The Land

Adjacent to the southeast boundary of Zion National Park, Canaan Mountain Wilderness is comprised of approximately 44,500 acres of public land in Washington County. In this wilderness, an 8-by-10 mile
block of Navajo Sandstone, bounded by 2,000-foot-high cliffs, has been sculpted by wind and water over time into a landscape of soaring cliff walls, natural arches, and slot canyons. On the highest plateaus, stands of ponderosa pine are surrounded by cream-colored slickrock. Pinyon pine, Utah juniper, scrub oak, and sagebrush cover the mountain slopes, at lower elevations. Seeps in the canyon walls provide water for hanging gardens of maidenhair fern, monkeyflower, and columbine. Hawks, falcons, and golden eagles nest along the sandstone walls, while ringtailed cats, deer, cougar, and black bear live on the plateaus and in the canyon bottoms.This wilderness provides opportunities for primitive recreational activities, including hiking, equestrian trail riding, canyoneering, and camping. Several routes exist on the southern end of the wilderness providing access to higher elevations by way of steep canyons.

The Work

We are headed to the remote reaches of Washington County’s Canaan Mountain Wilderness to monitor, manage and restore wilderness boundary signage. Destroyed or damaged signs and fencing have led to motorized incursions into the wilderness. Our crew will work to define and demarcate protected areas to prevent future impacts of ORV travel. 12 spaces available.

Work tasks will vary by need, and are slated to include:

• monitoring hikes of wilderness boundary;
• installation of WSA boundary signs;
• remediation of additional travel and camping impacts

Our Objective: To properly manage and improve existing wilderness boundaries with the intent to prevent all future non-permitted motorized travel in the Canaan Mountain Wilderness.

Itinerary
A comprehensive itinerary will be provided to registered volunteers.

• Wednesday, Oct 16th: [Optional] Pre-Project Campout & Dinner [provided]
• Thursday, Oct 17th: Day 1. Orientation, Workday and Group Dinner [provided]
• Friday, Oct 18th: Day 2. Breakfast [provided]. Workday as needed.

Project Rating 

Level 2 – Our most common trip incorporates mid- to heavy-lifting, work in remote landscapes at varying elevations, an increased diversity of tool use, and an emphasis on physical fitness.

Camping & Meals

Volunteers will camp on site. Specific location will be indicated in the Welcome Letter provided to registered volunteers.

SUWA provides (1) dinner, (1) breakfast, and snacks during the project. Volunteers are responsible for all additional meals during their stay.

Volunteer Responsibilities

Participants are responsible for their own food, water and camping gear as well as transportation to and from the project site(s). Volunteers should plan to be away from camp all day each of the work days. A recommended pack list will be sent along with the project Welcome Letter two weeks prior to the start date.

Registration

A Volunteer Agreement is required for this project. 

When we have received your form, you will receive a confirmation e-mail within 5 working days of submission. The confirmation e-mail will indicate whether you have been placed on the “project roster” or a “waiting list.”

Three weeks before the start of the trip, you will receive an RSVP to confirm your participation. Individuals on the Waitlist will be contacted if spaces open due to cancellation.

Two weeks before the project start date, registered and confirmed participants will receive a Welcome Letter, with a comprehensive itinerary, including: driving instructions, a Project Map (for mobile devices), a notification about carpools and/or caravans, and additional information in a Pre-Departure email.

If you have any questions at any point throughout the process, please don’t hesitate to contact our program coordinator: volunteer@suwa.org  or  (435) 259-9151.

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