Atlas › Grand Staircase / Hole-in-the-Rock
Brimstone Gulch
Darker, longer, less-traveled cousin to Spooky. Frequently dead-ends at a deep cold pool.
Most people arrive as an add on after Peek-a-Boo and Spooky, walking up from the mouth until the canyon stops them at a pool or at the foot of the technical section. That is a legitimate trip and it is what the 1B grade covers. What sits above is a different canyon entirely: high stemming to thirty feet off the deck and awkward silo crossings, rated 4B R, and not somewhere to wander into from below. Water is the variable either way. After rain the lower section can hold enough to force long swims, and the pools sit deep enough in the slot to stay cold. Anyone planning a descent from the top should hike up from the bottom first and look at what is holding. Figure two to three hours and about three and a half miles added to the Dry Fork day.
Logistics
| Manager | BLM Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument |
|---|---|
| Permit | No fee, no day-use permit required. Free overnight backpacking permit required for any backcountry camping (self-issue at developed trailheads or at GSENM visitor centers in Cannonville, Escalante, Kanab, or Big Water). Day-use is free. |
| Distance | +3.6 mi added to Peek-a-Boo/Spooky loop |
| Elevation | Minimal |
| Time | Add 2-3 hr |
| Technical | Non-technical to scrambling; deep dark pools often |
| Season | Spring, fall |
| Flood risk | High |
| Vehicle access | Same TH |
| Crowd | Low to moderate |
| Coordinates | 37.47, -111.205 |
Sources
- permits: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument/plan
- travel info: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument/travel-info
- notes: https://ropewiki.com/index.php?title=Brimstone_Gulch_(lower)&action=raw
- heroPhoto: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chockstones_on_the_way_to_Brimstone_Gulch_-_panoramio.jpg