Canyoneering Route Description

Cheesebox Canyon - 3B III
Cedar Mesa, Utah.

Quick Facts

10-02-10, 3 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 7.25 hours) Pictures Icon

Time Required - 7 to 9 hours
Distance - 4.9 miles Total, 2.9 miles Technical
Rappels - 3 Rappels, Longest Rappel 30 feet.
Elevation Range - 6550 - 5600 Feet
Shuttle Required -Yes 3.2 Miles Vehicle - High Clearance 4WD Permit Required - No

Gear Used for Canyon

Rappelling and anchor gear, Ropes and or pull cords for rappels up to 30 feet and 40 feet of 1 inch webbing for sling placement.   Wet suits are suggested since the water can get quite chilly in some spots.  Since most of the swims are short you might be able to go without wet suits only in hot weather.  A 3mm full works well.

General Comments

Cheesebox Canyon is a mix of narrows and wide open canyon to walk, both scenic enough to deserve attention.   

The approach route described here will get you down into Cheesebox but is likely not the optimal route in.  The route should be modified slightly and if I get around to going through again I will try to update this.  The modification will likely be to stay further left on the approach and skirt wide around the rim of the drainages.  

On the drive in some 2wd vehicles might make it but this is rough and I am recommending 4wd.  Road conditions around White Canyon are subject to change depending on recent rain activity.

Driving Directions

To get to the Trailhead

If traveling southeast on highway 95:
On highway 95 there is a bridge that crosses over the upper end of Lake Powel named Hite Crossing.  From the center of the bridge at Hite Crossing Drive 19.2 miles southeast on highway 95 to the turn off (extSanJuan227a) for the San Juan County Road 227A (labeled on some maps as county road 2271).  This is near a point on the map labeled as Soldiers Crossing.  

If traveling northwest on highway 95:
From the junction of highway 95 and highway 276 drive 17 miles northwest on highway 95 to the turn off (extSanJuan227a) for the San Juan County Road 227A (labeled on some maps as county road 2271).  This is near a point on the map labeled as Soldiers Crossing. There are two junctions of highways 95 and 276.  The junction referenced here is the one about 36 miles southeast of Hite Crossing.  

Turn east onto County Road 227A and drive about 700 feet to a gate across the road (wSoldierXingGt).  On the way over to the gate you may notice a small fenced in cemetery a ways off the road.  That is where some soldiers are buried who were killed by Indians and is why this area is called Soldiers Crossing.  

The gate should be kept shut.  When you get there open the gate drive through them close the gate behind you.  

After the gate the road will turn right (south) and drop down into White Canyon.  A few hundred feet south in White Canyon the road will sweep left and work up out of White Canyon before continuing east on the other side.  

The section down to and crossing White Canyon is the part where 4wd may be needed.  The rest of the road should be fine with a 2wd vehicle.  

After getting to the other side of White Canyon the road continues east following the south side of Found Mesa.  There are lots of spots along the road with wide open spots of slick rock where parking cars to set up camp would be nice.  

After driving 8 miles from highway 95 you are at the parking spot for the exit of Cheesebox Canyon (PkCheeseBoxBt).  This is about 1.5 miles south along the road after passing by the highpoint on Found Mesa.  

Note:
There is no easily described feature or signage to know you are in the correct spot for the parking at the exit.  GPS is helpful here.  On the left (north) side of the road you should be able to see a short squat tower of rock (maybe a butte by some definitions) located along the vertical wall along Found Mesa.  You should also be able to see The Cheesebox to the south about 1.7 miles away.  These two points and your parking spot should almost line up in a line.  

To get to the parking spot for the start continue driving northeast along the County Road 227A.  About 1.4 miles after the exit parking spot will be a barbed wire fence that crosses the road (wCheeseboxDP-1).  Then drive another 1.8 miles to the parking spot for the start of the Cheesebox route (PkCheeseBoxTp).  Alternately you could walk from the exit parking spot and do the route as a loop.   

Note:
There are also few visual cues to describe the start of route parking spot.  The spot is very close to the eastern end of Found Mesa.  Near the end of the mesa is another small hill.  Your parking spot will be close to the saddle between the small hill and the southern end of Found Mesa.

