Packrafting Escalante Canyon in southern Utah is the perfect way to combine a safe and easy packrafting adventure with some of the world's finest scenery. If you are keen to learn packrafting, here's a great place to do it. The challenge when paddling on the Escalante River is that it may only flow at high enough levels for a few weeks each year. In most years the water is high enough for good paddling in May, and sometimes into June. Play the video above to get a sense for paddling in this gorgeous canyon.
There are several good options for combining hiking and packrafting in the Escalante. Most people put in where the Escalante River crosses Highway 12, east of the town of Escalante. Of course you can also hike in on one of the many side canyons. There are 3 good exit points. Hike out via Harris Wash (shortest), hike out via Coyote Gulch (more complex, longer, but super scenic) or paddle all the way out to Lake Powell, and arrange a pick-up on the lake.
We had about 4 days, so we chose to get into the river at Highway 12, then exit via Harris Wash. We arranged a shuttle to drop our car at Harris Wash, and drop us at the river. From the river, we floated for two and a half leisurely days, then spent another day hiking up Harris Wash and back to our car. Harris Wash is an easy and breathtakingly beautiful canyon.
Near Highway 12, the river is shallow and littered with plenty of overhanging plant life. It is a combination of paddling and bushwhacking. In spring, you may find a lot of caterpillars on these bushes, which drop into your boat as you brush past them.
Some tips for packrafting in Escalante
- Use Escalante Outfitters. This little outfit offers camping or cabins, showers, a small restaurant and essential gear items. They are friendly, flexible and the restaurant has pretty good food. They can help you arrange a shuttle too.
- Check the water levels. Here's the USGS site for the Escalante River. You will get conflicting reports about the best flows for a navigable trip. In packrafts, you can manage with lower water levels that other types of boats (canoes for example). I would recommend that you talk with people at Escalante Outfitters and also at Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.
- Expect low water. Even at good flows, you may be dragging your butt on the bottom dozens of times per day. Don't worry about it. Packrafts are tough. Pad your butt with some foam if you are prone to easy bruising. Once you get past Boulder Creek, water levels will pick up.
- Explore the side canyons. Do some research and spend some time hiking. There are many, many good hikes.
- Be prepared to navigate. It's easy to get disoriented in the canyons and lose track of which canyon is which. Read your maps carefully and pay attention. Always know where you are. You don't want to pass your exit canyon. GPS devices can sometimes perform poorly in deep canyons. I recommend navigating the old fashioned way.
There are numerous fantastic side canyons to explore. Leave yourself plenty of time for exploration. Here, Karen has just about reached the limit of her interest in further squeezing into this slot.
This is the confluence of the Escalante with Boulder Creek. A short hike up Boulder Creek will reward you with superb locations to relax and enjoy the canyon view.
Below Boulder Creek, the river gets reasonably deep and the canyon walls get higher and closer. Here's where the Escalante really shines.
Our final camp along Harris Wash. The side canyons of the Escalante are narrower and more spectacular than the main canyon. Don't miss them. You are rewarded with deep alcoves, sandy camps and rust and orange walls.