rcwild
10-15-2009, 11:14 AM
Emerald Canyon is a beautiful limestone canyon on the north side of the White River Plateau, near the small town of Buford.
Rating: 3C II
Time Required: Plan on a half day for this trip, and just over 2 miles of hiking round trip.
Longest Rappel:
Permit Information
Camping/Lodging
Campground at the South Fork Trailhead.
Preferred Season
This is a great canyon for late summer or early autumn.
Water Concerns
Special Challenges
Equipment Suggestions
One 60m (200ft) rope for this trip, plus rappelling gear. Hunters do frequent the area, so be careful and bring bright orange clothing during hunting season. You will need a full wetsuit, as the water is cold.
Topographic Maps
Directions to Trailhead
Drive to the town of Meeker. Take Highway 13 East out of town for a mile or so, then turn right onto County Road 8. Take County Road 8 18 miles to the town of Buford, then turn right onto County Road 10 (the South Fork Road). After a mile, at the bottom of the valley and after you cross the South Fork of the White, you will reach a ranch with bright red buildings, turn left here. Follow this dirt road until it ends at the South Fork Trailhead, about 11-12 miles.
Trailhead UTM Grid Coordinate
Approach
Start hiking on the trail. Shortly, you will reach a fork, go right, and cross the South Fork on a bridge. Keep hiking up hill, on a long switchback. After the switchback, the trail goes up the hill a bit, but never reaches the top of the ridge. Several trails do leave the main trail at this point, heading for the ridge top - do not take these. Soon you will enter a grove of trees, and reach the mouth of Spring Cave. Your goal is to climb some limestone benches on the opposite side of the cave. Hike to the other side of the cave, and catch a faint trail heading east. After the limestone outcrop, hike up the hill and crest in a meadow area. You can see a canyon to your east, this is Emerald Canyon. On a topo map, the canyon is the obvious drainage from Cliff Lakes high above, to the south and east of Spring Cave. Hike in the meadow, heading uphill, parallel to the canyon. Head over to the rim. You may find an interesting limestone arch. If you look up canyon, you'll see a large waterfall. Your goal is to hike to the top of this waterfall. Keep hiking along the rim, occasionally bushwacking, and drop into the canyon upstream from the waterfall.
Canyon Entry UTM Grid Coordinate
Description: Standard Route
Beautiful. Amazing. The sheer beauty of this mossy canyon more than makes up for the short technical difficulties you will encounter. Take special care to preserve this spot - do not damage the rock, moss or vegetation, and be very careful to avoid erosion
Emerald Canyon is a short limestone drainage. It includes one rappel in the upper section, scenic hiking, and then another short technical section with more rappels. After that, a short bushwhack will take you to the South Fork of the White River, and back to your car. There are some pretty sections above the waterfall, but most people won't be interested. The best parts of the canyon are below you. Just above the waterfall is a nice short cascade into a pothole, then comes the big drop. Rig an anchor on one of many trees, and rappel the falls. Though it looks higher, the waterfall is only 90 feet high. The waterfall is very slippery, so be careful, especially on top. To make things even more interesting, there are loose rocks on top and down the waterfall. Be careful!
The waterfall ends in a pool, which is chest deep for most people. Take lots of pictures, as this spot is incredibly beautiful. Hike down the stream, past some small cascades and potholes. Soon the limestone walls relent and the canyon opens a bit. Keep hiking downstream, downclimbing the occasional small waterfall. Eventually you will reach a second technical section. You can climb around these waterfalls on the steep dirt walls of the canyon, but please don't. There are no trails, and climbing around would cause significant erosion to this pristine area. Instead, rappel. For the upper falls, there are several trees on the left (looking down canyon), or if the water is low enough, a large boulder on the right. Past this point is another waterfall in a very narrow chute. If you find an anchor, you can rappel, or you can traverse on rocky ledges on the left (looking down canyon), then slide down a boulder to reach the bottom of the narrow chute. In normal (dry) conditions, this traverse is class 4 to lower class 5.
Description:
Exit
Hike down, along the stream, bashing through bushes and fallen logs, until you reach the South Fork of the White. Follow the shore downstream until you reach the trail and bridge. Cross the bridge, turn left, and follow the trail back to your car.
