Hayduke Trail Water Updates~ Fall 2014

Below are updates/additions to the water chart of The Hayduke Trail Hiking Resource Bundle by Andrew Skurka. Water sources are named and in same order as found on the water chart. These water notes are provided to give updated water info. and provide more details as to water availability in the Fall season. Please keep in mind that ALL water sources are subject to change drastically each season and year. In addition to using the below water sources we cached water in certain locations to ensure we would have access to water throughout long dry stretches. Please plan and play carefully when adventuring in the desert!

*If we did not go to a particular water source I have marked with a ?


Section One~ Late September 2014

  • Willow Spring~ small pools
  • Courthouse Wash~ lots of water
  • Matrimony Spring~ ?  did not see/stop but heard from locals in town the flow was great
  • Moab~ Moab Cyclery offered a covered area w/tables to organize our gear, water and showers. Gearheads Outdoor store held our resupply boxes for us. Great gear, wonderful filtered water for free
  • *there is access to CO river leaving Moab mile 27.3 to mile 30. Silty water, but accessible
  • Kane Spring~ Great flow, great water
  • Kane Creek~ Good Flow, very silty

Section Two~ Late September 2014

  • Colorado River (mile 44 and 44.7)~ Did not access, but river obviously flowing 
  • Unnamed Spring~ very, very small seep
  • Piped Dripping Spring on North Wall of recessed side canyon~  Good trickle, piped to trough. Able to fill directly from trickle, trough was overflowing
  • CO River~ Did not access
  • Unnamed Spring~ Flowing Water in wash below spring alongside trail
  • Indian Creek~ Lots of water, great flow but silty
  • Spring in Little Spring Canyon~ ?
  • Canyonlands Visitor Center~ Water Fountain 
  • Needles Outpost~ Water available if you stay or purchase from store. NOT FREE; WILL NOT HOLD BOXES. (Very unpleasant experience for all hikers we met who visited here. Store very low on supplies. Suggest skipping this stop)

Section Three~Late September 2014

*recent storms left MANY potholes filled with great water. We filled from these mile 87-129

  • Big Spring~ ?
  • CO River~ Did not access
  • Unnamed Spring NE of Homewater Spring~ ?
  • Homewater Spring~ ?
  • Potholes between two rd crossings~ water, but lots of signs of cattle
  • South Spring~ ?
  • Floor of Fable Valley~ several small pools from recent rains
  • Stock Pond~ Dry
  • Floor of Youngs Canyon~ many pools
  • Confluence with Dark Canyon~ Excellent clear running water all the way down
  • Pothole near T Intersection~ ?
  • Hite Marina~ fountain and restrooms open. Ranger Station closed. Store well stocked but limited hours and closing for winter by mid October
  • Bridge over CO River~ Did not access

Section Four~ October 2014

  • Dirty Devil River~ Strong Flow but did not drink
  • Poison Spring Canyon above Black Jump~ flowing
  • Piped Masonry Spring~ great water at spring, flowing for approx. one mile prior to spring

Section Five~ October 2014

  • Crescent Creek~ great flowing water
  • Granite Creek~ ?
  • Head of Sweetwater Creek~ small trickle
  • Birch Spring~ ?
  • Spring up Sweetwater Side Canyon~ ?
  • Tarantula Mesa Spring and Trough #1~ trough full
  • Tarantula Mesa Spring and Trough #2~ trough full
  • Springs at Canyon Junction~ ?
  • Swap Canyon Spring~ ?

Section Six~ October 2014

  • Muley Tanks~ Four pools, full with great water. 
  • Halls Creek near Overlook Tr Jct~ Decent Flow until Red Slide
  • Brimhall Double Arch Tr~ ?
  • Upper Middle Moody Canyon~ Muddy Pools, water bubbled and foamed after filtering.
  • Lower Middle Moody Canyon~ Small occasional pools all the way to the Escalante
  • Escalante River~ knee to chest deep water, silty but drinkable
  • Coyote Gulch Mouth~ great flowing water for 8 miles up canyon, including several springs
  • Hurricane Mouth Wash~ small standing pools
  • Willow Tank~ Full

Section Seven~ October 2014

  • Llewellyn Canyon Spring~ dank puddle
  • Mudholes Spring~ full trough and flowing water from pipe 
  • Pocket Hollow Spring~ dry
  • Small rainwater tank below pour-offs~ ?
  • *flowing water for approx. 1.5 miles after entering Rogers Canyon, horribly cattle fouled
  • Line Shack in Little Valley~ ?
  • Last Chance Crk~ pools  began approx. .5 miles up canyon, with  flowing for several miles as you travel up canyon
  • Paradise Canyon~ flowing
  • Seep at Jeep rd exit from Canyon~ small flow
  • Tommy Water or Tommy Smith Creek~ ?
  • Headquarters Spring~ ?
  • Cottonwood Creek~ ?
  • Corral, well on Cottonwood Canyon Rd~ ?

