Water Canyon

Beta for Water Canyon in the Zion area

Duration

5

- 7.5 hrs.

Rating

3

Technical Class Indicates the technicality of the terrain and the tyoe of rope work require.

1 - 

Canyon Hiking Non-technical. No rope is required. See the route description for difficulties.

2 - 

Basic Canyoneering Scrambling, easy climbing or downclimbing. A rope may be handy for handlines, belays, lowering packs and emergency use. Exit or retreat possible upcanyon without fixed ropes.

3 - 

Intermediate Canyoneering Rappels or technical climbing and/or downclimbing. A rope is required for belays and single-pitch rappels. Retreat upcanyon would require fixing ropes.

4 - 

Advanced Canyoneering Aid climbing, multi-pitch rappels and/or complex rope work (such as re-belays, tyrollean traverse, or guided rappels) may be required. Might also require difficult pothole escapes, serious squeezing, extensive high-risk downclimbing, or have difficult-to-establish natural anchors. Rappels longer than 200 feet will usually earn a canyon a Class 4 rating.

B

Water Rating indicates complications due to flowing or still water, under normal conditions.

A - 

Normally dry or with very little water. Wading to waist deep at most.

B - 

Water with no current or light current. Still pools. Falls are normally dry or running at a trickle. Swimming expected.

C - 

Water with strong current. Waterfalls. Wet canyon rope techniques required.

II

Time or Grade indicates the length of the adventure.

I - 

Short. A couple of hours.

II - 

Requires about a half day.

III - 

Normally requires most of a day.

IV - 

Expected to take a long day. Get up early, bring a headlamp. Possible bivy.

V - 

More than one day. Normally done in two days.

VI - 

Two full days or more.

Additional Risk Rating indicates the presence of more risk factors than might be expected.

No Rating - 

Normal risk factors are present on this adventure.

R - 

One or more extraordinary risk factors exist that complicate the descent. Solid technical skills and sound judgment required. Not appropriate for beginners, even with competent leadership.

X - 

Multiple risk factors exist that will complicate the descent. Errors in technique or judgment will likely result in serious injury or death. Descent should be attempted by expert canyoneers only. This is the least-well-established part of the rating system, and the most subjective. Use by beta-providers varies widely, to the point that this part of the rating means very little.

Longest Rappel

175 ft

Number of Rappels

8 -

12

Country: united states

State/Province: UT

City or Nearest City: Mt Carmel

Approaches:

Approach Icon

First Rappel:

First Rappel Icon

Last Rappel:

Last Rappel Icon

Exits:

Exit Icon

Calculate time for your adventure

Select your approach, exit, and any shuttles in order to calcualte an estimated time

1. Approaches:

2. Canyon Time:

3 hour(s), 25 minute(s).

3. Exit Time:

Total Adventure Time:

(select route options above)

Seasonal Gear Recommendations
for Water Canyon

Water Canyon Rappels

8 - 12 rappels

The number of rappels in this canyon will vary depending on a variety of factors such as experience, downclimbing abilities of people in the group, and starting point.

Throwing the rope bag over rappel 1 in Water Canyon

Rappel 1

Length: 80 ft

Coordinates: 37.054594,-112.966628

Rappel 1 AnchorAnchor Icon

This rappel is anchored from a large ponderosa pine tree about 20 feet from the edge. There is webbing/rope extended from the tree to facilitate rope pull.


Overview

Rappel down to a possible swimmer. The water is avoidable with a little creativity!

Tips

This rappel is 100 ft. if you are rappelling directly off of the tree back from the edge. Use the webbing/extended anchor to rappel a shorter distance and make for an easier pull.



Looking down into a pothole on rappel 2

Rappel 2

Length: 24 ft

Type of Rappel: Optional Downclimb

Rappel 2 AnchorAnchor Icon

A single bolted hanger and quick link provide an anchor for this second, short drop.


Overview

Rappel 2 is two stages directly after the first rappel.

Tips

If you are looking for an extra challenge and trying to avoid getting wet at all costs, you can downclimb and stem this two-stage drop. It is possible to set up a guided rappel here as well, by using a meat anchor to tie the guided line to.



Looking down rappel 3 in Water Canyon

Rappel 3

Length: 40 ft

Rappel 3 AnchorAnchor Icon

There is a single glue-in and quick link for the anchor on rappel 3.


Overview

Rappel straight down the watercourse, over a small pothole to a larger landing with a fantastic view.

Tips

If you are looking to move quickly through the canyon, you can skirt around the left side of the wash and crab crawl down the steeper slickrock directly to the 4th rappel anchor station. Doing so is fairly easy, but feel a bit exposed.



