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 creamcolored 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

The scope of our work is to be determined based on needs assessed late summer 2023. In all likelihood, we will work either in the Canaan Mountain Wilderness or Red Reef Wilderness managing the impacts of off-route or off-trail travel. The goal of our work will be to naturalize these impacts using a number of strategies including, but not limited to: installing proper wilderness boundary signage, building natural and constructed barriers to travel,  vertical mulching with large boulders and downed trees/logs, the building of rock cairn baskets (wired baskets filled with rock to define a border or edge), and extensive raking and naturalization of ORV tracks and social trails.

Volunteers Needed: (8)
Project Lead: Jack Hanley

Itinerary
A comprehensive itinerary will be provided to registered volunteers.

• Saturday, November 4th through Sunday, November 5th

Note: This project is open for general registration. Washington County Residents are prioritized. 

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 and hiking competency.

Camping & Meals

Specific location of camping site(s) will be provided in the Welcome Letter sent to registered volunteers.

SUWA provides elect meals and snacks during the project. Volunteers are responsible for all additional meals not specified in the Welcome Letter 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 at least (2) 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.” Individuals on the Waitlist will be contacted if spaces open due to cancellation within (2) weeks of the project start date.

At least (2) 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 (when applicable(, a notification about carpools and/or caravans, and additional information in a Pre-Departure email. You will also receive a direct call from our Project Coordinator to answer any questions you may have.

If you have any questions at any point throughout the process, please do not hesitate to contact us here or by calling  (435) 259-9151.

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