Water Canyon (Canaan Mountain Wilderness)

A fun half-day canyon, with straightforward access and back-to-back features on the descent. Water Canyon is a good un-permitted alternative to routes in nearby Zion National Park. While it does have a few short sections of narrows, the canyon is mostly wider than other nearby canyons. It can be very hot and arid in mid to late summer. The canyon is commercially guided.

Drive through the interesting town of Hildale, Utah and up into the slowly-narrowing canyon until the dirt road ends at a small dirt parking lot on the edge of a small pool.

Follow the well-established trails up canyon. There are many side trails; do not turn off to the right to descend to the water course -- instead, try to go as straight as possible while staying on the major trail. Eventually, the trail will approach the left canyon wall and then head down hill to a wide, flat section of canyon with steep, slightly Subway-esque walls. The climbing (class 2) section of the approach begins here. Look for a bypass of the 20' waterfall on your left (RDC). Continue following the prominent trail that climbs the left (RDC) side of the canyon to gain 800ft vertically. Sometimes the trail becomes hard to follow when it crosses slickrock, but it should reappear shortly thereafter. Eventually you will exit the canyon onto a plateau. There is a good rest spot with an excellent view called Top Rock. After recovering from the climb, descend to the northwest via smaller use trails until you reach the main water course and downclimb to the slick rock near a prominent hoodoo.

Rope-grooves are persistent throughout the canyon, so please consider using a toggle-type device. R1: 30' tree RDC into pool. Avoidable via far LDC downclimb. R2: 110' RDC bolts. R3: 50' bolts LDC (stem over pot hole, and down 2 stage) R4: 30' bolt RDC (do not throw bag due to deep pot hole not visible from anchor) R5: 170' bolts RDC Through tight slot. R6: 15' bolt RDC R7: 40' bolt LDC, down chute. R8: 65' tree (set 20' back, avoids pothole) or ghost from small tree into pothole R9: 60' bolts RDC R10: 25' glue-in steel loop LDC up high, or climb up and around to the right R11: 80' tree RDC or 100' bolts LDC R12: 45' bolts LDC R13: 105' bolts, either side of slot. Bolts for guided rappel on wall RDC. R14: 40' bolts LDC on ledge. Rejoined approach trail.

Retrace your steps out of the main canyon and down to your car.