Section eight~ October 2014

  • Round Valley Draw Narrows~ ?
  • “Good Spring” in Hackberry Canyon~ ?
  • Donkey Stone Canyon Spring~ ?
  • Spring up side canyon that enters from W~ ?
  • Paria River~ Great flow up entire canyon
  • Kitchen Creek, Snake, Deer Crk Canyons~ ?
  • Sheep Creek~ flowing
  • Mouth of Willis Creek~ ?

Section Nine~ October 2014

  • Willis Creek Valley; creek and/or fishing pond~ pond full
  • Birch Spring and Iron Spring~ Did not see Iron Spring; Birch Spring flowing and fenced in
  • Rainbow Point~ ?
  • Blueberry Spring~ ?
  • Riggs Spring~ Great flowing water surrounded by double fences 
  • Start of Bullrush Gorge~ dry
  • Adams Spring~ great flowing water and full trough
  • Cowboy Shack and tank~ Dry
  • Spring~ ?
  • Bed of Buckskin Gulch~ dry

Section Ten~ October 2014

  • North Larkum Canyon Tank~ full
  • Government Reservoir~ ?
  • Jacob’s Lake~ Open
  • Big Ridge Tank~ Muddy Pond
  • Ridge Tank~ Dry
  • Buffalo Trick Tank~ ?
  • Sixty Seven Apron wildlife Tank~ ?
  • Crane Lake~ lots of water
  • Little Pleasant Valley Tank~ one large pond, muddy and cattle fouled
  • Dog Tank~ lots of water
  • North Canyon Spring~ ?
  • Crystal Spring~ ?
  • Sourdough Well~ ?
  • Burn Tank and Spare Tank~ ?

Section Eleven~ November 2014

  • Marion Point Spring~ Did not see, told seep so small it would take hours to fill
  • Nankoweap Creek~ Great Flow
  • Nankoweap Creek Mouth at CO River~ Plenty of water
  • Kwagunt Creek Mouth~ ?
  • Little Colorado Confluence~ permanent
  • CO River (all the way down)~ Permanent
  • Miners Spring~ ?

Section Twelve~ November 2014

  • Cottonwood Creek~ ?
  • Grapevine Creek~ ?
  • Boulder Creek~ ? 
  • Lonetree Crk~ ?
  • Cremation Crk~ ?
  • Bright Angel Crk~ flowing, did not use
  • Bright Angel CG~ good water
  • Phantom Ranch~ Open
  • Cottonwood Camp~ spigot off, great flow in creek’
  • Ranger Cottage, heli pad~ Spigot off
  • Grand Canyon Lodge~ Closed

Section Thirteen~ November 2014

  • Unnamed Spring~ Dry
  • Mill Creek~ Dry
  • Kanabownits Spring~ Dry
  • Hit or Miss Seep~ ?
  • Plunge Pools in Saddle Canyon~ Many COLD pools
  • Crazy Jug Canyon, head of Tapeats~ Full Rushing Creek
  • Thunder Spring~ Rushing heavy flow
  • Deer Spring~ Beautiful amazing spring
  • Deer Crk & Deer Crk Falls~ flowing all the way to CO River
  • CO River at Fishtrail Cnyn~ permanent
  • Kanab Crk Mouth~ Flowing for many miles
  • Showerbath Spring~ Great 
  • Willow Spring~ ?
  • Hack Reservoir~ ?

Section Fourteen~ December 2014

  • Yellowstone Spring~ Large full fenced in pool with piped flow (NOT the water found in large tire, just past this on west)
  • Maroney Well~ ?
  • Colorado City~ New Market open on HWY before entering town
  • Pine Spring~ ?
  • Kane Spring~ ?
  • Wyatt Spring~ ?
  • East Fork Virgin River~ Great Flow
  • Stave Spring~ trickle
  • Weeping Wall; Terminus~  Good