Canyoneering Route Description

Benson Creek Canyon - 3B II
Dixie National Forest (Cedar City Dist.), Utah.

Quick Facts

10-25-08, 3 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 4.75 hours) old approach from 3 miles up canyon.. Pictures Icon
09-17-21, 2 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 3.5 hours) bottom up approach.

Time Required - 3 to 4 hours
Distance - 2.8 miles Total, 0.3 miles Technical
Rappels - 4 Rappels, Longest Rappel 105 feet.
Elevation Range - 7090 - 7940 Feet
Shuttle Required -No Vehicle - Passenger Permit Required - No

Gear Used for Canyon

Rappelling and anchor gear, ropes and pull cords for rappels up to 105 feet and 20 feet of 1 inch webbing for sling placement.  Depending on time of year and water flow, rain gear (mostly pants) may be useful to shed water as you will rappel in and next to water.  There are no pools so wetsuits are not helpful.  Water contact is short lived but can be cold with spring snow run off.  It is pretty easy to keep your upper body mostly dry except for the occasional splash but if there is water flow your legs can get significantly wet.

General Comments

Back in 2008 I heard about Benson Creek Canyon, located it on a map and approached it from about 3 miles up stream which also required a car shuttle.  Over the years people have told me there is a short route up from the bottom that requires no shuttle.  In 2021 I finally decided to go back and find the better route which is now described here.  The bottom up route is much shorter with a well defined trail that I am unsure existed when I fist did it.  The large trailhead now used certainly was not there so the area has seen some improvement over the years.

Benson Creek Canyon is a fun casual day out with a short canyon.  The canyon itself is an ice climbing destination for ice climbers in the winter. 

Driving Directions

To get to the Trailhead

Traveling north on I-15, take exit 75 to exit onto W 200 S Street to the city of Parowan. Drive east on W 200 S for about 2.2 miles to an intersection with a Maverik gas station on the right.  Continue straight through the intersection and continue east about 0.4 miles to the intersection with S Canyon Road (highway 143).  Turn right onto S Canyon road and drive 5.4 miles to a large gravel parking area on the left (east) with signage for Parowan Canyon Wildlife Management area and the Hidden Haven Trailhead (HiddenHaven-pk).

To leave the Exit Vehicle / Escape Pod

No exit vehicle is needed.  This is done as a loop route.

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 entire route.

Details

The Approach:
From the parking area (HiddenHaven-pk) follow the trail running north-ish along the creek for about 0.25 miles.

When you get to a large bridge (BensonCrk01), walk across the bridge and continue east-ish on the main trail for about 300 feet.

When you get to a trail junction (BensonCrk02), turn right and walk south up a log-lined side-trail for 0.3 miles and do not follow east up the main trail. As you follow the side trail, stay on well-worn trail passing by a couple not-well-used side-trails to overlooks.

When you get to a trail junction (BensonCrk03), stay right / straight and walk south up the trail for about 0.25 miles. Do not turn left on the trail going down to the east.

When you get to a short section of the trail with overgrown vegetation (BensonCrk04) that may feel like the trail is ending. Continue on the path for about 50 feet to where the vegetation opens up a bit to easy to see trail again. Continue up the steep trail for about 0.25 miles.

When you get to where the trail begins to level off (BensonCrk05), veer left to contour northeast along the hillside. Continue northeast for about 1000 feet.
Note: Over the next 1000 feet are multiple trails all running roughly parallel to one-another. Follow whatever path looks like the most well-worn since all the trails rejoin forming one trail again.

As the trails rejoin into one trail again (BensonCrk06), continue following the trail northeast along the hillside for about 600 feet.

As the rail briefly drops down (BensonCrk07) then back up again as it goes around the crest of the ridge and veers right continuing southeast slowly descending. Follow the trail for about 0.25 miles.

Soon the trail starts to drop more steeply (BensonCrk08) dropping north-ish following a ravine for about 700 feet down into a major wash below.

Once in the main wash (BensonCrk09) walk northwest down the wash for about 150 feet.

Top entry for Benson Creek Canyon (BensonCrkTp) is a steeply dropping section of slickrock. 

