Upper Beaver Dam Wash

In the southwest, riparian canyons like this are very hard to come by; it's even rarer that you can drive through it. This natural oasis is hidden far out in the desert of Utah, making it an ideal place to get away from everything. Beaver Dam Wash flows through both the Cougar Canyon and Doc’s Pass Wilderness areas while Slaughter Creek, a spur of this creek, flows through its namesake wilderness. The headwaters begin in the Dixie National Forest then flow into Nevada through Beaver Dam State Park. The stream again returns into Utah and is fishable on BLM lands upstream from the small community of Motoqua. Beaver Dam Wash also supports native rainbow trout and the Virgin spinedace, a native minnow-like species. In addition, a wide variety of mammals roam here, including elk, mule deer, mountain lion, ringtail, bobcat, badger, and both the common and kit fox. Wildlife is not just subject to the ground as many species of songbirds and raptors can be viewed in the native willows and cottonwood trees covering the canyon floor.