Nine Mile Canyon Back Country Byway

The Wedge, which is also known as The Little Grand Canyon is located in the northern part of the San Rafael Swell. The closest town is Castle Dale, Utah, and most people drive past this part of the San Rafael Swell on their way to Moab, or other parts of the Swell.The views are remarkable. It's no reason its nickname is Little Grand Canyon. There are trails around the rim of the canyons, and pl...

The Wedge and The Little Grand Canyon are located in Eastern Utah and despite their amazing beauty are relatively unknown and overlooked partly due to their close proximity to national parks like Arches and Canyonlands. With it's massive size, The San Rafael Swell, where The Little Grand Canyon is located, is easily accessible from I-70, Orangeville, Huntington, Castledale, and the numerous oth...

The bouldering in Joe's Valley has been a hot spot for climbers from all around the world. Discovered by Utah climbers decades ago it has turned into a mecca for anyone who loves sandstone bouldering. The texture of the rock is very grippy and after a long day can leave you with little skin left on your fingers. Plan on having some of your best bouldering days here.The Valley consists of 3 p...

The San Rafael Swell, is the home of many adventures! One of those adventures being canyoneering. There are many slot canyons of various skill levels that have been explored and descended. There are many other canyons that still have yet to be explored by man kind. The Swell is large and ungoverned so there aren't any rangers patrolling the area, which means you need to be responsible and p...

It takes some commitment to get to the trailhead, but it’s worth it. After several dirt roads, follow a rocky 4X4 road for about 10 miles to the trailhead. Sunscreen up and walk down the path to an open wash. This wash runs into the San Rafael River. At the river, check the flow, it should be below 50 cfs for a safe adventure. Cross the river and follow the trail that takes you above the canyon...

Black Dragon wash gets its name because of one of the petroglyphs, which oddly enough is a red dragon. The trail can be kind of hard to find but once you are in the canyon it is impossible to lose it. You follow the canyon for a bit and then you will see the petroglyphs on the north side beyond some wood fencing. I wouldn't drive anything with less clearance than a truck in here. Very scenic.