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Fortknocker Canyon

An east side tributary of White Canyon with roughly 4.5 miles of shallow but colorful Cedar Mesa sandstone narrows, banded in red, pink and grey, ending at a dryfall above the White Canyon junction.

Almost nobody comes here, and the reason is the access. Coming up from Highway 95 is blocked by a narrow slot dumping into a deep pool near the White Canyon junction, where the walls run up to 400 feet, so the practical approach is from the top via Rec Road 632, which forks east off UT 95 near milepost 49 not far from the Hite turnoff. Road 632 is steep and bumpy for the first couple of miles then flattens out on the slickrock plateau; two unsigned side tracks 7 and 8 miles in lead south to the canyon heads. Potholes here hold water long after storms and can be 15 feet deep in the upper drop ins, though both major obstacles can be climbed around. Several wide dryfalls up to 40 feet break the lower narrows and all go by downclimbing benches on the side. Once past about the halfway point the canyon is sheer sided with few entry or exit options, so commit deliberately.

Logistics

Sources

• permit: https://ropewiki.com/Fortknocker_Canyon
• manager: https://www.blm.gov/office/monticello-field-office
• desc: https://www.americansouthwest.net/slot_canyons/fortknocker_canyon/index.html
• notes: https://www.americansouthwest.net/slot_canyons/fortknocker_canyon/index.html