RATING: 3B
LENGTH: 4-8 hours
GEAR: A short rope 10 m ( 33 ft ) is very useful as a hand line
in several spots. Wetsuit required in all but the hottest
weather, and even then it is more comfortable with a wetsuit.
RAPPELS: None
WATER: Much swimming.
FLASH FLOOD DANGER: High. White canyon drains a very large
area. Be sure you have a good forecast, and it has not
rained up stream for a day or two. Heavy rains upstream can
take up to a day to reach the Black Hole.
SEASON: Summer, Spring/Fall with a wetsuit
Hype:
The Black Hole has often been touted as one of the best canyon adventures around. It has amazing beauty, challenging obstacles, and is a lot of fun. Be warned however, flash floods have taken lives here. Competent leadership is required for a safe and great adventure.Several years ago the canyon flash flooded and filled with immense log jams, making it very difficult to descend. After several years, these washed out, and the canyon is back to it's former self. Beware though, it is a canyon that can change dramatically.
Trailhead:
Any vehicle can reach the trailhead. To start the hike, drive 56.8 miles from Hanksville south on highway 95. This is just before milepost 57, with a large pullout on the left (north) side of the road with an information kiosk.Route:
From the trailhead, follow an emerging trail northwest for several minutes to a steep dirt entrance down a side canyon. Follow the trail down to White Canyon (15-20 minutes). You will likely pass a warning sign in a tree on the way down. If you reach White Canyon and find flowing water, turn around and return to your car. The canyon should be dry at this point.
Once in White Canyon, go left, down stream. The canyon is easy hiking for an hour or so. As you begin encountering obstacles, they are almost all most easily passed by benches on the right. When in doubt, look around as muddy foot prints often show the way. As you go further you will begin encountering more and more pools and short stretches of water. A tricky looking downclimb into a pool is a good land mark. Backtrack a short distance and bypass this section on the right downclimbing after a short distance. From this obstacle, you are getting close to the Black Hole proper.
The Black Hole starts with a 3 m ( 10 ft ) downclimb as the canyon narrows and turns left. The easiest way down this is a crack on the left, and will deposit you into a pool. 2 minutes past this first downclimb is another tricky downclimb into a pool down some logs. Use a handline here if desired. Begin swimming! The next section is the best part of the canyon, and involves a long 100 m ( 329 ft ) swim. Enjoy this section, hoping for sun at the end to get out into and warm up!
From the Black Hole, continue down canyon encountering smaller pools and swimming sections along the way, but they become shorter and less frequent as you go down canyon. Keep an eye out on your right for a large arch. The arch is an important landmark. Just past it the canyon wall eases. This is not the exit, however you may want to use an emerging trail on the left to bypass the next water filled slot.
20-30 minutes beyond the arch, the canyon opens with a small tower on the left. This is the exit. Follow an emerging cairned trail as it zig-zags it's way up and out of White. Once you leave the canyon bottom, the trail forks. Left takes a shortcut up a log climb, while right is a more gradual trail up with switchbacks. Right is recommended for most groups.
Once on top, keep hiking south a short distance to the highway. If you spotted a car, it will be here. Otherwise it's a 2 mile hike east on the road to the trailhead.
My History:
I have been through the Black Hole several times over the years, most recently in the summer of 2008. It is an amazing place, and rates very high on the top of my best canyons list. While it was full of log jams, I would not have recommended descent, but now it is cleared out, it is highly recommended.Comments:
{comment}
Comments (2)


Join us on Facebook
But what I really was wanting to know if you have any beta on Black Steer Canyon in the Cedar Mesa area. On a recent trip down that way, we did Gravel and Cheesebox (both of which were incredible must do slots)we did a recon of Black Steer, which has a beautiful and short high elevation approach. What's really stunning about Black Steer is the 600' drop that unexpectedly opens up in front of you about a mile down the canyon. We got there late in the day and didn't want to continue, but can't wait to go back with longer ropes and more beta. Just wondering if you had any of the latter on this spectacular canyon?????