To leave the Exit Vehicle / Escape Pod

Drop a vehicle at the bottom exit parking spot (PkCheeseBoxBt) while driving to the start point.  See the directions for getting to the trailhead.

Maps

GPS coordinate information listed at the bottom.  For information about waypoint naming and map symbols, refer to the Glossary page.

Map Link Icon
Click the links for maps of the route. Map of the drive into the route.
Map of the route.

Details

The Approach:
From the parking spot at the start of the route (PkCheeseBoxTp), walk about 600 feet south east across the flat land over to the head of a drainage (wCheeseApRP-01).  Continue south east along the left (east) side of the drainage which will gradually get larger and present a few large drops along it.  Stay up out of the drainage and follow along the left (east) side. This drainage does not show on topo maps as a line for water but is noticed by looking at the shape of the contour lines.  

About 0.4 miles after leaving the road the drainage will be quite large and there will be drop of about 30 or 40 feet (wCheeseApRP-02).  This is also where another minor drainage is joining in from the east.  This minor drainage joining in from the east also does not show on topo maps as a line for water but is noticed by looking at the shape of the contour lines.  

When you get to this drop (wCheeseApRP-02) follow the rim along the side of the drainage about 0.2 miles out to a point (wCheeseApRP-03).  This point is on the side of another large drainage joining in from the left (east).  The drainage here does show as a water line on topo maps and is a small fork of Cheesebox Canyon.   

From the point, turn left and walk east along a ledge of the rim of this fork of Cheesbox about 500 feet and cross over to the south side of that drainage where it is less shallow (wCheeseApRP-04).  The cross over point is about 850 feet west of a point 6523T on the 7.5 minute maps.  

After crossing over the fork of Cheesebox, walk west along the other side of the drainage staying relatively high on the rim.  About 800 feet along the rim from where you crossed the drainage look for a spot to drop down into the fork of Cheesebox (wCheeseApRP-05).  The drop down into the fork of Cheesebox is a steep dirt slope with a couple boulders to get around.  From the top of this down climb you have a great view down the fork of Cheesebox and can see the main drainage of Cheesebox about 1000 feet ahead to the south.  

Once down in the fork of Cheesebox walk about 350 feet down canyon (south) where you will find a large drop in the water course (wCheeseApRP-06).  Work around the drop on the left (east) side.  As you get around the drop follow along the left (east) rim about 600 feet and look for a way to climb down into the main Cheesebox Canyon.  

When you get down into Cheesebox Canyon (yCheeseboxTp) it is a good time to stop for a break and put on the wet suits if you plan on using them.

The Canyoneering / Technical Section:
From the drop in to Cheesebox Canyon (yCheeseboxTp) walk down canyon (south west).   

After a couple hundred feet will be the start of the first narrow section.  This section is about 1000 feet long with a few easy down climbs of about 4 or 5 feet each.  Most of the pools in this section are only about waist deep with one being chest high or maybe a swimmer for a few feet depending on water levels.  The mud in this section is very slick and clay like and sticks to everything.  

Next the canyon opens up to some easy wash walking.  A few hundred feet after exiting the first narrows will be a boulder blocking the wash which you can crawl under LDC or scramble up and around RDC.  The boulder blockage (wCheeseCnRP-01) is about 0.3 miles down canyon of the drop in point.  

About 300 feet down canyon of the boulder is the start of the another narrow section.  This next narrows is short, not very deep with one down climb of about 6 feet.  

Next is an easy wash walk for about 400 feet to the start of another narrows (wCheeseCnRP-02).  From the top of this narrows you have a great view down canyon over the narrows and can see a prominent ledge on the LDC side.  At the head of this narrows section is a boulder field which you will need to down climb through to drop into the narrows.  This narrow section is deep and twisty with some pools to wade / swim through depending on water levels and a few down climbs of 6 to 8 feet to get down.  

Next is a short wash walk for a couple hundred feet to the start of the another narrows (wCheeseCnRP-03).  At the start of this narrows is a down climb of about 12 feet in a tight slot to drop down into it.  

