box canyon

American  

noun

1. a canyon with steep side walls terminating headwards in a vertical cliff.

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box canyon British  

noun

1. a canyon with vertical or almost vertical walls

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Etymology

Origin of box canyon

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Example Sentences

Julie Clark, a community education specialist for UCANR, recalled getting a call from a local forester who spotted an unhealthy-looking coast live oak while driving in Simi Hills’ Box Canyon.

From Los Angeles Times

Perched 8,750 feet up in a box canyon in the Colorado Rockies, it’s reachable only by twisting roads or a white-knuckle drop into one of the nation’s highest airports.

From Los Angeles Times

Tucked away in a remote Colorado box canyon, the Telluride Film Festival has long leaned into its image as a kind of Brigadoon for cinephiles.

From Los Angeles Times

Picturesque Box Canyon offers a rustic bridge, gentle half-mile ramble, picnics and views of rushing waters through a tall, narrow canyon.

From Seattle Times

They discover the simplicity and warmth of life in a town at the dead end of a box canyon with a year-round population of roughly 300.

From New York Times