Canyon Exit UTM Grid Coordinate
Rating: 3C II
Time Required: Plan on a half day for this trip, and just over 2 miles of hiking round trip.
Longest Rappel:
Permit Information
Camping/Lodging
Campground at the South Fork Trailhead.
Preferred Season
This is a great canyon for late summer or early autumn.
Water Concerns
Special Challenges
Equipment Suggestions
One 60m (200ft) rope for this trip, plus rappelling gear. Hunters do frequent the area, so be careful and bring bright orange clothing during hunting season. You will need a full wetsuit, as the water is cold.
Topographic Maps
Directions to Trailhead
Drive to the town of Meeker. Take Highway 13 East out of town for a mile or so, then turn right onto County Road 8. Take County Road 8 18 miles to the town of Buford, then turn right onto County Road 10 (the South Fork Road). After a mile, at the bottom of the valley and after you cross the South Fork of the White, you will reach a ranch with bright red buildings, turn left here. Follow this dirt road until it ends at the South Fork Trailhead, about 11-12 miles.
Trailhead UTM Grid Coordinate
Approach
Start hiking on the trail. Shortly, you will reach a fork, go right, and cross the South Fork on a bridge. Keep hiking up hill, on a long switchback. After the switchback, the trail goes up the hill a bit, but never reaches the top of the ridge. Several trails do leave the main trail at this point, heading for the ridge top - do not take these. Soon you will enter a grove of trees, and reach the mouth of Spring Cave. Your goal is to climb some limestone benches on the opposite side of the cave. Hike to the other side of the cave, and catch a faint trail heading east. After the limestone outcrop, hike up the hill and crest in a meadow area. You can see a canyon to your east, this is Emerald Canyon. On a topo map, the canyon is the obvious drainage from Cliff Lakes high above, to the south and east of Spring Cave. Hike in the meadow, heading uphill, parallel to the canyon. Head over to the rim. You may find an interesting limestone arch. If you look up canyon, you'll see a large waterfall. Your goal is to hike to the top of this waterfall. Keep hiking along the rim, occasionally bushwacking, and drop into the canyon upstream from the waterfall.
Canyon Entry UTM Grid Coordinate
Description: Standard Route
Beautiful. Amazing. The sheer beauty of this mossy canyon more than makes up for the short technical difficulties you will encounter. Take special care to preserve this spot - do not damage the rock, moss or vegetation, and be very careful to avoid erosion
Emerald Canyon is a short limestone drainage. It includes one rappel in the upper section, scenic hiking, and then another short technical section with more rappels. After that, a short bushwhack will take you to the South Fork of the White River, and back to your car. There are some pretty sections above the waterfall, but most people won't be interested. The best parts of the canyon are below you. Just above the waterfall is a nice short cascade into a pothole, then comes the big drop. Rig an anchor on one of many trees, and rappel the falls. Though it looks higher, the waterfall is only 90 feet high. The waterfall is very slippery, so be careful, especially on top. To make things even more interesting, there are loose rocks on top and down the waterfall. Be careful!
The waterfall ends in a pool, which is chest deep for most people. Take lots of pictures, as this spot is incredibly beautiful. Hike down the stream, past some small cascades and potholes. Soon the limestone walls relent and the canyon opens a bit. Keep hiking downstream, downclimbing the occasional small waterfall. Eventually you will reach a second technical section. You can climb around these waterfalls on the steep dirt walls of the canyon, but please don't. There are no trails, and climbing around would cause significant erosion to this pristine area. Instead, rappel. For the upper falls, there are several trees on the left (looking down canyon), or if the water is low enough, a large boulder on the right. Past this point is another waterfall in a very narrow chute. If you find an anchor, you can rappel, or you can traverse on rocky ledges on the left (looking down canyon), then slide down a boulder to reach the bottom of the narrow chute. In normal (dry) conditions, this traverse is class 4 to lower class 5.
Description:
Exit
Hike down, along the stream, bashing through bushes and fallen logs, until you reach the South Fork of the White. Follow the shore downstream until you reach the trail and bridge. Cross the bridge, turn left, and follow the trail back to your car.
Canyon Exit UTM Grid Coordinate