- Joined
- Apr 22, 2013
- Messages
- 320
I've been wanted to tackle some canyons along the Dirty Devil River for quite some time. Happy Canyon definitely being the crown jewel but the lack of info on Scar Tissue intrigued me. So I packed my Subaru & headed out on Highway 95 to where the Dirty Devil River flows into Glen Canyon.
![IMG_5648.JPG IMG_5648.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41829-34f099292bf2b442110f4c60afe21b62.jpg)
Its a 4 mile drive to the end of the road which is in pretty good shape with only a few places with require high clearance.![IMG_5685.JPG IMG_5685.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41831-6d6e21b164921d3f4bf2687812be4dd0.jpg)
Not a lot of great places to camp but I found a place that worked out with the river being close by
Fun/hard part of hiking to the canyon is where to cross the river. I found following the river on the west bank as far as possible the best option as I tried a different route on the way back that was a lot more challenging.
Nice patch of flowers just randomly in the middle of nowhere.
I ended up walking up stream about a 1/8 of a mile to the canyon mouth. Water was cool but thankfully not too deep.
Once in the canyon it gets down to business in a hurry.
![IMG_5723.JPG IMG_5723.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41838-52032e331e618341198c404336a9b8c7.jpg)
For the most part the canyon is straight forward with few obstacles.
I did find one place I had to exit the canyon with was pretty easy.
Eventually the canyon opens back up.
I continued to walk up Scar Tissue to the towers at the top, make for a nice place to have lunch & turn around.
Some of the challenges when coming back... not the best place to cross! Not to mention the bush whacking wasn't fun.![IMG_5814.JPG IMG_5814.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41846-23b8e35c869c6db10bc25bf877ade3ca.jpg)
Time to leave Scar Tissue & head to Happy Canyon & leave the bush whacking behind!
Poison Springs Road to the trail head is just over 16 miles. I found the first 11 miles on Poison Springs Road to be in great shape & covered 11 miles in about 30 minutes. Once hitting the Black Jump & the mining road the last 5 miles took about 60 minutes. Nothing technical, just go slow, avoid rocks & don't fall off the cliff.
At the end of the road you are treated to some amazing views of the Dirty Devil River!
The hike to Happy Canyon is straight forward, just follow the well used path...
Not sure what these are for? Saw a few of them along the way.
Nice Hoodoos along the way & some petrified wood too!
Looking into the opening of Happy Canyon
Crossing the Dirty Devil River was much easier than Scar Tissue!
Heading into Happy Canyon
Once the canyon starts to open up I followed the wash to the start of a spring which surprised me.
Not a bad way to spend 3 days & the only people I saw were on Highway 95!
![IMG_5648.JPG IMG_5648.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41829-34f099292bf2b442110f4c60afe21b62.jpg)
Its a 4 mile drive to the end of the road which is in pretty good shape with only a few places with require high clearance.
![IMG_5685.JPG IMG_5685.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41831-6d6e21b164921d3f4bf2687812be4dd0.jpg)
![IMG_5819.JPG IMG_5819.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41832-39b87c26da33671c66aa4580adf66a9c.jpg)
Not a lot of great places to camp but I found a place that worked out with the river being close by
![IMG_5653.JPG IMG_5653.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41833-0e5f8596cb9177b3c7253a08e402e597.jpg)
![IMG_5662.JPG IMG_5662.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41834-cc5a810b9289eb11910e5aaa1484d313.jpg)
Fun/hard part of hiking to the canyon is where to cross the river. I found following the river on the west bank as far as possible the best option as I tried a different route on the way back that was a lot more challenging.
Nice patch of flowers just randomly in the middle of nowhere.
![IMG_5688.JPG IMG_5688.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41835-776b1652b0b847c6e222dd98d013dcff.jpg)
I ended up walking up stream about a 1/8 of a mile to the canyon mouth. Water was cool but thankfully not too deep.
![IMG_5692.JPG IMG_5692.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41836-16c0db077ec2a3b151bcfafb3fea5bb0.jpg)
![IMG_5698.JPG IMG_5698.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41837-ff653e165cda2d53cc31347ebffd56a5.jpg)
Once in the canyon it gets down to business in a hurry.
![IMG_5723.JPG IMG_5723.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41838-52032e331e618341198c404336a9b8c7.jpg)
![IMG_5760.JPG IMG_5760.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41839-08e46b52fdb2d578c6a1840cd45af920.jpg)
![IMG_5770.JPG IMG_5770.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41840-cea33ab56993e5bb2c820042ed45ae63.jpg)
![IMG_5775.JPG IMG_5775.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41841-767bf10b9f8e6ad1c90edc8e286e5b7a.jpg)
For the most part the canyon is straight forward with few obstacles.
