CATHEDRAL WASH

Cathedral Wash is a short, exciting, and challenging canyon the ends at the Colorado River. It is seldom visited, but is a beautiful hike that can be done in about 3 hours.

WARNING: Do not do this hike alone. This hike does have some semi-technical sections, including some ledge walking. Having someone else with you can make this hike much easier and more enjoyable. If you or someone in your group is afraid of heights,or not mobile, they may only be comfortable hiking the first 1/3rd of the trail, which is where the first scrambling part begins.

Cathedral Wash Hike Details

Distance – 2.5 miles roundtrip (RT) Approximate hiking time – 3 hours Elevation at Trailhead – 3420 feet Elevation at Colorado River –3115 feet Difficulty – Moderate, Scrambling and basic climbing skills recommended Trail – Sandy wash, sandstone, routefinding needed in the canyon to find the safest route up and down Amount of water recommended – 3+ liters Bathrooms – None Season to hike – Best time is early spring or fall, but open year around Prone to flash floods? – Yes, can be prone to flash flooding.. Watch and respect the weather report. If rain is in the forecast, don’t go on the hike. Permits – Glen Canyon Recreation fee of $25

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How to get there:

From Glen Canyon Dam, take US-89 south, through Page, Arizona for 25.8 miles. You’ll see a sign for US-89A. Turn right and head notherUS-89 and US-89A and continue south for Cathedral Wash is near Lees Ferry, AZ. After you turn off Highway 89A onto the Lees Ferry access road, drive 1.3 miles. The trailhead is at the pull out on your left. You can access both Cathedral Wash from this parking area. You will walk under the road to start the hike.

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Hitting the Trail!

After you hike down and go down into the dry wash and under the road. You will continue to follow Cathedral Wash east. As you head east the canyon walls on both sides will begin to quickly rise. The hike because more and more impressive as you descend down the trail. Since this is a wash, it can be prone to flash floods. If the weather forecast has rain, don’t do this hike. Also the conditions in a wash like this one can vary drastically after each flash flood, so there may be new obstacles that were not there before, etc. In this case, there are a couple of sections that can require you to take your time to find your best way down. There are ledges on each side that can be used to bypass a couple of dryfalls. A dryfall is a drop off that would form a waterfall during heavy rains or flash floods. Many times they are impassable. In this case, about a half miles down the canyon you’ll come to your first challenge. A 30 foot dryfall that can be carefully bypassed on the right side. If you have a fear of heights, this part might be a problem. As mentioned able, conditions are always changing in these canyons, so on some trips, getting around the dryfall may not be a problem, on others, it may be a little more technical. Also, remember, that you’ll have to come back up this way on the return trip. Doing this hike, or any hike for that matter is not encourage. The other people in your group can help each other easily bypass these dryfalls. I didn’t think they were a big deal at all, but other hikers have said that they did it, but found it more challenging than they thought.

There is no shame in turning back. Your safety is of the utmost importance. If you find that bypassing this first challenge was a problem, the rest of the hike will be smooth sailing. The trail only gets deeper and more impressive as you approach the Colorado River. Reaching the Colorado River is your reward as you can soak your feet in the river, enjoy lunch, then make the return trip back. Average hikers should be able to go down to the Colorado and back in around three hours at a comfortable pace.

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Cathedral Wash narrows

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Cathedral Wash ends at the Colorado River

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