Atlas › Grand Staircase / Hole-in-the-Rock
Egypt 1
Compact technical canyon. Great place to practice stemming. Well-anchored.
You park about fifty feet from the first drop, which makes this the rare Escalante canyon with no approach to speak of. Strong parties downclimb the whole thing; most set three or four short rappels, the longest around forty feet. The feel is closer to Keyhole in Zion than to the bigger canyons off the same road: short, colorful, over quickly. That makes it a good warm up before Egypt 2 or Egypt 3 rather than a day on its own. RopeWiki reports the drive in to Egypt 1 going fine without high clearance or 4WD, but Egypt Bench Road changes with every storm and degrades the farther out you go, so call the Escalante visitor center for current road conditions before committing a low car to it.
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 | ~1.7 loop |
| Elevation | ~250 ft |
| Time | 3-5 hr |
| Technical | 3A. 4 short rappels, lots of stemming |
| Season | Spring, fall |
| Flood risk | Moderate |
| Vehicle access | Egypt Bench Rd; HC/4WD |
| Crowd | Low |
| Coordinates | 37.5734, -111.2592 |
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=Egypt_1_Canyon&action=raw