Grand Gulch Gear Checklist
Grand Gulch is a dry, brushy, sandy canyon full of ruins, and the pack is built around water, waste and the fragile sites. The BLM bans fires, bans washing in or near water, sets a cat hole depth for human waste and makes you carry out used toilet paper. Backpackers who have walked it describe an unreliable water picture, with ranger reports that did not match the canyon, so they carry far more than the springs promise and bring a filter that copes with silt. Long pants, a stove and a downloaded map round out the load.
What shapes your gear on Grand Gulch
- Route lengths people report
- A three-day trip down Bullet Canyon and up Grand Gulch to Kane Gulch covered roughly 20 miles. A group walking Kane Gulch to Bullet Canyon logged 29 miles in two days after water forced a longer first day, and says the point-to-point gains 1,600 feet. A route page lists Kane to Bullet at about 25 miles, Kane to Collins at about 40 and the lower gulch out and back at about 36.
From Backcountry Post: Backpacking The Grand Gulch - Utah, October 2024, Girl on a Hike and Fastest Known Time
- Permit, fee and group size
- Overnight backpacking in the Cedar Mesa canyons, Grand Gulch among them, takes a Recreation.gov permit at $15 per person for the trip plus a $6 reservation fee. The maximum group is 12. One 2021 group of four paid $66 in total. Reservations opened 90 days before the entry date for that group.
From Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) and Girl on a Hike
- Ranger Station season
- The Kane Gulch Ranger Station is open March 1 to June 15 and September 1 to October 31, Thursday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon, and the BLM calls it the only physical place to get these permits. Recreation.gov says in-person check-in is not required for Cedar Mesa backpacking permits, but a stop gets you current conditions. A BLM trail map dated 2016 listed different station hours, so confirm before you drive out.
From Bureau of Land Management, Utah: Kane Gulch Ranger Station, Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) and Bureau of Land Management, Utah: Grand Gulch map and visitor information (produced April 2016)
- What water was like in different years
- In a 2022 thread, Kane Gulch held plenty of water except the last half mile above the junction, and the side-canyon springs Green, Step and Dripping had water that took a walk up the canyon to find. After days of rain in October 2024, water was plentiful on the Bullet-to-Kane route. In 2021 a writer said the whole Kane Gulch area had been dry for two years, with only two reliable water sources to filter.
From Backcountry Post: Springs in Grand Gulch 2022, Backcountry Post: Backpacking The Grand Gulch - Utah, October 2024 and Girl on a Hike
- Ranger water reports versus the canyon
- In 2021 a ranger told one group by phone that the water was flowing from junction to junction, and groups coming out said Kane Gulch was dry. A forum poster in 2022 says rangers had told groups the year before there was plenty between Kane and Bullet, and those groups ran short. Another poster in that thread says not every ranger knows the area, and advises asking as many people as you can.
From Girl on a Hike and Backcountry Post: Springs in Grand Gulch 2022
- Season and heat
- One writer reached 80 degrees in April and calls March and November the best months, with summer extremely hot and winter cold and windy. Another calls spring and fall ideal and prefers the second half of April. A lower-gulch run started at 35 degrees and finished at 85.
From Girl on a Hike, Andrew Skurka and Fastest Known Time
- Ground and navigation
- The walk crosses the dry creek bed dozens of times and needs some small scrambling and bushwhacking. Recreation.gov says there are no constructed trails or directional signs. One guide warns that use trails are not maintained, cairns are unreliable, water is scarce and cell service does not exist.
From Backcountry Post: Backpacking The Grand Gulch - Utah, October 2024, Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) and Andrew Skurka
- How crowded it felt
- A group in October 2024 says only 2 of the day's 20 permits were in use, theirs, and they met just a handful of other hikers. A 2021 writer said you could not go more than 2 miles without seeing another group, and called it no place for solitude.
From Backcountry Post: Backpacking The Grand Gulch - Utah, October 2024 and Girl on a Hike
What the agency requires on Grand Gulch
An overnight backpacking permit, with a group of 12 or fewer
Backpacking permits are required year-round in the canyons of Cedar Mesa. The fee is $15 per person per trip plus a $6 non-refundable reservation fee, and the maximum group is 12. Full refunds of the per-person fee need 5 days notice.
