Mulligan Wash and Dennises Well

November 15, 2024

I’ve found that nearly every canyon I’ve hiked in that cuts through the Curtis Formation in the San Rafael Swell contains rock art, and since I had never been through Mulligan Wash I decided to see if that supposition holds true there. My plan was to drop into one side canyon and follow it down to the main canyon, then go a distance up the main canyon before heading back downstream and exploring two more forks before climbing out one of them, putting me very close to my starting point. Since I had to pass by my exit point on the way in, I decided to look into the canyon there and realized there was a dryfall that would have prevented me from exiting there. No problem, I thought. I could just enter and exit through the same fork with only a little backtracking.

Chris Pond with East Cedar Mountain and Cedar Mountain on the horizon
Chris Pond with East Cedar Mountain and Cedar Mountain on the horizon

Heading down toward Mulligan Wash
Heading down toward Mulligan Wash

Small natural arch
Small natural arch

Above a dryfall on my exit route
Above a dryfall on my exit route


I hiked down another fork that had some interesting colors and textures in the sandstone. Again I encountered a dryfall that prevented me from descending this fork, and I made the mistake of climbing out the left side hoping to find a way back into the canyon further down. I never did find a way back into the canyon and, instead of backtracking, I decided to keep following the canyon rims and explore from above. If I’d initially climbed out the right side instead, I could have made my way to the main fork of the canyon and possibly descended it all the way.

Heading down another fork
Heading down another fork

Pool of water
Pool of water

Mud splatters on the canyon wall from a flash flood
Mud splatters on the canyon wall from a flash flood

Holes in the wall
Holes in the wall

Textured canyon floor
Textured canyon floor

My shadow
My shadow

Above another dryfall
Above another dryfall


I hiked along the rim and explored some large cracks and chambers in the rocks, but didn’t see much other than some chert flakes and a nice little scraper. Some of the views were okay, too.

On the canyon rim beyond the dryfall
On the canyon rim beyond the dryfall

Up on top
Up on top

Scraper
Scraper

Panorama of two forks of Mulligan Wash
Panorama of two forks of Mulligan Wash

Fence across the canyon
Fence across the canyon

Entrada Sandstone formation
Entrada Sandstone formation

Inside a large chamber
Inside a large chamber

View outside
View outside

Mulligan Wash
Mulligan Wash

Chris Pond
Chris Pond


Since I finished the hike earlier than expected, I came up with something else to do in the area. Not too long ago I discovered there’s a place called Dennises Well near South Salt Wash. The only reference I can find for this place is the 1953 USGS topo map–all other sources seem to have gotten its location from that map. I drove down the dirt road that follows South Salt Wash and parked adjacent to the well, then hiked a short distance over to it. The remains of a water trough and a very large corral were still there, along with the wheel from the drilling rig and lumber scattered all over that also may have been part of the rig. One old rusty pipe is probably the casing for the original well but there were several other more modern pipes extending from the ground. Judging by the trough and corral, I’d wager Dennises Well was a water well rathern than oil.

South Salt Wash
South Salt Wash

Former water trough
Former water trough

Corral fence posts
Corral fence posts

Newer drill pipes
Newer drill pipes

Large posts and bricks
Large posts and bricks

Drilling rig wheel
Drilling rig wheel

Drilling rig wheel
Drilling rig wheel

Scattered lumber
Scattered lumber

Casing of Dennises Well
Casing of Dennises Well

Steel cable
Steel cable

Buried perforated PVC pipe
Buried perforated PVC pipe

1953 USGS topo map showing Dennises Well
1953 USGS topo map showing Dennises Well


I made my way back to the truck and then headed home, still earlier than I’d planned, but it was an okay-ish day nonetheless. And there’s still some parts of Mulligan Wash that I haven’t explored so hopefully I’ll make it back there to test my rock art theory.

Photo Gallery: Mulligan Wash and Dennises Well