Hiking Frog Canyon
Burr Trail
Overview
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Wed 89 | 65 |
Thu 86 | 63 |
Fri 88 | 60 |
Sat 90 | 61 |
Sun 92 | 62 |
| View Full Weather Details | ||||
|
Wed 89 | 65 |
Thu 86 | 63 |
Fri 88 | 60 |
Sat 90 | 61 |
Sun 92 | 62 |
| View Full Weather Details | ||||
Sculpted Frog Canyon
Minor obstacle in Frog Canyon
Driving the Wolverine Loop Road, it is hard to miss the large rock slope that the road skirts and climbs around. The narrow crack that parallels the road looked too inviting on my drive, so I had to stop and check it out! The crack, Frog Canyon, turns out to be shallow, usually only 10-20 ft deep, but incredibly sinuous and sculpted. This is not a canyon I would make the long trek out to visit on its own, but coupled with something else in the area, it is an absolute treat!
The canyon can be ascended or descended, but for my money, ascending it is more fun. There are numerous small obstacles to climb and several tight squeezes to surmount. Quite a few exists make it easy to exit when you have had enough. Frog Canyon turned out to be a fun outing.
One of the more open areas in Frog Canyon
Lodged logs in Frog Canyon
Getting There
From Boulder Utah, take the Burr trail east. The road is paved and starts on the south side of town.
- Reset your odometer as you turn off highway 12 on to the Burr Trail. Stay on the main Burr Trail road, passing many side roads as you pass through Boulder. ( 12S 462640mE 4194941mN / N37° 54' 04" W111° 25' 30" )
- 6.2 miles - Deer Creek Trailhead and Campground ( 12S 468739mE 4189767mN / N37° 51' 17" W111° 21' 19" )
- 10.0 miles - The Lower Gulch Trailhead on the right ( 12S 472327mE 4189249mN / N37° 51' 01" W111° 18' 52" )
- 10.7 miles - The Upper Gulch Pullout/Trailhead on the left. ( 12S 472775mE 4189975mN / N37° 51' 25" W111° 18' 34" )
- 11.5 miles - Signing canyon with a pullout on the left. An excellent short side hike visits this impressive canyon from the bottom. ( 12S 473569mE 4190861mN / N37° 51' 53" W111° 18' 02" )
- 18.4 miles - Signed dirt road on the right indicates Little Death Hollow. (This is the Wolverine Loop Road.) Reset your odometer as you turn onto this usually good dirt road. ( 12S 480604mE 4197435mN / N37° 55' 27" W111° 13' 14" )
- 5.5 miles - A side road goes off on the right, this goes down Horse Canyon. Stay left on the Wolverine Road ( 12S 480329mE 4189257mN / N37° 51' 02" W111° 13' 25" )
- 9.9 miles - Wolverine Petrified Wood / Canyon Trailhead on the right. ( 12S 481830mE 4184096mN / N37° 48' 15" W111° 12' 23" )
- 10.45 miles - Small side road to a parking area on the right. This is the Frog Canyon trailhead. ( 12S 482485mE 4183928mN / N37° 48' 09" W111° 11' 56" )
Frog Canyon - Burr Trail
Interesting log and light in Frog Canyon
Route
From the trailhead, walk down the road a minute to where a side wash leaves on the right. Go down this wash as it begins cutting into the Shinarump Member of the Chinle Formation. A couple of minor downclimbs in here are an excellent warmup. You reach the main canyon shortly.
You can go down the main canyon for a couple of minutes to a drop where the Shinarump layer gives way. This short drop is a bit wide, and makes a hard down climb or short rappel. The canyon opens immediately after it, so I would recommend not continuing down canyon, but rather start heading up the main canyon.
Heading up canyon, there is a rhythm of short, deeper, sculpted narrows interspersed with more open sections. A major junction in reached. Go left here (looking up canyon). This left fork is the longer of the two and has more sculpted narrows and open sections. At its head is a very tight curving up climb that is tricky.If the climb proves too hard, go back down canyon a couple of minutes, and look for an easy climb out on the right (looking down canyon). Once above the canyon, circle around the head of the fork and head south to the main road. Follow the main road back down hill to the trailhead. Or, for more fun, turn around and descend the canyon.
Photos
Maps
| Frog Canyon Trailhead |
12S 482505mE 4183907mN N37° 48' 09" W111° 11' 55" |
| Entrance |
12S 482456mE 4184005mN N37° 48' 12" W111° 11' 57" |
| Drop |
12S 482425mE 4184057mN N37° 48' 13" W111° 11' 59" |
| Jct |
12S 482587mE 4183964mN N37° 48' 10" W111° 11' 52" |
| Canyon Head - Tight Up/Downclimb |
12S 482858mE 4183971mN N37° 48' 11" W111° 11' 41" |