Features
About this place
Scenic. Very few people. Jaw dropping canyon views. Free camping and entrance.
The Wedge and The Little Grand Canyon are located in Eastern Utah and despite their amazing beauty are relatively unknown and overlooked partly due to their close proximity to national parks like Arches and Canyonlands.
With it's massive size, The San Rafael Swell, where The Little Grand Canyon is located, is easily accessible from I-70, Orangeville, Huntington, Castledale, and the numerous other small towns located around it's perimeter. The easiest way to find this area is to drive to Castledale, Utah. When arriving to the small town look for brown BLM signs that say "San Rafael Swell Recreation Area". Follow these signs in to The Swell. To get to Little Grand Canyon follow the signs for "The Wedge Overlook". The area is very well marked despite it not being popular and it even appears in Google Maps if you search for "The Wedge", although cell service can be spotty in the area.
The Wedge features a pit toilet, free camping, picnic areas, and stunning views of the San Rafael River at the bottom of the canyon. There's numerous off-road trails, hiking trails, hunting areas, impressive geologic formations, and Indian art so definitely spend time checking this area out. It's worth more than just a drive up and take a picture type stop.
Camping is first come first serve but I have never seen it the camp sites fill up. When camping you will be treated with dark skies which are great for astro photography and quiet nights making this camping area a great get away from the noise and mayhem in Moab.
- There is absolutely no camping on the rim side of the canyon.
- The only campsites are the #1-#10 numbered and signed spots. There are many, many pull offs meant for day use but these are not campsites.
About 30 minutes away is the popular Joe's Valley bouldering area located outside the town of Orangeville which also is home to the popular Food Ranch grocery store which offers food and drinks to climbers and explorers. If you're looking for wi-fi and a place to charge your batteries this is it. There is an eating area upstairs in the store with everything you need.
The Little Grand Canyon is one of Utah's secret places that rivals the state's national parks in its beauty and history. Check this place out but be careful, there's bad cell service, roads can be rough, summer is brutally hot and winter is miserably cold.
Leave No Trace