The Canyon / Technical Section:
At the top entry for Benson Creek Canyon. Steeply dropping section of slickrock. Scramble over to a large tree on the LDC side for the first rappel.

Rap 1 (BensonCrkR1-2) - 105 feet rope travel. Anchored LDC from a large tree and 105 feet down a water fall into deep canyon with a couple ledges along the rappel. The next rappel is right at the bottom of this rap.
Rap 2 (40 feet rope travel) Anchored RDC about head high from 2 glue-in anchors drops around the corner over 2 stages.
Almost 300 feet down canyon is the next rappel.

Rap 3 (BensonCrkR3) - 40 feet rope travel. Anchored LDC from 2 glue-in anchors and drops about 40 feet.
About 350 feet down canyon is the next rappel.

Rap 4 (BensonCrkR4) - 50 feet rope travel. Anchored LDC from 2 glue-in anchors about 10 feet back from the drop and drops about 40 feet.

[Note] There are also anchors on the RDC side out of the water course but the pull may be problematic due to rough rock to pull ropes over.

Walk down the wash about 600 feet down the wash.

Where a trail exits the wash on the LDC (west) side is the end of the canyon (BensonCrkBt).

The Exit:
From the end of the canyon (BensonCrkBt) a trail exits up out of the wash on the LDC (west) side. Follow the trail northwest about 400 feet.

When you get to a trail junction (BensonCrk10) stay right / straight and follow the main trail north-ish about 400 feet.

When you get to a bridge (BensonCrk11) cross the bridge and continue northwest on the main trail for about 600 feet.

When you get to a trail junction (BensonCrk02) continue west following the main trail for about 300 feet.

When you get to a large bridge (BensonCrk01) walk across the bridge and follow the trail south-ish about 0.25 miles.

At the parking lot (HiddenHaven-pk) your route ends where you parked your car.

