Fry Canyon, Cedar Mesa, Utah

Have you ever arrived to run canyons in a Prius and wondered where you could access a canyon that only takes a couple of hours? Fry Canyon on Cedar Mesa is one of the most accessible canyons in southeast Utah. We literally rolled out of the car into the canyon from the highway — my hat even blew into it from the car. Immediately we encountered a short but scenic section of narrows requiring no ropes. We went under the highway bridge and the canyon opened back up.

There's an exit handline for a very quick 'Fryollite' variation. We continued to a rappel into deep and scenic narrows with water — which ended quickly, leading into a canyon where we encountered Anasazi kivas on a ledge. Not common to see kivas or ruins in a canyon. Cedar Mesa is well known for ruins and this was quite remarkable. Fry Canyon is worth checking out if you're driving through or camping in this region — straightforward, short, and right off the highway.