Roadtrip through the San Rafael Swell | The Wedge (Little Grand Canyon) & Buckhorn Wash Pictographs

The San Rafael Swell offers miles of exploration and adventures. Today we took an impromptu drive to seek out the Wedge and encountered many hidden surprises well worth the drive.

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Seeking to set out and explore the San Rafael Swell we took a random drive with only one destination, the Wedge, and were surprised at the number of things we came across.

The San Rafael Swell is a gigantic area of land in south-central Utah that formed about 60 million years ago when rock was pushed up and sedimentary rock folded to form the dome-like shape the area is known for. Over time, erosion has taken place to form the many canyons, mesas, and valleys throughout the area.

One of the first places we came across is Black Dragon Canyon. Here there is hiking and pictographs one can stop and take in. Sadly we didn't have a chance to explore these features but it would seem to be a relatively short hike that can also be reached with a high-clearance or off-road vehicle. Regardless, there is a pull off with opportunities to take in views of the canyon from above. The view was simply gorgeous.

Turning off of Interstate 70 onto Buckhorn Draw Road to head to our destination, things turned to gravel and dirt. Thankfully our Volkswagen Golf was capable of traversing this road so most vehicles should have no trouble.

It wasn't long before we came across something referred to as The Sinkhole. Just a simple and small brown sign points out this feature. Interestingly there is no interpretive sign or information at the site (or much online!) to explain anything about this particular sinkhole. It is huge, however, and incredibly deep.

One thing that kept jumping out was the extreme remoteness of where we were. Few cars were seen and you could stop, pull over and hear nothing but just the wind around you. And the views! From Bottleneck Peak to the Swinging Bridge South Campground, the views were fantastic!

And yes... a campground on BLM land out in the middle of nowhere near a historic bridge and the San Rafael River. This is definitely some place we're looking to return to and check out.

Continuing on we encountered the Buckhorn Wash Pictograph Panel. This was a must stop. We see plenty of petroglyphs on this channel but there was something very expressive and interesting about these drawings. It was hard to not let the imagination soar looking at these.

And if that weren't enough... we DID see petroglyphs! Take a short hike from the road and there are some images pecked into the rock that simply fascinate.

After a long drive through some ranch land we finally ended at the Wedge Overlook, also known as Little Grand Canyon. One glimpse and you'll see why. It really does look like a smaller version of the Grand Canyon! It's absolutely breathtaking and compared to Arizona's natural wonder, you might even find complete solitude. Try that at the Grand Canyon!

VIDEO FILMED: 08/07/2020


▬▬ L O C A T I O N I N F O ▬▬
⚪ Wedge Overlook - https://utah.com/scenic-drive/wedge-o...
⚪ Directions to Wedge Overlook - https://goo.gl/maps/AGWF7qDPqoXrTtRF6

▬▬ T I M E S T A M P S ▬▬
00:00 Intro
00:27 Driving Through the San Rafael Swell
04:13 Black Dragon Canyon
05:35 Turning Off Onto Buckhorn Draw Road
06:42 The Sinkhole
07:54 Landscape Along Buckhorn Draw Road
09:23 Bottleneck Peak
10:14 Swinging Bridge Campground & The Swinging Bridge
13:33 Buckhorn Wash Pictograph Panel
16:22 Petroglyph Rock Art Wall
19:16 Nearing The Wedge
21:44 The Wedge Overlook

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Welcome to the Cactus Atlas! Join us as we visit all sorts of locations across the American Southwest. We tour both natural and man-made attractions - National Parks as well as theme parks.

Our base of operations is in the Phoenix, AZ area. We do a lot of hiking and day trips as well as campground reviews, and hope that we will be a great resource if you are planning a trip to the American Southwest. We also hope to delight you with our exciting adventures!