Alcatraz Canyon
The first rappel goes off your vehicle bumper because there is no other anchor at the drop in, straight into a deep, dark, sinuous slot on the edge of the Robbers Roost.
The name comes from an early descent by Scott Patterson and Michael Kelsey, when the narrows tightened to the point that they were unsure of finishing and Kelsey hooked his way out the right wall about halfway down. The canyon does go, and it is popular with intermediate parties, but the squeezing is genuinely tiring and small packs are not optional. Bring a headlamp for the dark sections. Do not try BLM Road 1619 to get in; RopeWiki records it as being in extremely poor condition with washes that took hours of digging to make passable. The drainage is small but the slot is so narrow that rain directly overhead is enough to flood it. Sources disagree on the entrance rappel: this record says 197 feet, RopeWiki's descent text says 120, Road Trip Ryan says 50 m. Carry a 60 m rope and a second line, and verify at the edge.
Logistics
| Manager | BLM Hanksville / Henry Mountains Field Station |
|---|---|
| Permit | No permit or fee required. Dispersed BLM land accessed via Ekker Ranch Road and BLM Road 1619 in the Robbers Roost area; road can be in poor condition. |
| Distance | 4 mi |
| Time | 4 hr-5 hr |
| Technical | 4 rappels, longest 197 ft |
| Season | Spring; Summer; Fall |
| Coordinates | 38.2785, -110.3995 |
Sources
- permitType: https://ropewiki.com/Alcatraz_Canyon
- manager: https://www.blm.gov/office/henry-mountains-field-station
- nearest town: https://www.blm.gov/office/henry-mountains-field-station
- permit: https://ropewiki.com/Alcatraz_Canyon
- desc: https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/t/utah/robbers-roost/alcatraz
- notes: https://ropewiki.com/Alcatraz_Canyon