Atlas › San Rafael Swell - North
Black Box (Upper)
not verifiedpermit unconfirmed 2026-08-19
ACA 3C
Extreme flood risk
Castle Dale, UT
Many call it the best canyon in the San Rafael Swell: a single short slot of the San Rafael River with swift water as the central feature, not flash flood as a peripheral hazard.
Use the San Rafael River gauge to pick a flow window. Wetsuits depending on water temperature, dry bags for everything. This is a swiftwater route packaged inside a slot canyon, so swimming competence is non-negotiable. The single rappel is short but the swims define the route. Duplicate black-box-upper (2026-08-21 import) merged 2026-08-22: its rappel count of 1 and longest of 83 ft match this record's own prose (a single rappel, max about 83 ft) exactly, so both typed figures are carried.
Logistics
| Manager | BLM Price Field Office, San Rafael Swell |
|---|---|
| Permit | RopeWiki's Red Tape section is empty and its infobox carries no Permits field, so access here is unverified rather than confirmed free. Dispersed BLM land. Contact BLM Price Field Office (435-636-3600) for current conditions. |
| Time | 3-5 hr |
| Technical | Rated 3C II (v3a4 II). A single rappel, max about 83 ft. The defining feature is swift moving water in the slot itself; this is a water canyon, not a rappel canyon. Check the San Rafael River gauge before going. |
| Season | Late spring, summer, fall |
| Flood risk | Extreme. The canyon is the San Rafael River. Swift water is the standing condition, not the storm scenario, so flow above safe wading levels makes the trip non-viable rather than just risky. |
| Vehicle access | High clearance recommended on the approach roads off I-70. |
| Crowd | Low to moderate. Often called the best canyon in the Swell, so summer weekends see traffic. |
| Coordinates | 39.0083, -110.4892 |