The Fiddler Butte Wilderness Study Area extends 11 miles from north to south
and 12 miles from east to west. Recreational opportunities vary, depending on
location in the WSA. In the western portion of the WSA, hiking is considered
outstanding in the canyons of North Wash due to the variety of hiking routes
and ease of access from Highway 95. Backpacking and photography are
outstanding along the Dirty Devil River and The Block.

The Fiddler Butte Wilderness Study Area extends 11 miles from north to south and 12 miles from east to west. Recreational opportunities vary, depending on location in the WSA. In the western portion of the WSA, hiking is considered outstanding in the canyons of North Wash due to the variety of hiking routes and ease of access from Highway 95. Backpacking and photography are outstanding along the Dirty Devil River and The Block.

Bird's eye view of the park

Fiddler Butte

Surrounded by the slick, red walls of southern Utah's desert, this beautiful
picnic area along the Bicentennial Scenic Byway makes the perfect stop. The
area offers a wonderful view of the Henry Mountains, and ancient pictographs
and petroglyphs dot canyon walls. From the picnic area, a primitive trail will
take you a mile up canyon to a refreshing waterfall and pool. The site
consists of a suspended bridge, shade structures, picnic tables, grills,
restroom, sidewalks, and interpretive kiosks. It is designated for day use.

Surrounded by the slick, red walls of southern Utah's desert, this beautiful picnic area along the Bicentennial Scenic Byway makes the perfect stop. The area offers a wonderful view of the Henry Mountains, and ancient pictographs and petroglyphs dot canyon walls. From the picnic area, a primitive trail will take you a mile up canyon to a refreshing waterfall and pool. The site consists of a suspended bridge, shade structures, picnic tables, grills, restroom, sidewalks, and interpretive kiosks. It is designated for day use.

Hog Springs Recreation Area

State Route 95, Utahs Bicentennial Highway, runs through North Wash toward the
northern end of Lake Powell. Aside form the highway traffic, the most likely
reason most folks visit North Wash is to climb, hike, and canyoneer. The
highway offers very easy access to some of the most popular and extraordinary
techincal canyon adventures. From the "Irish Canyons" to the "Hog Canyons",
there are canyons here for all levels of experience. While there is a restroom
at Hog Springs Picnic Area, no other facilities are developed in North Wash.
There is plenty to see and do in North Wash, but if you feel like reaching
out, North Wash is also centrally located and a short drive from other popular
hiking areas such as Poison Spring, Trachyte, Maidenwater, and Trail Canyons.

State Route 95, Utahs Bicentennial Highway, runs through North Wash toward the northern end of Lake Powell. Aside form the highway traffic, the most likely reason most folks visit North Wash is to climb, hike, and canyoneer. The highway offers very easy access to some of the most popular and extraordinary techincal canyon adventures. From the "Irish Canyons" to the "Hog Canyons", there are canyons here for all levels of experience. While there is a restroom at Hog Springs Picnic Area, no other facilities are developed in North Wash. There is plenty to see and do in North Wash, but if you feel like reaching out, North Wash is also centrally located and a short drive from other popular hiking areas such as Poison Spring, Trachyte, Maidenwater, and Trail Canyons.

North Wash Recreation Area

The dirt access route runs easterly across the Burr Desert flat lands ending
at the cliff tops of the Dirty Devil River. Views across, up, and down the
canyon are stunning and have as backdrops the Abajos, the La Sal, and the
Henry Mountains. Burr Point Overlook is also occasionally used as a trailhead
to access the Dirty Devil River. This access however has been described as
challenging, techincal, and risky. There are no developed facilities at Burr
Point Overlook.

The dirt access route runs easterly across the Burr Desert flat lands ending at the cliff tops of the Dirty Devil River. Views across, up, and down the canyon are stunning and have as backdrops the Abajos, the La Sal, and the Henry Mountains. Burr Point Overlook is also occasionally used as a trailhead to access the Dirty Devil River. This access however has been described as challenging, techincal, and risky. There are no developed facilities at Burr Point Overlook.

Burr Point Overlook

French Springs-Happy Canyon Wilderness Study Area is in eastern Wayne and
Garfield Counties. The unit is 25,000 acres and consists of high, narrow
ridges and a mesa cut by narrow, sheer-walled, meandering canyons 600 to 1,000
feet deep. Other land forms include buttes, spires, arroyos, rockfalls,
alluvial fans, terraces, and sand dunes. Opportunities for solitude and
primitive/unconfined recreation are outstanding. Photography, day hiking, and
scenic sightseeing are popular within the WSA. The longest hiking route is 11
miles, from Gordon Flats to Happy Canyon via French Spring Canyon.

French Springs-Happy Canyon Wilderness Study Area is in eastern Wayne and Garfield Counties. The unit is 25,000 acres and consists of high, narrow ridges and a mesa cut by narrow, sheer-walled, meandering canyons 600 to 1,000 feet deep. Other land forms include buttes, spires, arroyos, rockfalls, alluvial fans, terraces, and sand dunes. Opportunities for solitude and primitive/unconfined recreation are outstanding. Photography, day hiking, and scenic sightseeing are popular within the WSA. The longest hiking route is 11 miles, from Gordon Flats to Happy Canyon via French Spring Canyon.

French Spring-Happy Canyon

The Sundance Trail is the primary access route into the lower portion of Dark
Canyon. The trail is approximately three miles from the trailhead to the
bottom of the canyon. The trail descends a 50% talus slope and 1,120 vertical
feet into Dark Canyon. Once in the bottom, hikes up and down canyon are
popular. The hike is strenuous. There is no developed trail. Once in the
canyon, there is a reliable stream up to Young's Canyon. No permit is
required.

