Atlas › San Rafael Swell - Southern Swell
Knotted Rope Canyon
verified
ACA 3B
Extreme flood risk
Hanksville, UT
A Southern Swell big day: roughly fifty potholes and pools, sandstone slides, petroglyphs and mine ruins on the exit, with Muddy Creek as the watershed signal.
AKA Miners Hollow; Knotted Rope Direct; Knotted Rope Hidden Splendor; Knotted Rope Ridgewalk. The Hidden Splendor airstrip is the staging area for several Southern Swell descents (Cottam's Cabin Crack, Muddy Creek Gorge, Music Canyon all start nearby). Carry potshots or hooked aid for any pothole worker; the rappel count is low but the pool count is the workload.
Logistics
| Manager | BLM Price Field Office, San Rafael Swell |
|---|---|
| Permit | No permit required. Dispersed BLM land. Contact BLM Price Field Office (435-636-3600) for current conditions. |
| Time | 6-10 hr |
| Technical | Rated 3B IV (v2a2 IV). Zero to three rappels depending on water level, maximum about 25 ft. The defining feature is nearly fifty potholes and pools, plus polished sandstone slides. Approach is roughly 2 to 3 hr; descent 2 to 4 hr; exit 2 to 3 hr. |
| Season | Spring or fall |
| Flood risk | Extreme. Muddy Creek swells fast on upper-basin storms; ropewiki is blunt: do not enter the canyon if there is any chance of rain. |
| Vehicle access | 4WD high clearance on the Hidden Splendor approach road. Optional 20 min shuttle. |
| Crowd | Low. The full-day commitment and pothole reputation thin the crowd. |
| Coordinates | 38.5645, -110.9412 |