Little Blue John to Horseshoe Canyon, Robbers Roost, Utah

Blue John Canyon is a fantastic system of canyons with multiple entry and exit points in the heart of Robbers Roost. This is a classic canyon in the region — and of course the location of the famous 127 Hours occurrence. We entered via the Little Blue John canyon entry point, a scenic short canyon that connects directly into the lower Blue John canyon and Horseshoe. We found a couple raps and downclimbs into scenic narrows.

Once at the lower Blue John canyon, we passed by the Ralston incident and continued down. The narrows are a bit short but very scenic — beautiful colors of red, orange, and yellow illuminate the walls with hues of fire. All too soon the canyon breaks open into a beautiful canyon below. A free-hanging rap brings you down into a multi-mile walking canyon, turning the technical canyoneering experience into a backpacking canyon.

Horseshoe Canyon holds additional gems — there is a beautiful panel with human-size figurines on the wall, and continuing down you find multiple panels. Make sure you set up a car shuttle at the Horseshoe trailhead to complete the day with a shuttle back to your cars.