Pothole Fork of Sleepy Hollow
not verifiedpermit verified 2026-08-15
Ungraded
Unknown flood risk
Escalante, UT
Barely a canyon on its own: two fifteen foot rappels, one off a sandtrap and one off a meat anchor, then it dumps into Sleepy Hollow below the X section.
Do not read the short length as a short day. The Pothole Fork itself is not R, but it deposits you in Big Tony where an R rated slot section begins, so what you get out through is graded harder than what you came down. RopeWiki's own assessment is that entering at the head of the main fork is the more interesting line, and that the X section above the confluence with the first fork can be skipped by scrambling out on the left down canyon side and re-entering about 300 feet lower. Anchors here are what you build, so a sandtrap is not optional.
Logistics
| Manager | BLM Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument |
|---|---|
| Permit | Monument wide rule, not a canyon specific finding. BLM requires a free permit for all overnight stays anywhere in Grand Staircase-Escalante, self issued at developed trailheads or at the Escalante, Cannonville, Kanab and Big Water visitor centers. Day use by a private party requires no permit: BLM issues Special Recreation Permits for commercial use, competitive events, organized groups and recreation events, none of which covers a private party descending a canyon. The lottery permits BLM lists alongside the monument, Coyote Buttes North and Paria Canyon, are Vermilion Cliffs units administered from Kanab and do not apply here. |
| Coordinates | 37.4466, -111.079 |
Sources
- permit: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument/plan
- manager: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument/plan
- desc: https://ropewiki.com/Pothole_Fork_of_Sleepy_Hollow
- notes: https://ropewiki.com/Pothole_Fork_of_Sleepy_Hollow