EXPLORUMENTARY
  • Home
    • Cactus to Clouds Hike
    • More Quotes
    • Ann Zwinger Quotes
    • Mary Oliver Poems
  • Hikes by State
    • Idaho
    • Southern Utah
    • Arizona
    • California Desert
    • Nevada
    • Wyoming
  • BLOGS
    • Adventure Blog
    • Women and the Land
  • GALLERY
    • DESERT PLANTS >
      • Beavertail cactus
      • Brittlebush
      • Christmas Cactus
      • Arizona Barrel Cactus
      • Parry's penstemon
      • Agave
      • Arizona Rainbow Hedgehog
      • Claret Cup Hedgehog
      • Desert Agave
      • Palmer's Penstemon
      • Silver Cholla
      • Cristate Saguaro
      • Indian Paintbrush
      • Ocotillo
      • Santa Rita Prickly Pear
      • Spiny Cliffbrake
      • California Barrel Cactus
      • Engelmann Prickly Pear
      • Velvet Mesquite
      • Joshua Tree
      • Buckhorn Cholla
      • Hedgehog Cactus
      • Fishhook cactus
      • Thompson's Woolly Locoweed
    • NATURE
    • BOISE
    • EARTH + SKY
    • URBAN
    • WATER
    • PATRIOT
    • ORCHIDS
  • Fit After 50
    • Brian Holgate
    • Fred Birnbaum
    • Dave Brasuell
    • Bus' Little Black Book
    • Mike Carlson
    • Ray Wilson
    • Bryan Krouse
    • Vickie Kearney
    • Maria Keezer
    • DOUG TRAUBEL
    • Boise Cross Fit Masters Ladies
    • Tim Clemens
    • Marcia Bondy
    • Becky Borczon Blake >
      • Becky B Downtown
    • Jennifer Cera and Sue Birnbaum
    • Dave Brasuell
    • Vance Powell
  • About
    • CONTACT

