Looking for an exciting new way to experience Southern Utah? How about a canyoneering adventure in Water Canyon?
The Water Canyon area is best known for its incredible hiking. But canyoneering allows you to see a side of the region that few visitors ever get to experience. It’s a challenging outdoor adventure that takes the right gear and experience, or help from an experienced guide. If you’re up for the challenge, you’ll be rewarded with some stunning views and a vacation story that you’ll love to share!
Ready to try canyoneering in Water Canyon? Keep reading to learn what you need to know about this exciting activity.
What is Canyoneering?
Canyoneering is a way of exploring slot canyons. It involves hiking, scrambling, rappelling, chimneying, and sliding as you navigate your way through the canyon from point A to point B. While canyoneering, you’ll wear a harness and helmet that allows you to safely navigate a system of ropes and pulleys.
Canyoneering isn’t a sport that’s widely known outside of areas that are home to a large number of slot canyons, like Southern Utah. And Southern Utah is home to one of the largest concentrations of slot canyons in the world. This makes the region a destination for canyoneering enthusiasts, who come here from all over the globe to navigate our beautiful slot canyons.
Where Can You Go Canyoneering?
There are thousands of slot canyons throughout Southern Utah. In fact, there are more than a thousand slot canyons south of Interstate 70 alone. Not all are accessible or open for canyoneering. Some of the most popular slot canyons are located in and around Zion National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. During the busy summer months, it isn’t unusual for these slot canyons to draw a crowd.
If you want to experience a stunning slot canyon and try canyoneering, Water Canyon is a great spot to start. This lesser-known slot canyon is no less challenging or beautiful than the slot canyons to the north. But it sees far fewer crowds, making it a great spot to enjoy Southern Utah away from the bustling tourist areas.
Canyoneering in Water Canyon
Located in Hildale, Utah, Water Canyon is one of the best-hidden gems in Southern Utah. This beautiful canyon is located on the southern side of the Canaan Mountains. It’s home to towering waterfalls that drop into crystal-clear pools. It’s also home to an incredible slot canyon.
To get to this slot canyon, you’ll start at the Water Canyon Trail’s trailhead. The entire journey is around 4.3 miles one-way and can take anywhere from 6 to 11 hours to complete. You’ll spend a large portion of the 4.3 miles hiking. Around .7-miles of the trail’s length requires a technically challenging rappel. In total, you’ll rappel between 9 and 12 times, with the largest rappel dropping you 170 feet into the canyon. You’ll also traverse some water sections, walking and wading through the clear mountain water.
Attempting This Canyoneering Adventure on Your Own
Canyoneering in Water Canyon isn’t something you should attempt without experience, as well as the right gear. But if you do have canyoneering experience, you can definitely take on this challenging, rewarding course on your own.
You’ll need standard rappelling and anchor gear. Make sure that your ropes and pull chords can help you rappel up to 170 feet. You’ll need 60 feet of 1” webbing for your sling placement.
If you’re planning to visit our Utah canyon resort during the winter, consider bringing a wetsuit, as sections of this trail will have you walking or wading through the water. However, these sections are short, so if temperatures are high, you’ll likely be fine without a suit.
No permits are required for canyoneering in Water Canyon. Because the trail loops back around to the trailhead, you won’t need to plan for a shuttle or ride back to your car. There is parking available at the Water Canyon Trail trailhead. If the parking lot is full, you can park along the road, or head back down the road to the trailhead to park in the smaller parking lot located there. A pit toilet is available at the trailhead, though there are no water fill stations, so plan ahead to pack in water for your hike.
Canyoneering in Water Canyon With a Guide
Water Canyon is a great beginner’s canyoneering course, thanks to its short rappels and relatively easy-to-navigate landscape. However, because you’ll need to know how to safely set up for those rappels, and have the right gear, you shouldn’t try canyoneering on your own without experience.
Luckily, there are plenty of guides and tour companies located throughout the region, many of which can help you try canyoneering at Water Canyon. They’ll provide all of the gear, and the experience that you need to safely cross canyoneering off your bucket list!
Choosing a Basecamp for Your Water Canyon Canyoneering Adventure
Ready to try canyoneering in Water Canyon for yourself? What better place to stay than at Water Canyon Resort? Our Utah canyon resort is located just a short drive from the trailhead. That way, if your canyoneering adventure takes all day, you can easily get back to your private cabin for an evening of rest!
Now is a great time to plan your Water Canyon adventure! From now until March 15, 2023, when you book a stay of 2 nights or more, you’ll get 25 percent off your stay. Book today to take advantage of this amazing deal!