Pleasant Draw

See on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjUWImmZQ-0

ACA Canyon Rating – 2B III

NEVER ENTER ANY SLOT CANYON WHEN HEAVY RAIN IS IN THE FORCAST…!!!

 

A major tributary mid-way in Pleasant Draw has a wonderful ¾ mile long “slot canyon” section.  We call this Alabaster Canyon.  It is mostly solid alabaster (gypsom).

The upper end of Alabaster Canyon (shown below) closes in so narrow that the walls touch in places and we could hardly squeeze thru...! ! !

Notice above how sunlight shows thru this narrow slot from the other end

 

Below is this narrow slot as seen from the other end

...not too far downstream from the narrow slot above is this beautifully sculpted Alabaster Cave about 100 feet deep... and up to 20 feet high

Below Darren stands in the cave entrance at creek-bed level

Below is a 12 foot wide section of a calcite wall in Alabaster Canyon... swirls of crystal.  This marble is beautiful and very high quality...! ! !

The main stream of Pleasant Creek normally has some flowing water

Notice on the map below that Pleasant Draw holds several slot canyons- the one shown in the photos below is a long one and is the farther-most downstream

This slot runs for about ¾ of a mile

The white alabaster shines like a hallway of ivory...! ! !

 

This last photo is of the slot canyon up on the sandstone cliffs in the upper most reaches of Pleasant Draw above the falls and pool - see map below-

 

 

beta facts:

name- Pleasant Draw

elevation- about 2700’ ele

GPS coordinates- ±34°48.439’N 101°26.915’W at mid-way

flow- intermittent

season to visit- ANY DRY TIME will have less mud… NEVER ENTER ANY SLOT CANYON WHEN HEAVY RAIN IS IN THE FORCAST…!!!

accommodations- NONE

ownership- private land

nearest town- Wayside, Tx is about 5 miles west of here

 

Pleasant Draw

This canyon is not open to the public...! ! !

-We were invited here with special permission-

 

Enhanced USGS topo map

The Red Lines depict sections of “slot canyons”

 

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