Canaan Mountain via Squirrel Canyon - Southern Utah

11/30/2018

2 Comments

 
Canaan Mountain, a towering plateau of Navajo Sandstone is a classic southern Utah adventure through red sand, forested canyons and over ancient sand dune slickrock.  Located south of Zion National Park, it is wild and beautiful.
Related:
Mt. Kinesava - Zion National Park
Double Arch Alcove Hike - Zion National Park
Angels Landing In Zion - Not for the Faint of Heart
​White Domes via Water Canyon - Canaan Mountain Wilderness
​Southern Utah Hikes
Picture
Ponderosa Pine and petrified sand dune on plateau below Canaan Mountain
Trip Stats
Overview:
  Experience a variety of colors and terrain on a hike that treks up a steep canyon to Navajo Sandstone pinnacles, domes, and hoo-doos.  Walk through a broad canyon bottom with a stream and towering cottonwood trees, then up a beautifully forested canyon with waterfalls and hanging gardens.  The trail then tops off onto a plateau with spectacular sandstone features and deep canyons; further climbing on open slickrock gets you to the summit of Canaan Mountain.  Located several miles south of Zion National Park, Canaan Mountain Wilderness is on BLM land.  Spectacular and wild without the crowds.
Elevation gain:  Canaan​ Mountain is a towering plateau measuring 8 miles by 10 miles; the highest point = 7,363 feet.  We hiked to 6,863 feet.  Trailhead elevation = 5,120 feet.   Our elevation gain = 1,740 feet.  Elevation gain to highest point on summit from Squirrel Creek Trailhead = 2, 242 feet.
Distance:  variable depending on which part of summit you access.  Our round -trip distance = 12.5 miles.  To go to Sawmill Spring at higher elevation, add ~ 3 miles one way.
Location:  highest point on summit:  37.0739° N / 113.0375°W
Difficulty:  Moderate; Squirrel Canyon steep toward top, requiring some light hand-support, route finding on Sawmill Trail is necessary as there are few cairn markers.
Maps:   USGS 7.5 min topo - Hildale, Utah-Arizona, Trail Map and Guide for St. George, Hurricane, and Zion NP, Utah by www.AdventureMaps.net, Topozone map.
Links:  BLM Canaan Mountain Wilderness​, Cedar and Sand blogspot.
Caution:  Trail mostly in wilderness; there are no signs; be prepared with topo map and hike directions.  Cairns mark route up Squirrel Canyon and then at intersection with Sawmill Trail.  
"It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space."
         -  Edward Abbey
Driving Directions (from Hurricane, Utah)
Traveling east/southeast on Utah Highway 59, turn left (east) onto Utah Avenue (right before Subway restaurant in 2018) in Hildale.  Continue on pavement for ~ 2 miles, then Utah Avenue curves left (north) and becomes Canyon Street.  At 2.5 miles from highway 59, turn right onto Water Canyon Road (road becomes dirt).  Travel  ~ 1 mile to a sign on the right of the road that reads "Squirrel Canyon Trailhead".  Trailhead parking is just ahead.
  • Water Canyon Trail is another approach from the south side of Canaan Mountain, trailhead on Water Canyon Road.
Hike Directions
  • From the kiosk at the trailhead, walk east on a broad red sand trail that descends into a wash briefly before climbing again to the east .  The trail can be viewed next to fence line (see photo below) as it skirts around the red bluff to the left of it and bears north and then down into Short Creek, ~ 0.5 miles from trailhead.
  • The trail follows an ATV road on the bank of the creek on its east side. 
  • In one mile from entering Short Creek,  Squirrel Canyon enters from the left.  Head up the canyon ~ 1.3 miles to the top of the plateau to intersection with Sawmill Trail, marked by a cairn in November 2018.  Make note of this as your descent down Squirrel Canyon. 
  • Turn left (west) at intersection; Sawmill Trail is an old logging road through sand and at intervals it crosses sandstone with occasional rock cairns to mark it.  We walked 1.5 miles on this road and then ascended to the lower part of the block of Canaan Mountain.  The deep gorge of Water Canyon is dramatic from this viewpoint.  Return same route.  Sawmill Road continues west toward the highest point of Canaan Mountain, which is ~ 4.5 miles when I measure it on the map.  Check other sources to determine exact mileage.
Picture
Picture
Our route up Squirrel Canyon to lower elevation of Canaan Mountain 
We ascended to 6,900 feet; the summit is 7,363 feet
(note:  profile illustrates trail starting at our highest point and descending back to trailhead)
Picture
Our route up Short Canyon to Squirrel Canyon to summit of Canaan Mountain at 6,900 feet.  The highest elevation of the summit is to the left (west) at 7,363 feet
Picture
Beginning of trail at Squirrel Canyon Trailhead in foreground, red arrow points to trail that bears right around red bluff on left to go down into Short Creek in ~ 0.5 miles
Our Hike
We became "temporarily bewildered" when we didn't see the continuation of the trail just after the descent into the first wash (see photo above), so we lost some time with a little backtracking. This costs precious time, especially when days are short and the hike to the summit is long.  We re-oriented and found the trail continued out of the wash and around the red bluff to the left, on its way to Short Canyon.   There are no signs or trail markers until the climb up Squirrel Canyon, as this a wilderness area (an advantage:  not many people on the trail!)  We would still make Canaan Mountain, but not the highest point on its summit which is a longer hike.  

We stayed in Hurricane, Utah for Thanksgiving weekend in an old Zion NP ranger's cabin.  Hiking in and near Zion National Park is a great way to celebrate the holidays.  I have been hiking in Zion since the early 1990's.  We avoided crowds this time by choosing hikes outside of the park.  I was very impressed by the Canaan Mountain Wilderness because of its rugged beauty and all of the sandstone features throughout, and the fact that we basically had the place to ourselves.  My kind of holiday!
Picture
Entrance into Short Creek 
Entrance to Squirrel Canyon one mile upstream from this - hike along ATV road on right side of creek

The hike starts by descending through deep orange sand, across a wash, and continues on the orange sand straight ahead.  It rounds the red bluff to the left and then drops into Short Creek, ~ 0.5 miles from trailhead.  There were a few people riding ATVs on the trails and washes; they looked like they were having fun.   The steep canyon walls shaded Short Creek and its huge Cottonwood trees in the morning.  This scene looked much different in the afternoon on the way back to the trailhead with the yellow leaves brightly glowing in the direct sunlight streaming through the canyon.

​The brief walk up the creek before the trail scrambles up a small bank under a huge grove of Cottonwoods is beautiful.  Sand ripples alternating red and black lie under shallow water reflecting the sky.  The trail then follows a 4 WD road along the creek, passing by plenty of grey rabbitbrush shrubs whose flower heads glow a cream color in the sun.  Patches of white sand are deposited on the bank above the stream, possibly sediment from the white Navajo Sandstone layer further upstream.