![IMG_5802.JPG IMG_5802.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41842-8d198ea3f5118a4444662680e617d8c1.jpg)
![IMG_5782.JPG IMG_5782.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41843-ce3760d66adaf6597155a671efa57e1b.jpg)
Eventually the canyon opens back up.
![IMG_5784.JPG IMG_5784.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41844-89b7942949aa8fa7633a6489777ccd43.jpg)
I continued to walk up Scar Tissue to the towers at the top, make for a nice place to have lunch & turn around.
![IMG_5818.JPG IMG_5818.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41845-53ddbd44160fbf65e99f5ea4856a116d.jpg)
Some of the challenges when coming back... not the best place to cross! Not to mention the bush whacking wasn't fun.
![IMG_5814.JPG IMG_5814.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41846-23b8e35c869c6db10bc25bf877ade3ca.jpg)
Time to leave Scar Tissue & head to Happy Canyon & leave the bush whacking behind!
Poison Springs Road to the trail head is just over 16 miles. I found the first 11 miles on Poison Springs Road to be in great shape & covered 11 miles in about 30 minutes. Once hitting the Black Jump & the mining road the last 5 miles took about 60 minutes. Nothing technical, just go slow, avoid rocks & don't fall off the cliff.
![IMG_5820.JPG IMG_5820.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41847-8698a8914a61bfa463ee29dbf517bfe0.jpg)
![IMG_6028.JPG IMG_6028.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41848-46be908bc1fbe2e761c6477fe37845fb.jpg)
![IMG_5851.JPG IMG_5851.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41851-b833cd04d151c11f6150a24dbff25969.jpg)
![IMG_5825.JPG IMG_5825.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41849-76f7dbefada2b888b6690e7172014241.jpg)
At the end of the road you are treated to some amazing views of the Dirty Devil River!
![IMG_5826.JPG IMG_5826.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41850-bf485b8cf8d1f838bdb55d9eab256f79.jpg)
The hike to Happy Canyon is straight forward, just follow the well used path...
![IMG_5857.JPG IMG_5857.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41852-626b7a367c384bb9be5d8aafc77a4be0.jpg)
![IMG_5861.JPG IMG_5861.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41853-c21d56fb183c95694932677687acd552.jpg)
Not sure what these are for? Saw a few of them along the way.
![IMG_5863.JPG IMG_5863.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41854-5cbef9dccad207f19bf9b53e0627f2ce.jpg)
Nice Hoodoos along the way & some petrified wood too!
![IMG_5866.JPG IMG_5866.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41855-8fa2ab507e61dfc9a536e51775f8904c.jpg)
![IMG_5880.JPG IMG_5880.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41856-8888e0769f71e8769567ca902a8876ba.jpg)
![IMG_5885.JPG IMG_5885.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41857-9ac54c3172afac0bb1a82c13754aab85.jpg)
Looking into the opening of Happy Canyon
![IMG_5898.JPG IMG_5898.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41858-45d91ee23f22cd780c5e2860c34f7436.jpg)
Crossing the Dirty Devil River was much easier than Scar Tissue!
![IMG_5902.JPG IMG_5902.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41859-1bacbfbda6c04f0723f4d0cf35bc6735.jpg)
Heading into Happy Canyon
![IMG_6017.JPG IMG_6017.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41860-fc4b762b80d9912a0e46cadf9ada355b.jpg)
![IMG_5912.JPG IMG_5912.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41861-03e8863a4a1ed4c9ec8e699fb6e1b302.jpg)
![IMG_5916.JPG IMG_5916.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41862-d67c914b01eff5707ba23a18aae73a7d.jpg)
![IMG_5917.JPG IMG_5917.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41863-615d85890f070da03a5819c84f2f12fe.jpg)
![IMG_5945.JPG IMG_5945.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41864-bc834975ea6534d52585e0455744b8c6.jpg)
![IMG_5979.JPG IMG_5979.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41865-5769c3c328057b1f8b3251d008ae6bf8.jpg)
![IMG_5996.JPG IMG_5996.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41866-3faa81a214205b28d36ca83ce1ed7eda.jpg)
![IMG_6005.JPG IMG_6005.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41867-79f0f2a8eca55075c206ab01b0410d91.jpg)
![IMG_5955.JPG IMG_5955.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41868-aefe9b17c7122543b3931d25a2d8b9f8.jpg)
![IMG_5973.JPG IMG_5973.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41869-fcc1af4a762398b2ec579b031759d210.jpg)
Once the canyon starts to open up I followed the wash to the start of a spring which surprised me.
![IMG_5964.JPG IMG_5964.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41870-f2e03524dc865245c5e119c1d7a6da93.jpg)
![IMG_5965.JPG IMG_5965.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/41/41871-c62ba18a25d8f61204aebe5d1a65eef7.jpg)
Not a bad way to spend 3 days & the only people I saw were on Highway 95!