Rap 1 (dCheeseBoxR1) is about 150 feet down canyon after the 12 foot down climb.  Rap 1 is anchored from a choke stone and drops about 15 feet to a pool below that will be between shin and waist deep.  Rap 1 can be down climbed by stemming out over it then down but is not recommended.  Just after exiting the pool at the bottom of rap 1, look LDC for an arch in the wall.  

After rap 1 the narrows continues for about 900 feet with pools that may be waist deep or short swims depending on water level and a few easy down climbs.  There are a couple narrow spots along this narrows where travel will be easier with a small pack but a large one can forced through.  

There will be a short section of easy walking in a section with high walls before reaching the top of another narrows which also has boulder debris to navigate down to get to the floor.  Rap 2 (dCheeseBoxR2) starts in this boulder pile.

Rap 2 (dCheeseBoxR2) is about 1000 feet down canyon of rap 1.  From the top of the boulder pile look for a hole to climb down in among the boulders where you should find an anchor for rap 2 slung around one of the boulders.  There are other anchor options here but taking the one down in the hole will have you rap down a beautiful slot with awesome lighting for pictures.  Rap 2 drops about 25 feet.  

After rap 2 are a couple pools to stem over before the canyon opens up for more easy wash walking.  About 600 feet down canyon of rap 2 will be a drop of about 5 feet along the otherwise easy walk down canyon.  Next to this drop is an obvious drainage joining in from the right (north west).  

About 80 feet down canyon of this drainage is the start of another narrows and is where you will find rap 3.  

Rap 3 (dCheeseBoxR3) is at the start of another narrow section.  There is more boulder debris at the start of this narrows as well.  Rap 3 is anchored from one of the rocks at the top of the boulder pile and drops down through a hole about 30 feet.  

There are obvious large ledges RDC and LDC of the boulder debris in the start of the narrows.  It is possible to down climb around rap 3 down from the ledge on the RDC side about 80 feet down canyon.  

From the bottom of rap 3, walk down canyon in a deep narrow section and under a pile of rock and log debris.  The narrows after rap 3 are short and easy before the canyon widens out.  

Shortly down canyon is a boulder field of huge boulders to scramble down.  In the middle of this boulder field another very large drainage joins in from LDC (jCheeseBoxE-Fk).  This large drainage joining in from the left is the East Fork of Cheesebox Canyon.  

About 150 feet down canyon of the junction with the East Fork is a down climb of about 12 feet LDC.  A hand line can be set for those not comfortable with it.  After the down climb is a long but wide narrow section of the canyon which then starts to tighten up.  This narrows down canyon of the junction with the East Fork has quite a few pools that will be swimmers under most water conditions.  Some of the swims are along long sections between narrow walls.  There are also a few down climbs of 6 to 8 feet each.  

As the narrow section opens up about 900 feet down canyon of the junction with the East Fork) it is a nice easy walk down canyon with a couple boulder fields to navigate around.   

Travel is easy for about 0.5 miles to where an obvious drainage joins in from RDC (wCheeseCnRP-04).  Then easy travel continues another 0.4 miles to the start of another narrows (wCheeseCnRP-05).  

The start of the narrows after the nearly 1 mile of easy travel is very narrow with a ledge along the top left side that looks like it could be used to bypass the narrows.  If you want the full experience this narrows should not be skipped.  Dropping down into the narrows involves an easy stem down climb of about 8 feet.  The rest of the narrows is about 500 feet long with a series of long narrow pools to wade of swim through.  There is a lot of floating tree debris that smells really bad like it has been rotting there for quite a while.  The ground under water at the bottom of the pools is almost pudding like for almost a foot down.  Everything (including your skin) will hold onto this smell well into the next day so be prepared to clean up after or deal with the stench (a cross between raw sewage and bad sausage) for a while.    

After the stinky pool the canyon opens up a lot and is easy walking down a wide flat wash bottom.   

About 0.5 down canyon of the stinky pool is a very large bowl shaped indent in the LDC wall (wCheeseCnRP-06).  There is a drainage joining in here when looking at a map but from in the canyon it looks like only a large bowl shaped cut out along the LDC wall.  About 100 feet down canyon of this bowl cut out are 3 huge almost house sized boulders on the floor of the wash.  They are easy to walk around but make a good visual cue that you are not to the exit yet.  

