Birch Hollow Exit?

[xxnitsuaxx]

I've read conflicting reports on the exit from Birch. Is it bad enough to warrant getting an Orderville permit and exiting through the Narrows or is the exit not that bad?

[jman]

Do you have at least 2 cars? A shuttle will be be best.

If you do, then I'll post the coords of where to park.

[dustinsc]

With two vehicles, you should definitely take jman's approach. Even without it, it's a fairly long walk, but it's road walking so it's not very bad. Going through Narrows may be a lot of fun though. It would certainly be more interesting if you have the time.

[Iceaxe]

Down Orderville is awesome, but a long day and requires a shuttle, if you have never done Orderville I'd certainly exit that way if given a choice. Birch or Englestead are the primo entrances to Orderville as both get all the best stuff.

Exiting up Wild Wind Hollow is the shortest and requires no car shuttle. The bushwhack up Wild Wind is pretty fierce, but you are only bushwhacking for about 45 minutes of the exit. I certianly wouldn't take my wife and kids up that exit, but if I'm with the boys we just stud up and get on with it.

You can also use the standard Orderville Gulch trailhead as your exit. Down Birch and up Orderville. If you have two vehicles and are looking for only 1/2 day this is the ticket. You can also hike up Orderville and road walk back to the Birch Hollow TH. But I'd rather do the faster bushwhack up Wild Wind.

YMMV

[xxnitsuaxx]

We'll have two cars. We're still debating between doing Orderville or doing a spot so all coords and suggestions are welcome!

[ghawk]

Birch is much more pleasant with a car spot at the mouth of orderville rather than going up the wild wind hollow. I've done wild wind and it works, just unpleasant. If you don't have the car spot, you could go for it. It will be unpleasant, but it will get you out.

[Iceaxe]

We'll have two cars. We're still debating between doing Orderville or doing a spot so all coords and suggestions are welcome!

Then its simple.... if you want a 1/2 day with no water, spot a car at the Orderville Trailhead.

If you want a full day exit out Orderville... and enjoy all the Orderville Waterpark has to offer. Orderville by itself is pretty dang fun.

[Deathcricket]

Then its simple.... if you want a 1/2 day with no water, spot a car at the Orderville Trailhead.

If you want a full day exit out Orderville... and enjoy all the Orderville Waterpark has to offer. Orderville by itself is pretty dang fun.

Pearls of wisdom here. I would only add that the exit uphill Orderville sux azz IMO. Zero fun. Spend the day, play in the water, check out the narrows, it's awesome. It's actually one of my favorite hikes.

[ilipichicuma]

I don't think the exit up Orderville is too bad, but I don't recommend the Wild Wind exit. It remember it being pretty miserable, and it seems like it took more than 45 minutes, though we may have gotten a little lost for a while.

[jman]

Birch hollow to Orderville exit sucks? It's easy bro. There is hill that takes 5mins to go up, but other than that, it's not tough at all. I would do the BH to Orderville exit 100x more than Wild Wind Hollow. Of course, that includes using the shuttle system.

But if you have never done Orderville Austen, I would recommend and do Birch Hollow and Orderville in one long day.

One could do BH and then Mystery if they have a shuttle, as another option.


Here's a pic I just pasted together in Google Earth. Hopefully it gives you a better idea.

[Iceaxe]

and it seems like it took more than 45 minutes,

I said the "bushwhacking" only lasts for about 45 minutes. The entire exit is not a bushwhack and takes me about 1.5 hours. The complete Birch Hollow/Wild Wind loop takes competent canyoneers less than 4 hours to complete.

I don't exit out the yellow line on the map above. While that correctly locates Wild Wind that exit would be brutal. YMMV..

Route description of Birch Hollow with Wind Wind exit.

[Summit2Sea]

Some friends and I did Birch a couple of weeks ago and exited up Orderville to the Orderville Gulch trailhead, then shuttled back to the Birch trailhead... It worked out pretty good... The exit wasn't bad, it took us about 50 min. at a descent pace from the lower 4X parking meadow... The exit's a steady and continuous incline once you hit the 4x4 road and fully exposed to the sun until you reach Orderville Gulch trailhead... It's a good idea to bring a little extra water for the exit if you're exiting during the warm part of the day... Last year when we did Birch we exited down Orderville and out the narrows... If you haven't done lower Orderville yet and don't mind a long day, it does add a lot to the experience... Lower Orderville is a lot of fun...

[Iceaxe]

PS: The Orderville trailhead noted on the map above requires REAL 4x4's to access. The hiker trailhead is 2.25 miles further UP a big ass hill....

To use the TH noted you would need two 4x4's to set up the shuttle. Time wise I can hike the 4x4 road out faster then setting up the 4x4 shuttle.

[nelsonccc]

Having done both I will echo the same thoughts as everyone else. With a shuttle the orderville exit is far more ideal than WWH. Though neither is as pleasant as simply going down orderville. WWH really isn't that bad, it's just steep and bushy. I hated the first 15 minutes of WWH but don't really remember the rest being that bad.

[shagdeuce]

I've taken a group up Orderville to the corral parking lot (non-4x4) and another down Orderville. The hike down Orderville is long and pretty muddy. I loved the hike down and much preferred it. Some of the others in the group, however, didn't love it and wished we would have exited up. I would say that it largely depends on the group you are taking. If they are hikers, definitely go down. If the group contains noobs, go up.

[ansatz]

Don't do the Wild Wind exit. It is worse than hell itself. Shuttle is the best. Leave a car at the gate at the top if you can not do the full shuttle. We gave a group a ride to the top today. you may always find a ride to the top. Be nice to everyone you meet in the canyon.

[ansatz]

Don't do the Wild Wind exit. It is worse than hell itself. Shuttle is the best. Leave a car at the gate at the top if you can not do the full shuttle. We gave a group a ride to the top today. you may always find a ride to the top. Be nice to everyone you meet in the canyon.
BTW the county has done some maintenance on the upper section of the road below the gate. I think I could get my CRV down and back up now. Used a Tacoma and 4 Runner today.

[ansatz]

Another BTW...SORRY... Orderville is completely dry. No water, no mud, just dry heat from Birch Hollow exit to the top.

[bigred72]

Just did orderville on Saturday from the top down. Completely dry until you hit the seeps and then the water is flowing. It was my first time there, but we had some swims over our heads (I'm 6'3"). For the experience, it was top vs the Subway.

[Deathcricket]

Birch hollow to Orderville exit sucks? It's easy bro.

Not saying it's difficult. Zero fun, boring, dry, dusty, hot, up a steep hill, etc. But your map is a bit misleading. Most people can't get to that parking lot, unless like was said there has been some maintenance on it. There is at least another 1-2 miles on top of that for most people to the "regular" parking lot. Unless they have 2 hardcore 4wd vehicles. Although my buddy DeanPaul did get his Subaru Forester down it like a boss. Hahaha.

But compared with the hike down? One of the best hikes in Zion. Lots of fun, scenic, amazing, awesome, etc. No comparison IMO. It's a simple decision.