Best Slot Canyons In Zion National Park

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Where are the Slot Canyons in Utah? – The Best Slot Canyons of Utah. Zion Narrows – Zion Slot Canyons in Zion National Park. Located within Zion National Park the Zion Canyon is a gorge, which varies in width from 20 feet to thirty feet depending on the section of the canyon, the Narrows is the narrowest section. Come join East Zion Experience for an unforgettable slot canyon experience. We will spend the majority of our tour on our UTV's. Our guides will drive you in the UTV (Can Am Defenders) to Upper and Lower Red Caves Slot Canyons. Don't forget your camera you will have the ability to take amazing pictures to remember this. The Narrows is the most popular hike in Zion National Park, and one of the world's best slot canyon hikes. It is pure fun and can be tailored to suit any ability level. The trail is basically the Virgin River. The canyon is so narrow, the river covers the bottom in many spots, which means you have to wade or swim to proceed.

Echo Canyon - This is an enchanting slot canyon hidden in the heart of Zion Canyon. When the slot canyon is dry it's a moderate hike with some bouldering, however don't expect to find dry conditions very often. When I found it dry was a summer after years of drought. East Zion Slot Canyons Outside Park Boundaries.

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Spectacular deep and dark slot canyon with extravagantly scultured walls, tinged with green moss in many places. The lower half is accessible by walking in from below; the full canyon needs ropes to explore, starting from the top
Length: 1.6 miles, to the last rappel point when descending from above
Difficulty: Moderate; dryfalls and pools
Management: NPS - within Zion National Park
Rocks: Navajo sandstone
Season: Summer, fall; the canyon contains snow during winter and spring
Trailhead:Weeping Rock - Zion Canyon shuttle stop 6
Rating (1-5):★★★★★
Echo Canyon is one of the best and most easily accessible slot canyons of Zion National Park, joining the Virgin River a few miles south of the end of the park road at the Temple of Sinawava, just before the start of the Zion Narrows. The lower part of the canyon drops very sharply towards the main valley in a series of steep steps, narrow channels and circular potholes carved in the rock, but the drainage becomes temporarily wider and more level upstream.
After half a mile further up the canyon, the cliffs close in to form a dark and very deep slot just a few feet wide, with smooth red and grey rock walls rising high above a rocky, boulder-strewn floor usually containing many pools of murky water. The Observation Point Trail follows the main canyon far above the slot, but about half of the narrows can be explored fairly easily from below; to see the whole length requires rappelling, starting from the top.


Topographic Map of Echo Canyon


Location


Echo Canyon is reached from a junction off the well-used trail to Hidden Canyon and Observation Point, which starts from the Weeping Rock parking area 2 miles before the end of the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. For most of the year this is now only reachable by the free park shuttle.

Permit


No permit is required to explore the lower part of the canyon, just a standard $30 Zion National Park entry fee (in 2020), but one is required if descending the whole length as this involves rappelling.

Photographs


18 views of Echo Canyon.Best Slot Canyons In Zion National Park

Route Description


From the parking area, the trail ascends steeply up the side of Zion Canyon for about one mile then divides; the left (north) branch to Observation Point joins Echo Canyon above the steep lower end, and follows it at water level for a short distance, before eventually climbing to the top of the cliffs and meeting other cross-country trails, while the other branch heads towards Hidden Canyon. The path runs alongside the canyon floor for about half a mile, through a section that is flattish and still relatively wide, but then the rocky walls around the watercourse close in abruptly. The route begins to ascend steadily, towards the higher section of the canyon which is wide and open, with trees and bushes although the narrow crack is still visible to one side, and looks rather dark and dangerous when viewed from directly above.


