Black Box is a real jewel. The San Rafael River has carved a deep narrow slot canyon into the heart of the San Rafael Swell. The Coconino sandstone walls are 400 feet high and in places only 25 feet wide. Hiking this canyon involves miles of wading and swimming. Getting through the Lower Black Box is.

• San Rafael Swell Utah Map
• San Rafael Swell Utah Weather

• This is the San Rafael Swell, a huge oval-shaped uplifted area bordered approximately by UT 24, US 6/191, UT 10 and the northern edge of Capitol Reef National Park, and bisected by I-70. Around the edges of the Swell is a ring of upturned eroded strata - the San Rafael Reef, where most of the slot canyons.
• The San Rafael Swell should have national monument status. I started coming here in 1989, and find it fascinating. It is almost as interesting as the Escalante region. Once dotted with active mines and hardscrabble ranches, it is chock full of interesting hiking, climbing, and canyoneering opportunities (get Kelsey's book). North of I-70 are.

The San Rafael Swell offers some of Utah’s best hiking trails. Hikes range from mild kid-friendly to intense mega-adventures. There is something for everybody here!

From slot canyons to Rock Art panels, there is a wide variety of adventures waiting you in and around the Swell. While many of the trails are well marked, some are a little more remote and require a little effort to find. It should also be noted that many of the trails offer no amenities, so bring water, snacks and of course… a camera!

Rochester Panel

1/2 MILE // ABOUT 1 HOUR

The Rochester Rock Art Panel dates back to at least 1300 AD and is one of the best examples of rock art from the Fremont Culture, a culture that included a wide range of ancient hunter-gatherer groups. The panel is at the end of a well marked, easy hike along a branch of Muddy Creek.…

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Joes Valley Reservoir

Joe’s Valley is situated on the Wasatch Plateau in Central Utah. Juniper, pinyon pine and sagebrush cover the area, and aspens and pines dot the surrounding hillsides. The 1,170 acre reservoir is 7000 feet above sea level and offers good fishing for cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, tiger muskie and trophy lake. Boating, water skiing and…

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Eye of Sinbad

3 miles // about 1 hour

For a short, easy hike (3 miles roundtrip) over slickrock, the Eye of Sinbad (also known as Wild Horse Window) offers a unique and surprising destination—a hollowed slickrock chamber complete with natural oculus that frames the sky above.

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Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry

Visit the site of the densest concentration of Jurassic-aged dinosaur bones ever found. More than 12,000 bones from at least 74 individual prehistoric animals have been excavated here. See replicas of a dinosaur skeleton and dinosaur skulls, explore hands-on exhibits, and visit an excavation pit where you’ll see dinosaur bones preserved in the mudstone just…

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Swinging Bridge

The San Rafael Bridge, locally known as the swinging bridge was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938. The swinging bridge was the only bridge over the San Rafael River until the 1990s. Though you can no longer drive on the bridge, it is perfectly safe to walk on. Water height of the river…

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Fossil Point

A walk back in time. At Fossil Point, you can view dinosaur bones dating back to the Jurassic Era, 145 million years ago. Visitors who climb to the top of the point are rewarded with a closeup look at the huge bones of a Sauropod. Don’t forget to check out the view while you are…

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Millsite State Park

Camp in the quiet campground, boat and fish on the clear blue waters of the reservoir, explore the trails on two/four wheels, or try your swing on the nearby golf course. Millsite State Park is a secluded 435-acre lake at the mouth of scenic Ferron Canyon. This Utah State Park reservoir is a popular fishery and…

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Manti-La Sal National Forest

In 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt created the Manti Forest Reserve, which in 1908 became the National Forest. The Energy Loop National Scenic Byway connects both the Huntington and Eccles Canyons that wind through the old Manti Forest Reserve. The National Forest offers numerous campgrounds, hiking, biking, horseback riding, cold reservoirs, top-notch fly fishing, snowmobiling, cross-country…

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Dead Horse Point

Located to the southeast of Green River, this park offers impressive vistas and a night sky that was made for campers. Situated 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, on the edge of Canyonlands National Park, this ever-changing landscape is immense and breathtaking. From evidence of ancient hunters knapping tools for the hunt to tales of…

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Black Dragon Pictograph

Black Dragon Canyon cuts through the eastern cliff line of the San Rafael Swell, a rough, wild landscape that is commonly referred to as the San Rafael Reef. Named after the rock art panel on the canyon wall that features what looks like a flying dragon. A deep, sinuous canyon adorned with Native American rock…

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Arches National Park

ATTRACTION TYPE Arches National Park features over 2,000 natural sandstone arches that more than 1 million visitors come from far and wide to see each year. Vibrant colors make these fragile geological formations a sight to see in the desert. Within the park’s more than 75,000 acres, you will find a myriad of other strange…

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Goblin Valley State Park

Explore Goblin Valley’s otherworldly landscape, featuring unique “hoodoo” sandstone rock formations (also known as “goblins”) formed by erosion over millions of years. Home to one of the clearest, darkest night skies in the world, Goblin Valley is a popular destination for stargazers, and has been officially designated an International Dark Sky Park. As part of…

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Little Wild Horse Canyon

Up to 8 MILES // ABOUT 4 HOURS

Little Wild Horse Canyon is a slot canyon formed by water rushing through the cracks in the sandstone rocks of the San Rafael Swell. Hikers follow the canyon as it twists and turns through brightly colored and textured rocks. This popular hike is a great introduction to canyon exploration for beginners and families. Little Wild…

