Angel Cove Canyon
Hanksville Area\Dirty Devil River, Utah
ACA Rating: 3A II
5 rappels to 70’
Hanksville Area\Dirty Devil River, Utah
ACA Rating: 3A II
5 rappels to 70’
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
A scenic 4 to 6 hour canyon with tall walls and a few rappels and down climbs. A shorter 2 to 4 hour option and a South Fork variation add several fun options to this canyon.
GEAR:
Standard canyoneering gear.
Rope, webbing, and quick links for 5 rappels to 70 feet.
DRIVE:
Drive south on Hwy 95 from Hanksville and turn east at mile post 10.1 onto the BLM signed road to Angel Trail. You will bypass several lesser dirt roads on your way. Stay on the main road unless instructed to turn. Drive approximately 2.4 miles and turn left (northeast) at a Y in the road [ATTURN, UTM NAD83\WGS84 534094mE 4232786mN]. Continue 6.1 miles and turn right (northeast) at ACTURN, UTM 539219mE 4240662mN. Drive 0.3 miles to the parking spot at ACPARK, UTM 539607mE 4241049mN. Driving time, from Hwy 95 to the parking spot, is approximately 20 to 30 minutes. These dirt roads are normally passable to 2WD passenger vehicles.
HIKE:
Hike northwest from the parking spot about a hundred yards to the start of the canyon at ACOVE, UTM 539527mE 4241098mN.
EXIT:
After completing the canyon, hike downstream (south) along the Dirty Devil River on an obvious cairned stock trail. Follow the trail up onto the bench above the river around ACX1, UTM 540880mE 4240898mN and continue approximately 0.2 miles (southwest) along the bench where it is possible to climb up the Navajo Sandstone at ACX2, UTM 540670mE 4240648mN as shown on the map. Switch–back your way up the steep sandstone, making your way towards a 20–foot round cave just under the rim in the Navajo Sandstone. To reach the rim, traverse up through the final loose talus just to the south of the cave. When you reach the rim above the Navajo Sandstone, hike west overland to your vehicle.
COMMENTS:
Shorter Option: It is possible to exit the canyon at the very end of the Navajo Sandstone slot and hike along the bench approximately 0.1 miles to the south where it intersects the exit route as shown as “short cut exit” on the map. This option has three rappels of up to 50 feet and takes about 3 hours.
South Fork, Angel Cove Canyon:
ACA Rating: 3A II, 5–7 rappels to 70’, 3–5 hours.
To approach the South Fork of Angel Cove Canyon, simply enter at the head as you pass by on the exit hike from the Main Fork, or hike southeast from the parking spot to the head of the canyon [SFACOVE, UTM 540028mE 4240912mN] as shown on the map. It is possible, as it is with the main fork, to escape onto the bench to the south after completing the South Fork and the lower section of the Main Fork, thereby shortening the outing to 3 to 4 hours. This variation has 4–5 rappels up to 40 feet.
A scenic 4 to 6 hour canyon with tall walls and a few rappels and down climbs. A shorter 2 to 4 hour option and a South Fork variation add several fun options to this canyon.
GEAR:
Standard canyoneering gear.
Rope, webbing, and quick links for 5 rappels to 70 feet.
DRIVE:
Drive south on Hwy 95 from Hanksville and turn east at mile post 10.1 onto the BLM signed road to Angel Trail. You will bypass several lesser dirt roads on your way. Stay on the main road unless instructed to turn. Drive approximately 2.4 miles and turn left (northeast) at a Y in the road [ATTURN, UTM NAD83\WGS84 534094mE 4232786mN]. Continue 6.1 miles and turn right (northeast) at ACTURN, UTM 539219mE 4240662mN. Drive 0.3 miles to the parking spot at ACPARK, UTM 539607mE 4241049mN. Driving time, from Hwy 95 to the parking spot, is approximately 20 to 30 minutes. These dirt roads are normally passable to 2WD passenger vehicles.
HIKE:
Hike northwest from the parking spot about a hundred yards to the start of the canyon at ACOVE, UTM 539527mE 4241098mN.
EXIT:
After completing the canyon, hike downstream (south) along the Dirty Devil River on an obvious cairned stock trail. Follow the trail up onto the bench above the river around ACX1, UTM 540880mE 4240898mN and continue approximately 0.2 miles (southwest) along the bench where it is possible to climb up the Navajo Sandstone at ACX2, UTM 540670mE 4240648mN as shown on the map. Switch–back your way up the steep sandstone, making your way towards a 20–foot round cave just under the rim in the Navajo Sandstone. To reach the rim, traverse up through the final loose talus just to the south of the cave. When you reach the rim above the Navajo Sandstone, hike west overland to your vehicle.
COMMENTS:
Quality Rating: 
A fun, high-walled little canyon with several downclimbs and rappels.
Shorter Option: It is possible to exit the canyon at the very end of the Navajo Sandstone slot and hike along the bench approximately 0.1 miles to the south where it intersects the exit route as shown as “short cut exit” on the map. This option has three rappels of up to 50 feet and takes about 3 hours.
South Fork, Angel Cove Canyon:
ACA Rating: 3A II, 5–7 rappels to 70’, 3–5 hours.
To approach the South Fork of Angel Cove Canyon, simply enter at the head as you pass by on the exit hike from the Main Fork, or hike southeast from the parking spot to the head of the canyon [SFACOVE, UTM 540028mE 4240912mN] as shown on the map. It is possible, as it is with the main fork, to escape onto the bench to the south after completing the South Fork and the lower section of the Main Fork, thereby shortening the outing to 3 to 4 hours. This variation has 4–5 rappels up to 40 feet.