The entrance into Squirrel Canyon, about one mile upstream is obvious, as the ATV/hiking trail crosses Short Creek.  A wide and relatively flat area at the entrance was covered with autumn leaves.  The trail ascends Squirrel via the 4WD road and then a single track trail as the canyon narrows.  Oak and maple trees surround and form an autumn canopy of red, brown and green, while green moss and maidenhair ferns dripped water seeping from vertical sandstone walls.  The trail transitions from the soft tread of seasons of leaves to hard and angular slabs of sandstone to soft white sand as it emerges from the canyon then tops out on a beautiful plateau underneath The Beehive, an ancient sand dune.  In a short distance from emerging, the canyon trail intersects with the Sawmill Trail with a pile of rocks marking this point.  As we turned left at this point (west), I glanced back to make sure I wouldn't miss this intersection on the way down.
Picture
A somewhat ominous entrance into Squirrel Canyon
Picture
The Beehive, elevation 6,476 feet 
​ Seen as Squirrel Canyon Trail opens up onto plateau above canyon

website for climbing The Beehive
Picture
Cairns mark route over sandstone while going up Squirrel Canyon
An excellent feature of this hike is that it gains enough elevation to walk through at least two  geologic formations.  The top of Canaan Mountain consists of the massive Navajo Sandstone which is also observed in the towering walls of Zion National Park.  The hike appears to be starting in the red cliffs of the Kayenta Formation (mudstone) that lies below the Navajo Sandstone.  The transition I noticed was in leaving the red sands and cliffs behind in Squirrel Canyon and ending up on the white rocks and white sand on the plateau above.

The upper walls of Canaan Mountain are the White Cliffs of Navajo Sandstone, and at the base are the Vermilion Cliffs which can be seen at the trailhead.  These cliffs are widespread throughout southern Utah and Northern Arizona.  At this location, they face southeast, and in the morning sun the walls are ablaze with intense orange, yellow and red (read more about geology of this area below).

The plateau above the canyon is a wondrous world of layered, cross-bedded, curving cream-colored and orange sandstone, with  never-ending examples of eroded Navajo Sandstone features.  Huge junipers make you wonder how old they are.  Dark and light-striped hoo-doos, domes and platforms in all shapes and sizes are so plentiful - I wished that I was camping up there so I could spend more time looking.  Ponderosa pine and juniper contrast against the frozen-in-time deeply angled and curving sand dune cross-beds.  The spectacular dark and forested V-shape of the entrance into Water Canyon looms to the south.  Time was getting short.  We left Sawmill Trail and scrambled up ledges of slickrock to the highest point on the summit north of us, which is not the highest on Canaan Mountain.  We found ourselves in yet another world of a flat-topped forested plateau with soft white sand.  Only a few hours of daylight left - we had to get back.

Sawmill Trail required close attention because it was marked by cairns sparsely at best, requiring us to "hunt" for the trail sometimes.  The trail alternated between soft sand and slickrock, steep in parts.  Tire tread from a recent jeep was helpful to navigate the way.  With each turn, rise and descent, there is almost an overload of beautiful, stark, weird, unusual sights along with the feeling of elevated space and expanse in every direction.
Picture
At this point on Sawmill Trail, the only marker for the trail was these scrapes in the slickrock.  It rose steeply over the rocks on this rise
Picture
Sawmill Trail weaves in and out of soft sand and cross-bedded Navajo Sandstone
Picture
Sand of Sawmill Trail lower left hand corner.  We hiked to the right, up to the top 
Picture
At 6,500 feet with view of the Notch toward the south
Picture
Leaves found on Squirrel Canyon floor
Common trees of southern Utah canyons are Canyon Maple, Boxelder, Fremont Cottonwood, Scrub Oak, and Gambel Oak.
Ponderosa Pine, Pinyon Pine, Gambel Oak, Manzanita, and Douglas Fir grow on slickrock.
Picture
Heading down Squirrel Canyon
Beautiful canyon with bright green moss, clear pools and waterfalls, thick canopy of oak and maple trees