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Good Water Rim

One of the best mountain bike rides in Utah. 15 miles of singletrack following the edge of Good Water Canyon. Biked as a loop the trail is 21 miles of upper-intermediate level riding that seems to go on forever. With stunning views around every corner, you are hoping that it never ends. Intermediate riders can…

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Manti-La Sal National Forest

In 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt created the Manti Forest Reserve, which in 1908 became the National Forest. The Energy Loop National Scenic Byway connects both the Huntington and Eccles Canyons that wind through the old Manti Forest Reserve. The National Forest offers numerous campgrounds, hiking, biking, horseback riding, cold reservoirs, top-notch fly fishing, snowmobiling, cross-country…

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Capital Reef National Park

Cliffs, canyons, domes and bridges make this park a geological wonder well-worth exploring. Capitol Reef is a hiker’s dream with no shortage of trails. From day hiking to backcountry hiking, the area rewards any and all efforts to get out and explore nature. The park rewards visitors with large sandstone domes, pillars, waterfalls and mysterious…

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San Rafael Swell Utah Map

Arches National Park

ATTRACTION TYPE Arches National Park features over 2,000 natural sandstone arches that more than 1 million visitors come from far and wide to see each year. Vibrant colors make these fragile geological formations a sight to see in the desert. Within the park’s more than 75,000 acres, you will find a myriad of other strange…

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Ding & Dang Canyons

One outing, two canyons, countless challenges. This popular loop hike takes experienced hikers through two slot canyons. Where Little Wild Horse can be crowded, Ding and Dang Canyons offer solitude and a more challenging trek, and at times require semi-technical scrambling. For the easiest path, climb up Ding Canyon and descend Dang Canyon where you…

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San Rafael Swell Utah Weather

Robbers Roost

Where outlaws once hid out. The inhospitable terrain of Robbers Roost served as a fortress-like stronghold where outlaws kept stolen cattle and horses, stored weapons, and hid from authorities. One such outlaw who used the area as a hideout and refuge, Butch Cassidy, gained notoriety by robbing trains and banks with his gang, the Wild…

Learn More×Cutting through the west edge of the San Rafael Swell, the long drainage of Muddy Creek has many narrow tributaries, the majority on the remote west side, reachable only by 4WD tracks and/or cross country hiking. Land to the east is more accessible, via the good roads to Tomsich Butte and Hidden Splendor, and while there are fewer ravines here, at least one forms a good slot - this is Music Canyon, unmarked on topo maps but named (recently) for the favorable acoustics of an enclosed chamber near the lower end, shortly before the junction with Muddy Creek.
Only a hundred feet or so of the canyon is easily explorable from the creek, before a dryfall blocks the way, but all the slot may be seen if starting from the top, after a 3.5 mile walk down the open, upper part of the drainage. Even here, ropes are needed in three places, to pass falls of up to 20 feet; the ravine above the first such obstacle is not so enclosed, though still quite scenic. The canyon is certainly remote, 25 miles from the nearest paved road, but receives more visitors than might be expected since canyoneering training courses are sometimes held here, the few rappels being relatively simple.

Map

Topographic map of Music Canyon.

Photographs

13 views of Music Canyon.

Location

Music Canyon may be reached beginning either at I-70 exit 129, or Temple Mountain Road near Goblin Valley. From the interstate, a well maintained gravel track crosses generally flat, grassy terrain for 14 miles to a junction with the other route, which is rather narrow and bumpy for a while as it winds through the upturned, reddish-brown strata of the Moenkopi Formation, but improves further west, once past Flat Top butte. Continuing south, the track is smooth and level as it traverses the central grasslands of McKay Flat, and reaches another intersection after 9 miles; straight on leads to Tomsich Butte while the left fork is to Hidden Splendor Mine. The start point for the Music Canyon hike is 4 miles south along the mine road, which is a little narrower than before but still a good route suitable for all vehicles, running at the foot of a long line of grey sandstone cliffs (Big Ridge) then descending slightly and crossing the very upper end of the target drainage. Parking is limited hereabouts owing to high verges, but some parts of the track are wide enough for vehicles to be left at the side of the roadway. Other landmarks in the vicinity are an abandoned car a short distance south, and a line of straight cliffs to the north, made of dark, weathered, fractured sandstone - a feature that continues northwestwards for 2 miles, bordering the north side of the drainage, and also extends a long way south.

Route Description

A short walk downhill from the road leads to the streambed of Music Canyon, which is then followed for 3.5 miles to the start of the narrows. The drainage drops down steeply in the upper end, descending via dryfalls and boulder piles, but soon becomes much flatter, and most of the hike is along the nearly level floor of coarse sand or slickrock. The surrounding rocks (Moenkopi Formation) have the usual mix of different colors, textures and eroded shapes, but overall the scenery is little changing for 2 miles, until the stream bends to the left (southwest) and becomes very wide for a while. Eventually the cliffs at either side start to come closer, and the drainage gradually slots up, forming lengthy enclosed passages, moderately narrow - this after a descent of nearly 1,000 feet from the trailhead. The first major obstacle is a chokestone that creates an overhanging drop of ten feet, just after a level section where sand has built up allowing a few bushes to grow in the otherwise vegetation-free passageways; this also the first point where climbing back up is difficult without ropes. Shortly after is a larger drop, followed by two more, before the canyon, now dark and enclosed, joins Muddy Creek in the middle of its narrowest section (the Chute). In general, the rocks in the narrows of Music Canyon are greyish-brown in color and not especially pretty, irregular and angular rather than smooth and polished.

Similar Canyons

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