Westwater Miner's Cabin Walk
Short river-left walk near mile 4 to a surviving Westwater miner's cabin — a discretionary historic stop above the rapids.
A short river-access walk to a surviving miner's cabin in the open sandstone country of upper Westwater Canyon, near river mile 4 on river left — above the whitewater and before the Precambrian inner gorge. The cabin is a documented stop on Westwater float trips and a tangible trace of the early-20th-century mining exploration that probed the canyon's rock without ever paying off at scale. It is a brief discretionary leg-stretch off the river, not a destination hike: walk up from the landing, look, leave the artifacts where they are, and get back on the water.
Quick stats
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Best months
- Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct
Know before you go
Within the BLM Westwater Canyon Special Management Area — minimum-impact use; leave all historic material in place.
When to go
Tied to the Westwater float season. The upper canyon above the gorge is open and exposed — hot midday in summer.
Wildlife & geology
Site sits in the open Mesozoic sandstone reach of upper Westwater, above the Precambrian inner gorge (see westwater-great-unconformity).
History
Named for the surviving miner's cabin near river mile 4 on river left.
Trace of the early-20th-century mining exploration noted in the Westwater section history — prospecting that probed the canyon's rock without commercial result. The cabin is a documented Westwater float-trip stop per the Whitewater Guidebook.
Cultural resource — protected under ARPA. Do not enter, mark, remove, or disturb the structure or any artifacts.