We saw no one else in the canyon and on the slickrock plateau.  It was easy to get sidetracked in Squirrel Canyon while getting almost hypnotized by watching oak leaves floating in clear pools that had ripples on the bottom.  As we made our way back to the trailhead, on the ATV trail that runs along Short Creek, a large group of young backpackers were plodding towards us in the deep red sand, laughing and smiling, silhouetted by the late afternoon sun.  Huge Cottonwoods, strong and rooted along the white-sand bank with leaves glowing yellow lined our way back down Short Creek.  These had massive trunks - the vegetation in this area is so robust and healthy.  I'm going back -  I can see why the party of backpackers looked so joyous!  Next time - Water Canyon!
Geology and History
The age of rocks on Canaan Mountain are Lower Jurassic (201 - 174 Ma).  It  is capped by 1,300-foot cliffs of Navajo Sandstone.  The Kayenta Formation underlies the Navajo.  The Kayenta is then underlain by the Moenave Formation.  The base of the White Cliffs of Canaan Mountain is part of the greater extent of the Vermilion Cliffs, which extend over a large area of Utah and Arizona.
  • Navajo Sandstone:  Very uniform sandstone; 90% of grains are quartz.  Large-scale, high-angle cross-beds are typical of this formation.  It was formed as depositions of sand dunes inland of an Early Jurassic sea.  Major erosion has carved the west-facing cliffs of Canaan Mountain.  Navajo Sandstone is wide-reaching, occurring throughout Utah, northern Arizona and extreme western Colorado.  
  • Kayenta Formation:  Reddish-orange mudstone that forms ledges and occurs in the Vermilion Cliffs below the Navajo Sandstone.  Formed by accumulation of sediments from point bars of stream channels.
  • Moenave Formation:  Near base of Vermilion Cliffs - the upper member of this formation (Springdale Sandstone) makes reddish-brown, ledgy cliffs.  Sources for this layer were energetic streams flowing across alluvial planes from ancestral Rocky Mountains.  It has low-angle cross-beds.
  • Structure:  Locally, there are no major faults.  Regionally, the Hurricane Fault, located ~ 11 miles to the west,  produced a massive displacement, with the west side of the fault dropping, forming the boundary between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Provence.   To the east of this area, the Sevier Fault down-dropped rocks to the west of it.  Joints (fractures) have been mapped on top of Canaan Mountain in Navajo Sandstone.  Origins of these joints have been proposed:  stress fields between faults, domal uplift, and east/west compression of rocks.
  • History:  A logging operation occurred between 1915 - 1928.  Remains of a windlass pulley system that brought men and equipment up 1,500 feet to the top of the mountain.  Several million board-feet of lumber were removed.  The mill was relocated to Rockville.
Picture
Key to stratigraphic units in above photo:  Eroded Navajo Sandstone on cap of Canaan Mountain 1,200 feet thick; Canaan Mountain is ~ 2,000 feet higher than the plain (Jn).   Kayenta Formation (Jk),  Moenave Formation consisting of the Springdale Sandstone member (Jms),  Whitmore Point and Dinosaur Canyon members (Jmwd).  (From Geologic Map of the Smithsonian Butte Quadrangle, cited below).

​References
: 
  • Moore, D.W. and Sable, Edward G.  Geologic Map of the Smithsonian Butte Quadrangle, Washington County, Utah and Mohave County, Arizona.  2001.  U.S. Geologic Survey.  Retrieved from internet.
  • Utah BLM Statewide Wilderness Draft EIS:  Environmental Impact Statement, Vol. 3, Part 1.  1990.  Retrieved from internet.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Temps in the 20's at night at ~ 6,200 feet in late November
Picture
Sawmill Trail treks through sand and sandstone
Picture
Cairns mark first trail off of Sawmill Trail that treks to the lower reaches of Canaan Mountain summit
Picture
Picture
Pool in Squirrel Canyon
Picture
Along Short Creek
2 Comments

    Categories

    All
    Arizona Hikes
    California Desert Hiking
    Idaho Summits
    Nevada Hikes
    Snowshoe Hikes
    Southern Utah Hikes/Bikes

    Complete list of Hikes/Bikes on HOME page
    Picture
    Sue and Fred
    Picture

    About this blog

    Exploration documentaries          –  "explorumentaries"  list trip stats and highlights of each hike or bike ride, often with some interesting history or geology.  Years ago, I wrote these for friends and family to let them know what my husband, Fred and I were up to on weekends, and also to showcase the incredible land of the west.  

    To Subscribe to Explorumentary adventure blog and receive new posts by email:

    submit
    Picture
    Happy Spring!
    Picture

    About the Author
    Sue Birnbaum

    A  trip to Jumbo Rocks Campground in Joshua Tree National Monument 38 years ago sparked my passion for hiking, exploring, and learning about desert ecosystems.  For the past 25 years, my husband Fred and I have explored the American West together; we love this land and I hope to inspire you to get out and explore through my photographs and trip descriptions.
    In 1992, Ray Wilson and I conceived the first Cactus to Clouds hike which climbs over 10,000 feet in one day to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto near Palm Springs, California.
    CACTUS TO CLOUDS HIKE 
    READ MORE
    ABOUT SUE

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    November 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Some of my favorite websites:
    Awkward Botany
    ​citizen botany for the phytocurious

    Bird and Hike

    ​"Intended to encourage people to visit, learn about, and fall in love with the desert."
    ​

    Draw and Shoot
    Beautiful Photography

    Earthline: The American West
    Debra "writes to extol our beloved Earth." Detailed hike info, excellently written.
    ​

    Geologypics.com
    Geology and Geologic Time through Photographs

    Glenn Suokko
    Vermont artist's paintings "inspired by a place based on the land .... drawn to painting the representation and abstraction of nature."

