River Camp · Desolation Canyon
Joe Hutch Camp
A deep-canyon camp at mile 54, with Joe Hutch Canyon access and classic Desolation canyon wall views.
Joe Hutch Camp at mile 54 sits in the heart of Desolation Canyon, near the Joe Hutch Canyon drainage. By this point in the float the canyon walls are near their maximum height — the Roan Cliffs have risen to over 5,000 feet above sea level, with the river cutting some 2,000 feet below the plateau. The camp is a typical Desolation bench camp: sandy, flat, exposed, with a narrow cottonwood gallery at the creek mouth and unobstructed views of the canyon walls in both directions. Joe Hutch Canyon is a moderate hike into the drainage above — longer and rougher than the arch hike at Three Canyon, and less frequented.