A stove, since fires are banned
Fires are prohibited in the canyons of Cedar Mesa. Camp stoves, whether canister or liquid fuel, are allowed.
From Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) and Bureau of Land Management, Utah: Grand Gulch map and visitor information (produced April 2016)
Something to dig a 6-inch cat hole, and a bag for used toilet paper
Human waste goes in a cat hole 6 inches deep, at least 200 feet from a water source, trail or campsite, and is covered with soil. Toilet paper must be carried out and cannot be burned or buried.
From Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) and Bureau of Land Management, Utah: Grand Gulch map and visitor information (produced April 2016)
A plan for washing that stays out of the water
Washing, bathing and swimming are not allowed in or near springs, streams and potholes. Pack out all trash.
From Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) and Bureau of Land Management, Utah: Grand Gulch map and visitor information (produced April 2016)
A camp plan that uses existing sites only
Camp only in well-used campsites and do not create new ones. No camping at archaeological sites or alcoves, no camping on the bench around Split Level Ruin, and no camping within one mile of the San Juan River. No party may spend more than two consecutive nights near Junction, Turkey Pen or Jail House or at the mouth of Bullet Canyon.
Leaving the dog, the drone and the climbing gear at home
Pets are not permitted in Grand Gulch, Slickhorn Canyon or their tributaries. Drones are prohibited in the canyons. Rock-climbing equipment may not be used to reach cultural sites, though a safety rope as an aid along a hiking route is allowed.
From Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) and Bureau of Land Management, Utah: Grand Gulch map and visitor information (produced April 2016)
The Visit With Respect video, seen before you go
By accepting the permit you certify that you have seen the Cedar Mesa Visit With Respect video. The ranger station page also says an interpretive video is required for overnight backpackers. The permit holder is legally and financially responsible for damage to cultural or ecological values by anyone on the trip.
From Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) and Bureau of Land Management, Utah: Kane Gulch Ranger Station
What hikers carry on Grand Gulch
A big first-leg water load, and a plan to fill at the few reliable springs
One writer who trusted a ranger and planned on 3 liters says she should have carried 7 to 8 liters, and advises at least 5 liters for drinking and cooking. She also says to carry twice as much water as normal. A 2022 poster says groups came up short between Kane and Bullet. After heavy rain in 2024 another group found plenty.
The BLM trail map says every water source is intermittent and should not be counted on.
From Girl on a Hike, Backcountry Post: Springs in Grand Gulch 2022, Backcountry Post: Backpacking The Grand Gulch - Utah, October 2024 and Bureau of Land Management, Utah: Grand Gulch map and visitor information (produced April 2016)
A filter that handles silt and shallow pools
A pump-style filter was her pick because pools were too shallow to dip a gravity filter or a squeeze filter. A forum thread warns that standing pools can hold algae that clogs a filter, run brown or smell bad, and that seeps are often just mud holes. Posters suggest running murky water through a charcoal filter, and one stresses using the ceramic element to protect a paper one. One group filtered for 1.5 hours and still got green water from a pour-off.
From Girl on a Hike and Backpacking Light forums
A trick for filling from a shallow seep
A poster in the 2022 thread says scooping a thin seep into a zip bag works when a bottle cannot reach the water.
Long pants
A writer in shorts came out with scraped legs and large welts from the sage and other plants, and says the canyon bottoms are brushy and dry. Her Bullet Canyon exit was sandier and less bushy.
From Girl on a Hike and Andrew Skurka
A trekking pole to test mud around pools
The ground within a foot of one pool was pure mud and the next group fell in. The writer suggests probing the edge with a hiking pole to gauge depth.
From Girl on a Hike
A downloaded topo map and a GPS app
There are no signs, cairns are unreliable and there is no cell service. One writer photographed the map and the guidebook pages and navigated mainly with a GPS app. A guide suggests printing small-scale topos from a mapping site, and a route page calls the lower gulch route vague to non-existent.