The slot can be entered close to where the trail parallels the streambed but just upstream are some deep potholes that contain murky water all year, several feet deep, so an easier start point is a bit further along, as the path starts to ascend, just before a bridge over a short, overgrown ravine. The main gorge is reached by scrambling down the side and wading across a shallow pool, from where the canyon turns south and enters a longish straight section between high, vertical cliffs, usually with a small stream flowing, across a floor of pebbles and boulders. The passage narrows a little, bends to the east and ends in a pool beneath a chokestone, followed by another pool with higher chokestone and a possible log jam, up to 10 feet high. Above here, the canyon enters the main narrows - about half a mile of deep, mostly dark passageways containing many other pools of cold water, generally up to 3 feet deep, and pouroffs up to 6 feet.

For most of the canyon, the cliffs overhang above creating a damp, dark environment, made more oppressive by the dark red/grey walls, tinged with green moss in the few places where sunlight can penetrate, so the canyon is not pretty as such but very impressive, and just a little intimidating owing to the tallness of the cliffs, the sombre conditions and the frequent signs of the huge floods that occasionally pour through - logs wedged above, broken boulders, deep mud patches. The walls are smooth near stream level but jagged and angular higher up, where they look quite old and weathered.

The canyon has one short, open section with large boulders where the sun shines, followed by more darkness. The easy part ends with a circular pool around 4 feet deep beneath a quite narrow pour-off - the last of the places that may need rappelling if descending from the top end. A full exploration involves hiking up the trail for another mile and a half, to a point where the walls relent sufficiently to allow entry, then proceeding downstream by means of up to 10 rappels over dryfalls, and swimming through deep potholes. The trip is only possible starting quite late in the season owing to large amounts of snow that fall into the narrows from the sheer slopes of Cable Mountain; some patches persist until midsummer.
Clear Creek
Hidden Canyon
Kanarra Creek
Keyhole Canyon
Kolob Creek
Mineral Gulch
Misery Canyon
North Creek, Left Fork
Orderville Canyon
Parunuweap Canyon
Pine Creek
Poverty Wash
Red Canyon (Peek-a-Boo Canyon)
Red Hollow & Spring Hollow
Sand Wash (Red Cave)
Spring Creek
Taylor Creek, Middle Fork
Zion Canyon Narrows

Best Slot Canyons In Zion National Park Where You Do Not Repel

Best slot canyons in zion national park where you do not repel

Keyhole Canyon
Zion National Park, Utah
★★★★★

Best Slot Canyons In Zion National Park Where You Do Not Repel


Red Canyon
Utah
★★★★★

Upper Chute Canyon
Baptist Draw, Utah
★★★★★

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CANYONEERING IN ZION NATIONAL PARK:
Repel

Canyoneering is an activity that involves hiking as well as rappelling, downclimbing, route finding, rope work, and swimming in cold water to allow you to see much more remote and secluded scenery than you could by simply hiking. Zion National Park is considered a mecca for canyoneering with several world-famous canyons like the Zion Narrows and the Subway, as well as countless obscure and remote canyons. These routes are not suitable for hikers who have no technical canyoneering experience.

Important Points:
  • A canyoneering permit is required for any canyoneering route that requires the use of descending gear or ropes. Reservations for the well-known canyons can be made online and you must pick up your actual permit at the Wilderness Desk the day before or the day of your hike. A lottery system is in place for Subway and Mystery Canyon permits due to their epic popularity. Detailed permit info can be found on the NPS website.
  • You need a climbing harness and a rappel device (ATC-type device or a device like the Petzl Pirana) and you must know how to use them for rappelling.
  • You need canyoneering rope long enough for the longest rappel. Static canyoneering rope is prefered to dynamic climbing rope. (Note: general-purpose rope that you find at the hardware store is absolutely NOT acceptable.) You typically bring double the length of the longest rappel since you pull and take your rope with you.
  • Inspect all anchors before you rappel off of them. While rappel stations in the popular canyons are usually in good shape, they are not officially maintained by NPS staff. Bolts and webbing are replaced by white knights in the canyoneering community. You should bring webbing and a few rapid links and be knowledgeable to clean up any anchor that looks like it's in bad shape. Your safety is your responsibility.
  • Be prepared to get wet and cold. Most canyons have sections of water, often in dark corridors that don't get much direct sunlight. Bring drybags to protect all of your camera gear, electronics, and anything else that needs to stay dry. Canyons like Keyhole Canyon and Pine Creek have perpetually cold swims, so you will want a wetsuit even on a hot day in summer.
  • Be prepared to deal with random obstacles. Many canyons have short drops that require careful downclimbing, chimneying, and/or stemming. Good upper-body strength and some climbing experience are very useful. Random logs and debris will need to be evaluated and navigated.
  • Flash floods are a real danger and have killed several people over the years. Pay attention to the weather forecast and cancel your canyon plans if there is a threat of rain. Your safety is your responsibility.
  • You cannot hire a guide to take you through the technical canyons of Zion National Park; commercial guiding is prohibited. Outfitters in the area do offer canyoneering training classes and they also lead canyoneering adventures in public lands outside of NPS. Most outfitters also rent canyoneering gear (harnesses, wetsuits, footwear, drybags, etc.), but typically not rope.
  • Do not poach any canyon that you do not have a permit for. Rangers can and do ask to see your canyoneering permit, especially in popular canyons like the Subway.
Classic Canyoneering Routes:

