NEW PHOTOS COMING SOON // DUE TO A CORRUPTED MEMORY CARD, I'LL BE HIKING THE SLOTS ALONG NOTOM-BULLFROG AGAIN THIS WINTER TO INCLUDE MY OWN PERSONAL PHOTOS.

STATISTICS AT-A-GLANCE

• HIKE NAME: Cottonwood Wash

• DISTANCE: 6.5 miles RT

• ELEVATION GAIN: 575 feet

• RESTROOMS: No

• DOG FRIENDLY: No

• PERMIT: No

• FEE: Technically yes because this is located within Capitol Reef National Park. Although not a direct fee area with a booth, I always have my America the Beautiful Pass displayed. The private vehicle fee for Capitol Reef is $20.

• VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: 2wd, Parking will be on the pavement of Notom-Bulfrog before it turns to a gravel road

• TRAILHEAD COORDINATES: 38.165393, -111.089589

• MAP PROVIDED IN WEBSITE: Yes, AllTrails

I recommend downloading an offline map. There is no service and a few tricky areas, including a right turn approx 2.5-3 miles in that is super easy to miss otherwise.

Hike description from the National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/burrowash.htm

Cottonwood Wash is located 9.1 miles (14.6 km) south of Highway 24 on the Notom-Bullfrog Road. About one miles (1.6 km) up the wash (west) from the trailhead, a side canyon enters from the right (north) and could be mistaken for the main drainage; stay left. A few hundred yards (meters) further, the main canyon narrows and a 1/4 mile (0.4 km) stretch begins that is chocked with large boulders and requires scrambling to negotiate; a bypass route over and around the boulder jams follows the left (south) side of the canyon. After another 1/3 mile (0.5 km), the narrows begin. Then, another side drainage enters from the left (south); stay right. Shortly beyond this point, the canyon abruptly narrows to a thin slot. A deep pool of water is often found here, and deep wading or swimming may be required to continue up canyon; hikers often choose to turn around at this point. For the next mile (1.6 km), the canyon alternates between tight narrows and more open areas with a number of chockstones that must be negotiated and possibly more pools of water. An impassable 35-foot (11 m) pour-off blocks the canyon at the end of this stretch of narrows (just over 3 miles [4.8 km] in from the road) and marks the end of the route. To return to the trailhead, retrace the route back down the canyon.