The Destination: The Narrows of Cottonwood Canyon on the Cottonwood Canyon Road in The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Finding the Trailhead: From Cannonville head south on Road 400 also known as the Cottonwood Canyon Road. The road is paved for the first few miles but turns to dirt just after the turnoff to go to Kodachrome Basin State Park. The lower, signed trailhead of the Cottonwood Narrows is located approximately 22 miles from Cannonville and 25 from Highway 89 on the south end of the Cottonwood Road. This is not a road to bring a low-clearance 2-wheel drive vehicle. Something like a Subaru Outback might be able to handle the nothern portion of the road but if you intend to exit on the south end near Highway 89 I doubt you could get through. The road gets pretty rocky and is hardly maintained on that end. On the north end it isn't as bad but contains some very steep and rocky sections, particularly before you get to the turnoff to Grosvenor Arch.

The Cottonwood Narrows have two points that you can hike from. The first you'll come to from the north is the top end of the narrows. This would be the unofficial trailhead as there is no signage or registration box. The second point is about 1.5 miles further south on the Cottonwood Road where you will find a fair amount of parking and a sign-in box.

Route Description: Cottonwood Narrow is a short and easy hike well worth the time you will spend. The lower section of the canyon is wider but with more colors and even a small side canyon to explore. As you walk up the canyon the walls close together and the grassy banks will dissapear yielding a classic desert slot canyon.

Other Information:

• Trailhead Elevations: Upper Trailhead: 5,661', Lower Trailhead: 5,500'
• Mileage: 1.5 miles one way, a total of 3 miles if you hike out and back.
• Difficulty: Easy. The lower entrance has a bit of a rock pile to hike over and the upper entrance has a 5-6' drop off that you have to be careful when coming off of but it shouldn't be a challenge to most. Beyond those two points, it's smooth sailing.
• Water Availability: Zero. Zip. Zilch. Bring your own and considering how far you'll drive down the Cottonwood road, bring extra!
• Hazards: The biggest risk in any desert canyon is flash flood. Never enter a desert canyon when precipitation is in the forecast, particularly during the July-August monsoon season.
• Prime Season: March thru mid-June and September thru early November. The hike is short enough and shaded enough that it wouldn't be too bad during the summer but make sure you bring plenty of water, it's dry as a bone back there.
• Recommended maps and guides: Ron Adkison's Grand Staircase Guide Book, Trails Illustrated Map(It helps me keep this site up and running if you purchase through these links!)