Fiddler Cove Canyon

Fiddler Cove Canyon is a spectacular and isolated canyon system that drains into the Dirty Devil River. The canyon is seldom visited and there are many places to explore. Sections of the canyon are deep and wide and other sections are narrow and sinuous.

There are many huge pinnacles and rock formations in this canyon system and the canyon is scenic and bears striking resemblance to the Maze located in Canyonlands National Park and to the north. Unlike the Maze however, there are no crowds here and no red tape or permits required for hiking and backpacking. Rock Climbers could have a heyday out here but I know of no technical climbs that have been done thus far.

There are several driving routes that can be used to access the Fiddler Canyon system.

Via Poison Springs and the Dirty Devil River

We access the Fiddler Cove Canyon via Hatch Canyon and from Poison Springs Canyon south of Hanksville. From Hanksville, drive south on Highway 95 to very near mile marker 17. Turn left on the Poison Springs Road.

The Poison Springs Road is sometimes rough and sometimes fairly smooth; it depends on how recently it has been bladed. More often than not, it requires 4wd. Drive the sometimes rough road 15 miles to the Dirty Devil River.

Via Hatch Canyon System

You park here, but if you have a really good 4wd, you can get closer to the canyon via Hatch Canyon; at least there is less wading.

With a good 4wd, cross the Dirty Devil River and follow the road on the other side. This rough road will take you around (use a map!) Point 4706 on the topo map. Park just east of the point.

Via Red Benches

This is a good option to access the Fiddler Cove system. From Hanksville, drive south on Highway 95 to between mile markers 46 and 47. Turn left on the “Hite Road”. This road is often 4wd, but can sometimes be driven very carefully in a car with reasonable clearance.

Drive the Hite Road for 2.9 miles. Turn left on a faint 4wd road. Drive the track for 1.4 miles and park next to an old corral.

There are several possibilities to access the canyon system overland. One option is to follow the Dirty Devil River down canyon to Hatch Canyon. This is an easy hike, but with lots of wading.

You can also access Fiddler Cove via the Hatch Canyon system. Here is the route we took when doing both canyons at the same time. From east of Point 4706, you can scramble down into the canyon system and explore from there. This is a class 3 route and steep. Once in Hatch Canyon, you can follow it down to Fiddler Cove Canyon (and the Dirty Devil River).

Yet another option to access this canyon is from the Red Benches and overland to Fiddler Cove Canyon. This route will take several days, but requires less driving on rough roads and is an excellent option.

Fiddler Cove Canyon via Red Benches

Note: Make sure to have a good map when traveling this route!

From the corral/trailhead, head north up the nameless canyon. Hike up the canyon for about two and a half miles to where it narrows. Near Point 5025T on the topo map, look for a large alcove on the right side of the canyon. Climb to the alcove and head east for a few hundred yards. Look for a chimney accessing the rim. You will now hike around and to the north of Point 5025T and drop to the head of the canyon.

Now, the real routefinding begins! Make sure to keep the topo map in hand at all times for the route across the Red Benches. This route can be muddy in winter or after a storm, but is usually open, hot and shadeless and a fiery heat oven during the warm season. Cool weather is best.

Observe the Stair Canyon Quad Topo map. Notice the little fin in Fiddler Cove Canyon just east of the word “Canyon” on the topo map. This is your goal. Route find the several miles across the badlands of the Red Benches to the rock fin a mile east of the mouth of Fiddler Cove Canyon. Just west of the rock fin is the route accessing the canyon. There is an old cattle trail here, but it has been mostly washed out.
Once at the bottom of the canyon you can explore up canyon or down canyon. Going down canyon there are several large and impressive rock towers and fins. Going up canyon there are many impressive alcoves and high walls. There are a few campsites, but the best campsites are probably in nearby Hatch Canyon.

Expect to take 2-3 days to explore Fiddler Canyon via Red Benches and 3-4 days to explore both Hatch and Fiddler Canyons via this route.

Fiddler Cove Canyon via Hatch Canyon

The two canyons join near the Dirty Devil River. See the Hatch Canyon Betabase page for directions into Hatch Canyon.

None.