Hiking Guide to San Rafael Swell Slot Canyons in Utah

Book excerpt: Hiking Guide to San Rafael Swell in Utah The San Rafael Swell, 2,000 square miles of public land, is known for its scenic sandstone formations, deep canyons, desert streams, and expansive panoramas. The "Hiking Guide to San Rafael Swell in Utah" book is tailored for the first time visitor including lodging and camping options in the area. The custom detailed maps make finding and hiking these great slot canyons much easier and the maps have key GPS coordinates for finding the trailheads or the canyon entrances. This book includes trail information and custom topographical maps that eliminate the anxiety of trial and error hiking to find some of the best slot canyon adventures in the United States. Some of the featured canyons in this book are: Baptist Draw, Bell Canyon, Chute Canyon, Cistern Canyon, Crack Canyon, Crawford Draw, Devils Canyon, Dang Canyon, Ding Canyon, Eagle Canyon, Farnsworth Canyon, Little Wild Horse Canyon, Muddy Creek, Music Canyon and Wild Horse Creek Trail. The San Rafael Swell landscape reveals a geological history left bare through millennia of upheaval and erosion. The geologic history of the San Rafael Swell area began 40 to 60 million years ago when a massive uplift formed a geologic anticline. This bulge in the earth's crust eventually eroded to leave high mesas, deep canyons, domes, spectacular arches, and spires. The terrain varies from the sheer cliffs and dazzling canyons to more gently carved badlands broken by shallow washes. The fins and folds of the San Rafael Reef jut through the southeast side of the area with dramatic sheer-walled cliffs, pinnacles, the knobs of Goblin Valley, twisted canyons, and valleys of stunning colors. Few canyons can compare to the entrenched, narrow gorges of the Black Boxes of the San Rafael River which twists and turns through the San Rafael Swell. Aside from Interstate (I-70), only old uranium mines, dirt roads, livestock improvements, and simple ATV facilities are evident. Visitors should bring maps, as many roads are not signed. No permits are required for individuals and small groups for non-commercial, non-competitive use. Plan your trip to the San Rafael Swell with any of the following books: Hiking Guide to San Rafael Swell in Utah Slot Canyon Hikes & Adventures 4 San Rafael Swell 2015 Canyon Atlas