THE SUBWAY TOP-DOWN ROUTE (via Russell Gulch)
Rating: strenuous hiking/semi-technical canyoneering.

The Subway 'top-down' route via Russell Gulch is the classic way to hike the Left Fork of North Creek. This route is a long strenuous day and it involves several short rappels, a few downclimbs, and several cold swims. Starting from the Wildcat Canyon Trailhead, the hike goes down Russell Gulch to join the Left Fork. The highlight is the half-mile section of canyon known as The Subway. Once beyond the Subway section, the canyon opens up and it is a less-interesting hike out to the Left Fork Trailhead. This amazing hike is well worth the effort!

ORDERVILLE CANYON
Rating: strenuous hiking/semi-technical canyoneering.

Orderville Canyon is the amazing little sister to the famous Zion Narrows and is a good long day hike for beginning canyoneers. The lower sections can be explored as a side hike from the Zion Narrows, but the much better way is to do the top-down 'semi-technical' canyoneering route. This hike involves two short rappels, several short swims, and a lot of downclimbs over boulders and rock formations. The canyon is tall, narrow, dark and wonderfully mysterious, and it is well worth the effort that it takes to get through it all!

KEYHOLE CANYON (Starfish Canyon)
Rating: short technical canyoneering.

Keyhole Canyon barely shows up on a topo map, but it is a beautiful little subterranean slot that offers up some amazing other-worldly slot canyon scenery. This route takes roughly two hours to complete and involves 2-3 short rappels, and as such, it is quite a popular route for beginning canyoneers. This canyon also has many down-climbing obstacles, and a few wades and swims through cold water, so even though it is short, it should still be taken seriously. Full technical gear is required and wetsuits are recommended.

PINE CREEK (Middle Pine Creek)
Rating: technical canyoneering route.

Pine Creek is one of the most popular technical canyoneering routes in Zion National Park and exemplifies the beauty of subterranean slot canyons. Starting at the Canyon Overlook parking lot and ending at the Route 9 switchbacks in the main canyon, Pine Creek is one of the few beautiful slot canyons that features such easy access. Although it is one of the easier technical canyons in Zion, it is still serious business with several rappels, downclimbs, and many swims through cold water. This route features the beautiful 'Cathedral' section (complete with an arch doorway) and the final rappel -- an intimidating 100-ft free rappel.

MYSTERY CANYON
Rating: fairly strenuous technical canyoneering.

Mystery Canyon is indeed a mystery… a deep and beautiful hanging canyon that feeds into the bigger Zion Narrows. This 'hike' is one of the the crown-jewel canyoneering adventures in Zion National Park, featuring a steep and intimidating entrance, numerous rappels in beautiful dark sculpted narrows, an enormous landslide/rockfall obstacle in the middle of the canyon, and two big-wall rappels near the end that really get your attention. The grand finale is the rappel down Mystery Falls that lands you right in the Zion Narrows only a quarter of a mile upstream from the Temple of Sinawava.