SFC001
Location: 37.613151550293, -110.663513183594
Great car-camping spot atop ridge
SFC002
Location: 37.599437713623, -110.649299621582
Park where road crosses valley's low point; from car, hike E along a blackbrush-covered flat, staying on S side of a small dry wash for .8 mile until S rim of a slickrock canyon. Continue hiking .1 mile E to rim's end
SFC003
Location: 37.6004104614258, -110.640266418457
Descend off N side of canyon down a 20-foot slope with stairstep ledges and good holds. Novice climbers may want a rope for this Class 4 scramble. Zigzag down the smooth slickrock, heading SE for another .3 mile to the creek.
SFC004
Location: 37.6025390625, -110.637001037598
R @ canyon bottom to explore the resurrected 2-mile section of Smith Fork
SFC005
Location: 37.6001892089844, -110.635803222656
Entrance to a cathedral slot in a side canyon; inside are sublime narrows to explore on the return trip
SFC006
Location: 37.5992813110352, -110.637298583984
Body-sized pool against cliff (in season)
SFC007
Location: 37.593578338623, -110.63680267334
Small waterfall gently cascade off R side of canyon
SFC008
Location: 37.5936088562012, -110.635498046875
A side canyon comes in with running water and pools with Humpback Chub fish
SFC009
Location: 37.5908317565918, -110.635200500488
Spring flows from red chert canyon walls; chert was used by Anasazi for flint arrowheads
SFC010
Location: 37.5898895263672, -110.633903503418
Reach reservoir through stands of willows and sagebrush; return to WPT 4 for upcanyon hiking
SFC011
Location: 37.6042098999023, -110.639099121094
Upcanyon are sinuous narrows and a tunnel inlet that harbors a shady swimming hole
SFC012
Location: 37.6032218933106, -110.642196655273
Navajo sandstone narrows to a slot of wingspan width
SFC013
Location: 37.6064682006836, -110.642097473145
Scramble over a chalkstone
SFC014
Location: 37.6100616455078, -110.644599914551
Rock bench provides a lunch spot
SFC015
Location: 37.6164207458496, -110.64820098877
Routes to the rim of the slot appear for rim hike; stay in main canyon for slot canyon paradise
SFC016
Location: 37.61669921875, -110.64990234375
Giant chalkstone; steep side canyon enters on the L; serious canyoneers should continue upcanyon for numerous slot; this is the turnaround to return to car, unless you scramble to the rim to traverse back
Smith Fork Video Clip
Location: 37.616512298584, -110.650825500488
A montage of shots from the narrows of Smith Fork. ©Rich Rudow and Andrew Matranga
Smith Fork Narrows
Location: 37.602653503418, -110.641128540039
The muted tones of a shoulder-width slot. ©Rich Rudow
Desert varnish
Location: 37.6024742126465, -110.643577575684
Streaks of brown and red desert varnish on the canyon walls. ©Rich Rudow
TO TRAILHEAD: From Escalante, take UT 95 S to UT 276 S toward Bullfrog Marina. Turn L heading E at Milepost 32 onto an unsigned dirt road. In 1 mile, go L at fork, cross dry wash, and continue E on 4WD road for 1.9 miles to a T west of Danish Knoll. Turn R and go 1.3 miles, staying R at the fork, to a great car-camping spot atop the ridge. To canyon, take R fork just down road and continue SE another 1.5 miles to the bottom of a small valley. Park where road crosses valley's low point.
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