Beginning rappel 4 in Water Canyon

Rappel 4

Length: 175 ft

Rappel 4 AnchorAnchor Icon

Webbing is tied around two nice glue-ins on the wall directly back from the ledges' edge on this rappel.


Overview

This is the biggest and possibly the most scenic rappel in Water Canyon. From a large landing, rappel down a vertical wall to another possible swimmer. The water will feel great on a hot day and possibly a bit chiller on cooler days with no wetsuit.

Tips

It is possible to belay directly at the bottom of this rappel, but with an awkward stance. The best place to belay is in the pool or on a small shelf on the opposite (down-canyon) side of the pool. Also, be cautious of rope grooves on this rappel. They are getting fairly prominent.



Rappel 5

Length: 35 ft

Type of Rappel: Optional

Anchor Icon

More anchor information coming soon.


Overview

Downclimb into the watercourse after walking through the narrow slot section. After downclimbing into the watercourse, there will be an anchor station LDC, from which you rappel into a pool at the bottom. At certain times during the year you will have to make a floating disconnect. If you don't want to rappel this drop in the watercourse, stay left after exiting the slot section and there are a series of ledges to walk down to the bottom. You will most likely still have to swim or perform a deep wade to get across the pool at the bottom.

Tips

There are chains and a quick link at this rappel in the watercourse on the left-hand wall at head level.


Looking up rappel 6 in Water Canyon

Rappel 6

Length: 60 ft

Rappel 6 AnchorAnchor Icon

Two large glue-ins and webbing are located on a protruding rock just before the edge of the rappel


Overview

Descend down a straight, vertical wall to a sandy wash at the bottom. Look at the wall to you your left near the bottom as you are rappeling to see amazing pocketed rock formations.

Tips

If you are uncomfortable getting close to the edge while hooking up on this rappel, use a personal anchor.



Pothole

Length: ft

Type of Rappel: Optional

Rappel 7 AnchorAnchor Icon

There is an anchor station to the left of the watercourse on top of the rock ledge. You have to scramble/climb about 6 feet to get up to the station. It is not visible from the canyon floor below.


Overview

Walk down the canyon a few minutes after rappel 6 to where the canyon takes a hard right turn. There will be a pool with a jammed log. Downclimb into the pool and swim about 12 feet across this pool. Otherwise, climb up just to the left of the watercourse where there is an anchor station on the ledge.


Looking up rappel 8 in Water Canyon

Rappel 7

Length: 45 ft

Rappel 7 Anchor - Option 1Anchor Icon

A ponderosa pine provides a sturdy anchor on the RDC side.

Rappel 7 Anchor - Option 2Anchor Icon

There are chains and glue-ins on the LDC side of the watercourse.


Overview

Immediately after the swimmer is Rappel 7. You can either stick to the right and rappel from a tree into a dirty pool or scramble up a 7 ft. ledge to the left to bolts and chains that will drop you away from the water. There is a route directly in the watercourse but that will also drop you directly into the nasty pool at the bottom.



Squeezy start on rappel 9 in Water Canyon

Rappel 8

Length: 35 ft

Rappel 8 AnchorAnchor Icon

Two glue-ins with webbing on the LDC side of the watercourse at eye-level.


Overview

Walk down the canyon for about one minute where you will scramble up to the left again, to a large platform. On this rappel, you will descend partway down a crack and then into a free hang.

Tips

Hang your pack for an easier descent through the crack.



Descending rappel 10 in Water Canyon

Rappel 9

Length: 100 ft

Type of Rappel: Optional

Rappel 9 AnchorAnchor Icon

There are two glue-ins and chains at the end of the small slot that you squeeze and downclimb into.


Overview

Downclimb into a short, skinny slot and then walk out to the edge. Rappel down to a natural spring. This can be a small waterfall at certain times of the year.

Tips

Pull the rope from as far back as you can.



Water Canyon Trip Reports

September 3, 2021

With our group of 7, we had 3 brand new beginners with us and completed the whole canyon in 7 hours. The approach is straightforward and the first rappel is easy to find. All anchors were in good condition. There was some water in the canyon but didn't come across any swimmer. There was one chest-deep wade that we had to do.

June 11, 2022

Our group of 4 got an early start since it was going to be a hot day. We encountered two other groups in the canyon, which slowed us down just a bit, but we were able to complete the canyon in a little over 6 hours. There are some deep rope grooves on the big 170 ft. rappel. Most of the pools were waist to chest-deep. The only swimmer that we encountered was the pothole underneath the jammed log between rappels 6 and 7.

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