Canaan Mountain via Water Canyon and White Domes in Canaan Mountain Wilderness Area BLM, UT

Hike Canaan Mountain via Water Canyon and White Domes Canaan Mountain Wilderness Area BLM, UT

Class 2 15.8 miles 3200 gain 7-10 hrs Out + Back Apr 18, 2019
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

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The Canaan Mountain Wilderness Area has some really interesting terrain, and this trip out to the high point of the mesa, Canaan Mountain, really exposed me to a lot of it. I'd been to Water Canyon in the past to do it as a technical canyon, but I was using it this time just as an ascent, without any technical gear. So, I set out up Water Canyon, where a trail parallels the technical a section on the left side of the canyon, leading up Class 2 (sometimes Class 2+) ledges before zig-zagging up the west side of the canyon and up to the mesatop. This high point at the top is known as Top Rock to canyoneers who use it as a reference for getting down into the technical section of the canyon. From Top Rock, I dropped down to the north into a wash which led to the northwest. I was lucky to encounter a lot of water in this wash, which flowed down slickrock and formed pretty little pools. The wash split and I headed up the right fork. This landed me at the base of a big, wide slickrock bowl, which I ascended up to White Domes. This was a gorgeous little pocket of hoodoo formations, and I spent a bit of time just enjoying the colors before finding the trail (which looks like it's just an old converted access road of some sort) just to the north of the White Domes. The trail leads for most of the way to the Canaan Mountain summit, passing a feature called Notch Viewpoint and then some ruins marked on the trailhead map as "Windlass". I think the trail basically ends here, because I certainly couldn't find it. Or, it at least didn't continue the direction I wanted to go, which was the Canaan Mountain high point to the west. So, I did some easy cross-country bushwhacking, passing some great pools among the slickrock landscape, over sandy hills, and eventually to the summit. The views were pretty amazing, especially the sheer cliffs of the Canaan Mountain mesa faces. But what stood out to me was Zion's monoliths in the distance from this angle, which looked so small and interesting.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Canaan Mountain
7363 ft
1643 rise

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Starting up the sandy Water Canyon Trail.
Starting up the sandy Water Canyon Trail.
Entering Water Canyon. See my Water Canyon technical canyon trip report for more photos of this very pretty canyon.
Entering Water Canyon. See my Water Canyon technical canyon trip report for more photos of this very pretty canyon.
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Keep left a few times to work up ledges to avoid the cliffs within the canyon.
Keep left a few times to work up ledges to avoid the cliffs within the canyon.
Looking back down Water Canyon.
Looking back down Water Canyon.
Trail leads up the west side of Water Canyon, switchbacking up to the top.
Trail leads up the west side of Water Canyon, switchbacking up to the top.
A Class 2+ move.
A Class 2+ move.
Nice views on the way out of Water Canyon.
Nice views on the way out of Water Canyon.
Top Rock, view northeast.
Top Rock, view northeast.
Heading north to enter the wash below.
Heading north to enter the wash below.
Going west within the wash.
Going west within the wash.
Lots of running water for me within the washes today.
Lots of running water for me within the washes today.
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Eventually the wash ends in a slickrock bowl.
Eventually the wash ends in a slickrock bowl.
Ascending the bowl.
Ascending the bowl.
Looking back into the bowl.
Looking back into the bowl.
White Domes ahead!
White Domes ahead!
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I'd say the White Domes were a highlight of the hike.
I'd say the White Domes were a highlight of the hike.
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Continuing west along the trail (labeled Sawmill Trail on the trailhead map).
Continuing west along the trail (labeled Sawmill Trail on the trailhead map).
The trail gets lost in slickrock a few times, but it's pretty easy to follow.
The trail gets lost in slickrock a few times, but it's pretty easy to follow.
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A view of Canaan Mountain's high point in the center.
A view of Canaan Mountain's high point in the center.
Close-up of Canaan Mountain (right) as I head down to the left on the trail to Notch Viewpoint.
Close-up of Canaan Mountain (right) as I head down to the left on the trail to Notch Viewpoint.
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Notch Viewpoint.
Notch Viewpoint.
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Trail continues west, passing some interesting slickrock but mostly uneventful.
Trail continues west, passing some interesting slickrock but mostly uneventful.
Approaching Windlass, some ruins on the left.
Approaching Windlass, some ruins on the left.
The ruins.
The ruins.
Looking out from where the ruins hang over the cliff edge.
Looking out from where the ruins hang over the cliff edge.
Some really interesting ponds, hoodoos, etc. within the slickrock landscape.
Some really interesting ponds, hoodoos, etc. within the slickrock landscape.
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Some cross-country to get to the high point.
Some cross-country to get to the high point.
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Approaching Canaan Mountain high point.
Approaching Canaan Mountain high point.
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View northeast toward the cliffs of Canaan Mountain.
View northeast toward the cliffs of Canaan Mountain.
Close-up of the cliffs.
Close-up of the cliffs.
Canaan Mountain high point, view northwest, toward Zion.
Canaan Mountain high point, view northwest, toward Zion.
Close-up of Zion National Park.
Close-up of Zion National Park.
Canaan Mountain, view looking back toward where I came.
Canaan Mountain, view looking back toward where I came.
Back at White Domes with better lighting.
Back at White Domes with better lighting.
I took a photo of myself for scale context.
I took a photo of myself for scale context.
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Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!