These harder rocks get dragged through Yankee Doodle Hollow by flowing watershed, and act like a belt sander, carving the canyon a little deeper every year. To further exaggerate this erosion, Pine Valley Mountain is made up of Monzonite Porphyry, and littered with limestone and basalt, all of which are harder than the sandstone. This mountain absorbs more moisture from clouds than the surrounding, lower desert and this extra moisture flows down the mountain and further erodes the sandstone below. This canyon is also at the base of Pine Valley mountain, the highest point in Washington county, which rises up to an elevation of over 10,300 feet. It has been carved by thousands of years of water flowing across and through it. Geology:Īs most slot canyons in southern Utah, Yankee Doodle Hollow is composed of Navajo sandstone. Some of the nicest features of this canyon are its lack of a permit system or fees of any kind for non-commercial use, its short approach, and short return hike, making a shuttle vehicle unnecessary. Though it can be crowded at times because of its ease of access, Yankee Doodle Hollow makes for a great quick slot canyon near Saint George.

Since the popularity of canyoneering increased, this canyon has seen an increasing amount of traffic. The root of its name seems to be lost in history, but it stuck. The world of Canyoneering is full of difficult routes that require elaborate planning, from hoping for permits to hiring vehicle shuttles, but southern Utah has at least one canyon that is a relief from this madness: Yankee Doodle Hollow.

Water slot canyon southern utah