After the huge boulders and the bowl shaped cut out continue down canyon about 0.2 miles to another narrow slot (wCheeseCnRP-07).  This slot is only about 200 feet long in some light colored sandstone and can easily be bypassed along a ledge LDC.  

After the last narrows there is a cotton wood tree in the wash bottom on the LDC side about 300 feet down canyon of the exit from the last narrows.  The exit out of Cheesebox (yCheeseboxBt) is half way between the exit of the last narrows and the cotton wood tree.  

The start of the exit (yCheeseboxBt) may have cairns placed but don’t count on it.  Look up the sloped RDC side of the canyon about 150 feet after the last narrows.

The Exit:
From the start of the exit out of Cheesebox Canyon (yCheeseboxBt) look up the sloped RDC side of the canyon.  

About 150 feet after the exit of the last narrows start up the sloped RDC wall while traversing down canyon.   

After getting about 60 feet up out of the wash will be a point where it is not obvious if you should go up canyon or down canyon to find a better way to climb out.  Continue traversing down canyon around a ledge to find an easy walk up to a wide open hanging valley just down canyon of where you exited (wCheeseExRP-01).  

Continue west toward the hanging valley and work along use trails up to a large bowl shaped drainage.  There is a lot of crypto biotic soil in the area so try to stay on use trails to minimize impact.  

When you get up into the hanging valley continue west and look for options to climb up as you traverse west.  On the west side of the hanging valley is the easiest place to climb up (wCheeseExRP-02) to the next ledge system.  

After getting up to the next higher ledge, turn north east and start climbing up to a large, bowl shaped drainage.  Continue about 0.2 miles up this bowl shaped drainage navigating a few up climbs along the way.  

Near the top out of the bowl shaped drainage (wCheeseExRP-03) start looking for use trails to follow north west back to the road where the exit vehicle was parked.  There is a lot of crypto biotic soil here as well.  Try to stay on use trails where possible.  The road where you parked the exit vehicle will be about 0.2 miles to the north west (PkCheeseBoxBt).

GPS Waypoint Information

Downloadable GPX files available at BG-Gear Store (easier than manual entry and a great way to support Bluugnome).
Waypoint naming convention and map symbol information can be found on the Glossary page.  Elevations are approximate.
BEFORE manually entering coordinates set your system to WGS84 datum and Lat/Lon hddd.ddddd° coordinate format. 
Inconsistent datum's and coordinate formats will result in location errors.