    In the Company of Plants and Rocks
    ​A natural history blog about botany, plant ecology, and geology.

    Nature's Depths

    Walking through nature with John Palka, a neuroscientist who loves plants and ponders big questions

    Rangewriter - What Comes Next?
    ​With excellent writing, Linda tells the story of her unique mother's life including WWII era; with beautiful photographs.

    SeekingLost - Hiking and Backpacking Adventures.

    Stav Is Lost- Unconventional, out-of-the way hikes in the American West.


    Uprooted Magnolia
    ​Leah Yetter's beautiful "photo journal on life, love, and the spirit of Wyoming."
HOME

Cactus to Clouds Hike
More Quotes
HIKES BY STATE

Idaho Hikes
Utah Hikes/Bikes
​Arizona Hikes
​California Desert Hikes
​Wyoming Hikes
​Nevada Hikes

BLOGS

Adventure Blog
Women and the Land
GEAR REVIEWS
FIT AFTER 50
Fred Birnbaum
Dave Brasuell
Bus' Little Black Book
​Mike Carlson
​Ray Wilson
​Marcia Bondy
Bryan Krouse
​Maria Keezer
​Tim Clemens
​Doug Traubel
​Brian Holgate
​
Becky Borczon Blake
​Jennifer Cera and
​Sue Birnbaum

​Vance Powell
​Boise Cross Fit Masters Ladies
​Vickie Kearney

GALLERY

Desert Plants
Nature
Earth + Sky
Urban
Water
Patriot 
​Orchids
Boise
​
  ABOUT
    Contact

​
© 2017 - 2023 by Sue Birnbaum.  Photos on this website are the sole property of Sue Birnbaum unless otherwise indicated.  Please receive permission before publishing my trip reports and photos.
I try my best to be accurate with my hike descriptions; please research your adventures, always bring a map and compass and know how to read them, be prepared!  All of these hikes can be dangerous; hike at your own risk.  ALWAYS carry the Ten Essentials with you on hikes. 
​Please feel free to contact me with comments or questions, or if you see any errors that need attention.
Thank-you for stopping by!


EXPLORUMENTARY.com
  • Home
    • Cactus to Clouds Hike
    • More Quotes
    • Ann Zwinger Quotes
    • Mary Oliver Poems
  • Hikes by State
    • Idaho
    • Southern Utah
    • Arizona
    • California Desert
    • Nevada
    • Wyoming
  • BLOGS
    • Adventure Blog
    • Women and the Land
  • GALLERY
    • DESERT PLANTS >
      • Beavertail cactus
      • Brittlebush
      • Christmas Cactus
      • Arizona Barrel Cactus
      • Parry's penstemon
      • Agave
      • Arizona Rainbow Hedgehog
      • Claret Cup Hedgehog
      • Desert Agave
      • Palmer's Penstemon
      • Silver Cholla
      • Cristate Saguaro
      • Indian Paintbrush
      • Ocotillo
      • Santa Rita Prickly Pear
      • Spiny Cliffbrake
      • California Barrel Cactus
      • Engelmann Prickly Pear
      • Velvet Mesquite
      • Joshua Tree
      • Buckhorn Cholla
      • Hedgehog Cactus
      • Fishhook cactus
      • Thompson's Woolly Locoweed
    • NATURE
    • BOISE
    • EARTH + SKY
    • URBAN
    • WATER
    • PATRIOT
    • ORCHIDS
  • Fit After 50
    • Brian Holgate
    • Fred Birnbaum
    • Dave Brasuell
    • Bus' Little Black Book
    • Mike Carlson
    • Ray Wilson
    • Bryan Krouse
    • Vickie Kearney
    • Maria Keezer
    • DOUG TRAUBEL
    • Boise Cross Fit Masters Ladies
    • Tim Clemens
    • Marcia Bondy
    • Becky Borczon Blake >
      • Becky B Downtown
    • Jennifer Cera and Sue Birnbaum
    • Dave Brasuell
    • Vance Powell
  • About
    • CONTACT