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........
Benson Creek (1) - Approach
  1. HiddenHaven-pk          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77219   W -112.84039        Elev: 7,162 Feet
    Large gravel parking area on the east side of the road with sinage for Hidden Haven Trailhead in the Parowan Canyon Wildlife Management Area. FOR Benson Creek Canyon approach - follow the trail running north-ish along the creek for about 0.25 miles. FOR Benson Creek Canyon exit - your route ends where you parked your car.
  2. BensonCrk01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77492   W -112.83850        Elev: 7,090 Feet
    Large Bridge. FOR Benson Creek Canyon approach - walk across the bridge and continue east-ish on the main trail for about 300 feet. FOR Benson Creek Canyon exit - walk across the bridge and follow the trail south-ish about 0.25 miles.
  3. BensonCrk02          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77484   W -112.83752        Elev: 7,099 Feet
    Trail junction. FOR Benson Creek Canyon approach - Turn right and walk south up a log-lined side-trail for 0.3 miles and do not follow east up the main trail. As you follow the side trail, stay on well-worn trail passing by a couple not-well-used side-trails to overlooks. FOR Benson Creek Canyon exit - continue west following the main trail for about 300 feet.
  4. BensonCrk03          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77099   W -112.83808        Elev: 7,255 Feet
    Trail junction. Stay right / straight and walk south up the trail for about 0.25 miles. Do not turn left on the trail going down to the east.
  5. BensonCrk04          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.76855   W -112.84003        Elev: 7,501 Feet
    A short section of the trail with overgrown vegetation that may feel like the trail is ending. Continue on the path for about 50 feet to where the vegetation opens up a bit to easy to see trail again. Continue up the steep trail for about 0.25 miles.
  6. BensonCrk05          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.76680   W -112.83864        Elev: 7,911 Feet
    Trail begins to level off, veer left to contour northeast along the hillside. Continue northeast for about 1000 feet. Note: Over the next 1000 feet are multiple trails all running roughly parallel to one-another. Follow whatever path looks like the most well-worn since all the trails rejoin forming one trail again.
  7. BensonCrk06          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.76828   W -112.83609        Elev: 7,940 Feet
    Trails rejoin into one trail again. Continue following the trail northeast along the hillside for about 600 feet.
  8. BensonCrk07          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.76941   W -112.83438        Elev: 7,897 Feet
    Trail briefly drops down then back up again as it goes around the crest of the ridge and veers right continuing southeast slowly descending. Follow the trail for about 0.25 miles.
  9. BensonCrk08          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.76859   W -112.83099        Elev: 7,780 Feet
    Trail starts to drop more steeply dropping north-ish following a ravine for about 700 feet down into a major wash below.
  10. BensonCrk09          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77034   W -112.83024        Elev: NaN Feet
    Trail drops into main wash walk northwest down the wash for about 150 feet
  11. BensonCrkTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77059   W -112.83063        Elev: 7,559 Feet
    Top entry for Benson Creek Canyon. Steeply dropping section of slickrock. Scramble over to a large tree on the LDC side for the first rappel.
Benson Creek (2) - Canyon
  1. BensonCrkTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77059   W -112.83063        Elev: 7,559 Feet
    Top entry for Benson Creek Canyon. Steeply dropping section of slickrock. Scramble over to a large tree on the LDC side for the first rappel.
  2. BensonCrkR1-2          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77074   W -112.83102        Elev: NaN Feet
    Raps 1 - 2 - Benson Creek Canyon. Rap 1 (105 feet rope travel). Anchored LDC from a large tree and 105 feet down a water fall into deep canyon with a couple ledges along the rappel. The next rappel is right at the bottom of this rap. Rap 2 (40 feet rope travel) Anchored RDC about head high from 2 glue-in anchors drops around the corner over 2 stages. Almost 300 feet down canyon is the next rappel.
  3. BensonCrkR3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77121   W -112.83180        Elev: NaN Feet
    Rap 3 - Benson Creek Canyon (40 feet rope travel). Anchored LDC from 2 glue-in anchors and drops about 40 feet. About 350 feet down canyon is the next rappel.
  4. BensonCrkR4          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77194   W -112.83247        Elev: 7,276 Feet
    Rap 4 Benson Creek Canyon (50 feet rope travel). Anchored LDC from 2 glue-in anchors about 10 feet back from the drop and drops about 40 feet. [Note] There are also anchors on the RDC side out of the water course but the pull may be problematic due to rough rock to pull ropes over. Walk down the wash about 600 feet.
  5. BensonCrkBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77257   W -112.83424        Elev: 7,201 Feet
    Bottom of Benson Creek Canyon. Trail exits up out of the wash on the LDC (west) side. Follow the trail northwest about 400 feet.
Benson Creek (3) - Exit
  1. BensonCrkBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77257   W -112.83424        Elev: 7,201 Feet
    Bottom of Benson Creek Canyon. Trail exits up out of the wash on the LDC (west) side. Follow the trail northwest about 400 feet.
  2. BensonCrk10          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77280   W -112.83552        Elev: NaN Feet
    Trail junction. FOR Benson Creek Canyon exit - stay right / straight and follow the main trail north-ish about 400 feet.
  3. BensonCrk11          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77393   W -112.83586        Elev: NaN Feet
    Bridge. FOR Benson Creek Canyon exit - cross the bridge and continue northwest on the main trail for about 600 feet.
  4. BensonCrk02          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77484   W -112.83752        Elev: 7,099 Feet
    Trail junction. FOR Benson Creek Canyon approach - Turn right and walk south up a log-lined side-trail for 0.3 miles and do not follow east up the main trail. As you follow the side trail, stay on well-worn trail passing by a couple not-well-used side-trails to overlooks. FOR Benson Creek Canyon exit - continue west following the main trail for about 300 feet.
  5. BensonCrk01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77492   W -112.83850        Elev: 7,090 Feet
    Large Bridge. FOR Benson Creek Canyon approach - walk across the bridge and continue east-ish on the main trail for about 300 feet. FOR Benson Creek Canyon exit - walk across the bridge and follow the trail south-ish about 0.25 miles.
  6. HiddenHaven-pk          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.77219   W -112.84039        Elev: 7,162 Feet
    Large gravel parking area on the east side of the road with sinage for Hidden Haven Trailhead in the Parowan Canyon Wildlife Management Area. FOR Benson Creek Canyon approach - follow the trail running north-ish along the creek for about 0.25 miles. FOR Benson Creek Canyon exit - your route ends where you parked your car.

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