Canyonlands/Needles: Salt Creek to Chesler Park

rinats

rinats

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Canyonlands/Needles: Salt Creek to Chesler Park

Hi - planning to backpack from Cathedral Butte TH to Peekaboo to Chesler Park with 6d/5n in the middle of March. Primary concern is water availability along the route given the current conditions. Secondary concern is navigation from LC1 towards Chesler Park. Any information on recent conditions and route finding tips? Should I plan water caches and drop them from the main park side by day hiking to the caching spot?
As of Mar 2, 2024 the road to Cathedral Butte appears to be open - we are planning for a shuttle to TH.
 
rinats said:
Primary concern is water availability along the route given the current conditions. Secondary concern is navigation from LC1 towards Chesler Park.
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Are the current conditions particularly dry right now? I haven't been out to UT yet this year, but I would think conditions should be just fine. Salt Creek has good water for much/most of the way, and there is good water in Lost Canyon as well. You don't need to worry about navigation between LC1 and Chesler Park; there are well-defined trails (admittedly just sequences of cairns in some of the fun sections!) for that entire section.
 
@RyanP pretty much answers the questions. For more detail, I can add that last water to Chesler on your trail route will be likely the spot marked "spring" in the fork of Elephant before the junction to Druid and CP. That may be the deciding factor whether or not to cache ahead (requires permit from the Visitor Center, call ahead). More than one night at Chesler likely would mean caching. If you've never hiked the Needles trails before, and you have a extra day, then no harm hiking into Chesler via another loop route to make the cache. Every trail is worth a visit!

I am surprised Cathedral is not snowed in. Is it a low water winter in the area?
 
Call the Needles VC and they'll let you know what the latest details are.
 
LarryBoy said:
The Needles rangers weirdly lie about Druid Spring though...
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Haha, I got that vibe a little bit recently. I did a quick one-nighter to Chesler last November and (if I remember correctly) they said something along the lines of "please pack in water, it's best to leave the water for the wildlife" (referring to the pool by druid - whether that's the same as the spring or something different I'm not sure).
 
Mike K said:
Haha, I got that vibe a little bit recently. I did a quick one-nighter to Chesler last November and (if I remember correctly) they said something along the lines of "please pack in water, it's best to leave the water for the wildlife" (referring to the pool by druid - whether that's the same as the spring or something different I'm not sure).
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Making it hard by "saving water for wildlife" Next they wont be lertting anyone go without carrying all your trips water..
 
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