The Sundance Trail is the primary access route into the lower portion of Dark Canyon. The trail is approximately three miles from the trailhead to the bottom of the canyon. The trail descends a 50% talus slope and 1,120 vertical feet into Dark Canyon. Once in the bottom, hikes up and down canyon are popular. The hike is strenuous. There is no developed trail. Once in the canyon, there is a reliable stream up to Young's Canyon. No permit is required.

Sundance Trail

Dark Canyon begins high on the edge of Elk Ridge (8,800 feet in elevation) and
ends at 3,700 feet elevation in the desert environment of upper Lake Powell.
The Dark Canyon drainage is primarily administered by the U.S. Forest Service
and the Bureau of Land Management. The Forest Service manages the upper end of
the canyon as the 45,000 acre Dark Canyon Wilderness Area and Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) administers the lower end of the canyon as the 62,000 acre
Dark Canyon Primitive Area /Wilderness Study Area (WSA) and as a Special
Recreation Management Area (SRMA). The extreme lower end of Dark Canyon is
within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, administered by the National
Park Service.

The Dark Canyon SRMA/Primitive Area includes the side canyons of Dark Canyon
and smaller canyons in the area. Fable Valley is a shallower canyon about
eight miles long north of Dark Canyon that is part of this area.

The Primitive Area/WSA also includes areas of the Dark Canyon Plateau between
the canyons, which offers a canyon rim oriented visitor experience. North of
Fable Valley is a smaller rugged area managed as the Dark Canyon Natural Area,
which is a non-WSA area with Wilderness Characteristics.

Dark Canyon is a very rugged area, and many of the trails are very strenuous.
Visitors should be well prepared for extreme conditions.

Dark Canyon begins high on the edge of Elk Ridge (8,800 feet in elevation) and ends at 3,700 feet elevation in the desert environment of upper Lake Powell. The Dark Canyon drainage is primarily administered by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The Forest Service manages the upper end of the canyon as the 45,000 acre Dark Canyon Wilderness Area and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administers the lower end of the canyon as the 62,000 acre Dark Canyon Primitive Area /Wilderness Study Area (WSA) and as a Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA). The extreme lower end of Dark Canyon is within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service. The Dark Canyon SRMA/Primitive Area includes the side canyons of Dark Canyon and smaller canyons in the area. Fable Valley is a shallower canyon about eight miles long north of Dark Canyon that is part of this area. The Primitive Area/WSA also includes areas of the Dark Canyon Plateau between the canyons, which offers a canyon rim oriented visitor experience. North of Fable Valley is a smaller rugged area managed as the Dark Canyon Natural Area, which is a non-WSA area with Wilderness Characteristics. Dark Canyon is a very rugged area, and many of the trails are very strenuous. Visitors should be well prepared for extreme conditions.

Dark Canyon SRMA

Poison Springs Road, a rough single-lane tract in some places, a well defined
roadbed in others, is the only motorized route which crosses the Dirty Devil
River between Hanksville and Hite on Lake Powell. Beginning at Utah Highway
95, it dips into a progressively narrower and steeper canyon, while descending
through scenic sandstone formations as it follows Poison Springs creek. Once
across the Dirty Devil River, the route follows the impressive and colorful
Big Ridge in North Hatch Canyon, past Fiddler Butte to the boundary with the
National Park Service's Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Poison Springs
Road is frequently closed by washouts and high water levels and is not
recommended for novices or most street-legal vehicles except high clearance
ones. There are no developed facilities in the Poison Spring Canyon area.

Poison Springs Road, a rough single-lane tract in some places, a well defined roadbed in others, is the only motorized route which crosses the Dirty Devil River between Hanksville and Hite on Lake Powell.  Beginning at Utah Highway 95, it dips into a progressively narrower and steeper canyon, while descending through scenic sandstone formations as it follows Poison Springs creek. Once across the Dirty Devil River, the route follows the impressive and colorful Big Ridge in North Hatch Canyon, past Fiddler Butte to the boundary with the National Park Service's Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Poison Springs Road is frequently closed by washouts and high water levels and is not recommended for novices or most street-legal vehicles except high clearance ones. There are no developed facilities in the Poison Spring Canyon area.

Poison Spring Canyon

This remote BLM Byway is a single-lane road for 68 miles with a dirt surface.
There are numerous rough sections, steep grades, and blind curves. The route
ascends from the desert floor, traversing badlands, and buttes, canyons and
cliffs, through slopes of spruce and ponderosa to the alpine elevations of
Bull Creek Pass. The wildlife match its diversity. Mule Deer, antelope,
bighorn sheep, mountain lion and bison all inhabit the Henry Mountains.
Developed campgrounds are on the byway at McMillan Springs campground and just
north of it at Lonesome Beaver Campground.

This remote BLM Byway is a single-lane road for 68 miles with a dirt surface. There are numerous rough sections, steep grades, and blind curves. The route ascends from the desert floor, traversing badlands, and buttes, canyons and cliffs, through slopes of spruce and ponderosa to the alpine elevations of Bull Creek Pass. The wildlife match its diversity. Mule Deer, antelope, bighorn sheep, mountain lion and bison all inhabit the Henry Mountains. Developed campgrounds are on the byway at McMillan Springs campground and just north of it at Lonesome Beaver Campground.

Fiddler Butte

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