Click to show / expand the list of waypoints below........
Cheesebox 1 - Drive to Trailhead
  1. extSanJuan227a          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.68336   W -110.22044        Elev: 4,950 Feet
    Turn off of Hwy 95 to San Juan County Road 227a. Some maps list this as County Road 2271. This is near a point on maps labeled as Soldiers Crossing.
  2. wSoldierXingGt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.68455   W -110.21910        Elev: 4,925 Feet
    Gate in the road near Soldiers Crossing. Large clearing on tehleft just past the gate where a few cars can park to camp.
  3. PkCheeseBoxBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67333   W -110.09358        Elev: 5,970 Feet
    Parking for the exit of Cheesebox Canyon.
  4. wCheeseboxDP-1          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.69027   W -110.08375        Elev: 6,185 Feet
    Wood post and barbed wire fence that crosses the road.
  5. PkCheeseBoxTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.71093   W -110.06607        Elev: 6,550 Feet
    Park here for the start of the Cheesebox route.
Cheesebox 2 - Approach
  1. PkCheeseBoxTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.71093   W -110.06607        Elev: 6,550 Feet
    Park here for the start of the Cheesebox route.
  2. wCheeseApRP-01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.70922   W -110.06583        Elev: NaN Feet
    There is a drop off here at the start of a drainage. Continue south east along the left (east) side.
  3. wCheeseApRP-02          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.70653   W -110.06304        Elev: NaN Feet
    To the left (east) of a large drop that is in the drainage you are following.
  4. wCheeseApRP-03          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.70386   W -110.06248        Elev: 0 Feet
    A point you will hike around.
  5. wCheeseApRP-04          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.70438   W -110.06092        Elev: 6,410 Feet
    Point where you can cross over a side drainage that joins in from the east.
  6. wCheeseApRP-05          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.70260   W -110.06227        Elev: NaN Feet
    Drop down into the fork of Cheesebox here. THe drop down will be a scramble down dirt and boulders.
  7. wCheeseApRP-06          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.70165   W -110.06217        Elev: NaN Feet
    A drop in the wash. Work around it on the left.
  8. yCheeseboxTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.70019   W -110.06096        Elev: 6,150 Feet
    Top entry for Cheesebox Canyon.
Cheesebox 3 - The Canyon, Cheese Boox
  1. yCheeseboxTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.70019   W -110.06096        Elev: 6,150 Feet
    Top entry for Cheesebox Canyon.
  2. wCheeseCnRP-01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.69698   W -110.06254        Elev: 6,080 Feet
    Large boulder blocking the wash. Scramble around it RDC or crawl under it LDC.
  3. wCheeseCnRP-02          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.69516   W -110.06395        Elev: NaN Feet
    Start of a narrows with a boulder field of rocks to down climb through to get into it. Walking up to this spot you have a view down canyon over the top of the third narrows with a prominent ledge on the LDC side.
  4. wCheeseCnRP-03          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.69366   W -110.06476        Elev: NaN Feet
    Start of a narrows which is a couple hundred feet down canyon of the last narrows.
  5. dCheeseBoxR1          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.69326   W -110.06468        Elev: 6,015 Feet
    Rap 1 - Cheesebox Canyon. Anchored from a choke stone and drops about 15 feet to a pool below that will be between shin and waist deep.
  6. dCheeseBoxR2          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.69181   W -110.06753        Elev: NaN Feet
    Rap 2 - Cheesebox Canyon. Ancored from one of the boulders in the debris and drops about 25 feet down into a narrows.
  7. dCheeseBoxR3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.69065   W -110.06944        Elev: NaN Feet
    Rap 3 - Cheesebox Canyon. Anchored from a rock at the top of the boulder pil and drops 30 feet through a hole.
  8. jCheeseBoxE-Fk          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.68950   W -110.06934        Elev: 5,860 Feet
    Another large drainage joins in from RDC in the middle of a boulder field of some huge boulders.
  9. wCheeseCnRP-04          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.68348   W -110.07549        Elev: 5,720 Feet
    Obvious drainage joins in from RDC along the long easy walk.
  10. wCheeseCnRP-05          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67908   W -110.07845        Elev: NaN Feet
    Start of the stinky narrows with rotting biomass in the pools.
  11. wCheeseCnRP-06          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67350   W -110.08352        Elev: NaN Feet
    A drainage is shown here on the map but while in canyon it looks like it is just a huge bowl on the LDC side of the canyon. About 100 feet down canyon of this are 3 house sized boulders along the floor of the wash. This makes for a visual cue to help let you know you are in the right place.
  12. wCheeseCnRP-07          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67164   W -110.08643        Elev: NaN Feet
    Start of the last narrows just before reaching the exit point. This narrows can easily be bypassed along a the LDC side.
  13. yCheeseboxBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67090   W -110.08648        Elev: 5,600 Feet
    Bottom exit out of Cheesebox Canyon. THe exit out is up the RDC side of the canyon about 150 feet after the exit of the last narrows.
Cheesebox 4 - Exit
  1. yCheeseboxBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67090   W -110.08648        Elev: 5,600 Feet
    Bottom exit out of Cheesebox Canyon. THe exit out is up the RDC side of the canyon about 150 feet after the exit of the last narrows.
  2. wCheeseExRP-01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.66973   W -110.08727        Elev: NaN Feet
    This is where you get a view of a large ledge system down canyon of where you started the climb out.
  3. wCheeseExRP-02          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.66871   W -110.09035        Elev: 5,741 Feet
    Place to climb up to the next highest ledge system.
  4. wCheeseExRP-03          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67156   W -110.08933        Elev: 5,920 Feet
    Near the top out of the bowl shaped drainage. From here turn north west and follow use trails back to the road to the exit vehicle.
  5. PkCheeseBoxBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67333   W -110.09358        Elev: 5,970 Feet
    Parking for the exit of Cheesebox Canyon.

Content is protected by copyright and may not be distributed without permission from BluuGnome.com.