From Girl on a Hike, Andrew Skurka and Fastest Known Time
Shoes with breathable uppers that are not open mesh
A commenter asked about shoes for sandy canyon floors and the guide author picked a breathable upper that is not open-pored. Some sand still got in, but much less than an open mesh would let in.
From Andrew Skurka
A satellite messenger
A route page says to take emergency satellite communication because water is scarce and the route is hard to follow. Another guide notes there is no cell service.
From Fastest Known Time and Andrew Skurka
Your own toilet paper for the trailhead
Bullet Canyon's trailhead has a portable toilet, but the writer says to bring your own paper in case it has run out. Her group also camped in their cars at the trailhead the night before, and campfires are not allowed there.
From Girl on a Hike
12 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Grand Gulch
A light water plan built on a phone call
One group changed their plan to 3 liters after a ranger said the canyon was flowing, then found dry stretches and walked about 17 miles to the first viable spring. Another poster says other groups had the same experience.
From Girl on a Hike and Backcountry Post: Springs in Grand Gulch 2022
Shorts in the sage
Her legs were scraped up on day one in 80 degree weather, and she calls the canyon extremely dry and brushy.
From Girl on a Hike
A gravity or squeeze filter for shallow pools
She says the pools are not deep enough to dip those filters, which is why she recommends a pump.
From Girl on a Hike
Too little water on the lower gulch
A runner covering the lower gulch from Collins Spring to the San Juan River says he did not drink nearly enough water over a long, route-finding day with quicksand, cactus and wind.
From Fastest Known Time
Gear questions for Grand Gulch
How much does a Grand Gulch permit cost?
Recreation.gov lists $15 per person for the trip plus a $6 non-refundable reservation fee. A 2021 group of four paid $66 in total.
From Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) and Girl on a Hike
Do I need to stop at the Kane Gulch Ranger Station for a Grand Gulch permit?
Recreation.gov says in-person check-in is not required for Cedar Mesa backpacking permits, but a stop gets you current conditions and a talk on site etiquette. The BLM page says the station is the only physical place to get these permits, open Thursday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon in spring and fall. Check both before you travel.
From Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) and Bureau of Land Management, Utah: Kane Gulch Ranger Station
How much water should I carry in Grand Gulch?
It depends on the year. One writer says at least 5 liters for drinking and cooking and wishes she had carried 7 to 8. The BLM map warns that every source is intermittent. Do not rely on a phone call for the water report.
From Girl on a Hike, Bureau of Land Management, Utah: Grand Gulch map and visitor information (produced April 2016) and Backcountry Post: Springs in Grand Gulch 2022
Can I have a campfire in Grand Gulch?
No. Fires are prohibited in the canyons of Cedar Mesa, but camp stoves are allowed.
What do I do with human waste in Grand Gulch?
Dig a cat hole 6 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, trails and campsites, and cover it. Carry used toilet paper out because it cannot be burned or buried.
From Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) and Bureau of Land Management, Utah: Grand Gulch map and visitor information (produced April 2016)
Can I bring a dog to Grand Gulch?
No. Pets are not permitted in Grand Gulch or its tributaries. One writer who wanted dogs suggests Fish and Owl Canyons, which take their own permit.
From Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) and Girl on a Hike
Sources
- Cedar Mesa Backpacking Permits, Bears Ears National Monument · Recreation.gov (Bureau of Land Management permit) · Agency
- Kane Gulch Ranger Station · Bureau of Land Management, Utah · Agency
- Grand Gulch map and visitor information (produced April 2016) · Bureau of Land Management, Utah · Agency
- Backpacking Kane Gulch to Bullet Canyon, Cedar Mesa · Girl on a Hike · Blog
- Backpacking The Grand Gulch - Utah, October 2024 · Backcountry Post · Trip report
- Springs in Grand Gulch 2022 · Backcountry Post · Forum thread
- Water filter for Utah canyon country (Grand Gulch, Cedar Mesa)? · Backpacking Light forums · Forum thread
- Quickstart Guide: Cedar Mesa & Grand Gulch, Utah · Andrew Skurka, Andrew Skurka · Blog
- Route: Grand Gulch (UT) · Fastest Known Time, Jason Hardrath · Trip report