007

ToadOfTheRocks

Guides 2
Routes 1
Photos 56
Triplogs 5

50 male

Joined Dec 02 2006
Page, AZ

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Oct 01 2007
		ToadOfTheRocks • Triplogs 5

Hiking	3.00 Miles

Hiking	3.00 Miles

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Beautiful canyon, unfortunatly with kids we weren't able to enter narrows which start about 3/4 of a mile down beginning with a 20 foot or so pouroff followed by a 30 foot or so pouroff. Cairns mark a way around, but the descent back into the narrows seemed too dangerous for the kids and our scared hound due to loose rock and steep slope. Lots of strange rock formations and honeycomb weathering in the rocks. Saw a foot long Desert Collared Lizard on the way around the pouroffs, he even stopped for a pose.
!!!Beware!!!! The warnings about driving in this area are real. If it has rained or will rain, DO NOT drive down Smoky Hollow Road. It is comprised of bentonite clay and becomes Impossibly Impassible no matter what kind of vehicle or tires you have. When you become stuck (if it is wet you will) it could be days before it is dry enough to be safe to drive!

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Eastern Collared Lizard

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May 05 2007

Vaporman

Guides 3
Routes 4
Photos 8,687
Triplogs 931

46 male

Joined Mar 28 2005
Gilbert, AZ

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		May 05 2007
		Vaporman • Triplogs 931

Hiking	8.00 Miles

Hiking	8.00 Miles	4 Hrs 20 Mns	1.85 mph

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Due to the lake being so low, its now at least 8 miles RT. The landscape here is very unique and other-worldly. This canyon is extremely different from the other canyons we explored in the vicinity; and this is what made this canyon so enjoyable. We saw the two natural bridge, many balncaing rocks, side canyons, flowing vegetaion, and eventually the lake with loads of sage brush impeding our progress. So we decided to just climb a ridge and eat lunch while overlooking the lake about a quarter mile away.

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Yea, canyoneering is an extreme sport... EXTREMELY dramatic!!! =p

Mar 04 2007

Randal_Schulhauser

Guides 71
Routes 98
Photos 9,967
Triplogs 1,009

65 male

Joined May 14 2003
Ahwatukee, AZ

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Mar 04 2007
		Randal_Schulhauser • Triplogs 1,009

Hiking	1.00 Miles

Hiking	1.00 Miles	30 Mns	2.00 mph

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Wiregrass Canyon

This was more an exploratory "look-see" in anticipation of a future adventure. First note; the trail head isn't as marked by HAZ near Hwy 89. At Big Water, take Smoky Mountain Road (Rec. Road 230) east along the north shore of Lake Powell. About 5 miles from Hwy 89, you will cross Wiregrass Canyon. Second note; TH GPS coordinates are 37o 04.830'N, 111o 34.969'W.

We had plenty on our plate this Sunday hiking Coyote Buttes (The Wave), Antelope Canyon, and Horseshoe Bend View. Spent an "interesting" Saturday night in Page checking out the night life (not)...

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Pronghorn

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Moon

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Mar 05 2006

_doc_

Triplogs 2

58 male

Joined Jan 30 2005
Grand Canyon, AZ

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Mar 05 2006
		_doc_ • Triplogs 2

Hiking	8.00 Miles

Hiking	8.00 Miles	3 Hrs	2.67 mph

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Pretty cool canyon. When I went, I was the only person there all day. Judging by the tracks, I was the first person in days or weeks. It's a meandering hike with a couple of bridges. There are some cool narrows (used in Planet of the Apes). There are two little scramble spots as you're going down. They're pretty easy. Shortly after that, there is a little side trail that will take you to the top of the ridge; you can look down and see where both canyons touch (and make the first natural bridge). The trail up is OK- but if you want to skip it, just continue on downstream. After many turns, the second bridge is one that you have to go through to continue on. Towards the end of it, there were thousands of sagebrushes and tamerisks. The sagebrushes actually blocked the way through the bottom of the canyon at one point (I had to pull and toss about 20 sagebrush bundles to get through). With the lake down so low these days, it's a weird tamerisk and sagebrush maze. The hike was definitely worth it.

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Aug 06 2003

pierad

Guides 1
Photos 4
Triplogs 10

61 female

Joined Apr 14 2002
Ridgefield,N.J.