WHEN TO DESCEND
Plan your canyoneering trips around the best conditions. Pick a month to see where to go.
JANUARY
Southern Hemisphere summer is peak season in the Blue Mountains. Central America is in its dry season. Utah's slots are cold and pools may be iced; only dry canyons are reasonable.
Blue Mountains: 3–5 mm wetsuit, the water stays cold. Utah: warm layers and a drysuit for any canyon with pools.
Réunion is in cyclone season. Check official weather warnings before any canyon there; heavy rain makes its canyons deadly.
- Blue Mountains, Australia
- Costa Rica & Caribbean
- Hawaii
SEASON CALENDAR
Peak canyoneering season by region. Plan the trip around the best conditions.
DESTINATIONS
5 of 25 in season in January. Each bar is the year, the season filled in.
In seasonMaui
Hawaii, USA
Guided waterfall rappelling trips
In seasonBlue Mountains
New South Wales, Australia
Sandstone slot canyons from Empress (short, beginner) to Claustral (hard, ~10 hours)
La Fortuna (Arenal)
Alajuela, Costa Rica
Guided rainforest canyoning and waterfall rappelling
Kawasan Falls
Badian, Cebu, Philippines
Popular guided jumping-and-swimming run through turquoise pools
Dalat
Lâm Đồng, Vietnam
Southeast Asia's best-known spot for guided canyoning and waterfall rappelling
Zion National Park
Springdale, Utah, USA
The Subway, Mystery, Pine Creek and Heaps; permits required for every technical canyon
North Wash
Near Hanksville, Utah, USA
Short desert slots from Leprechaun to the infamous Sandthrax; no permit required
Robbers Roost
Wayne County, Utah, USA
Remote BLM slots including Bluejohn, Larry and Mindbender
Escalante (Grand Staircase)
Escalante, Utah, USA
Peekaboo and Spooky for first-timers; long dark swims in Choprock
San Rafael Swell
Emery County, Utah, USA
Ding & Dang, Little Wild Horse and dozens of slots described in Steve Allen's guidebooks
Cedar Mesa
San Juan County, Utah, USA
The Black Hole of White Canyon and Fry Canyon; swims and flood debris
Moab
Moab, Utah, USA
Short desert canyons with big free-hanging rappels and many local guide services
Ouray
Ouray, Colorado, USA
Cold flowing alpine canyons such as Cascade, Oak and Portland Creek; home of the Ouray Canyon Festival
Sedona & the Mogollon Rim
Arizona, USA
Technical canyons in West Clear Creek Wilderness and the West Fork of Oak Creek
Grand Canyon
Arizona, USA
Hundreds of side canyons, many remote and multi-day
Sierra de Guara
Huesca, Aragón, Spain
Europe's canyoning hotspot: Río Vero, Peonera, Mascún and Gorgas Negras
Ticino
Southern Switzerland
Granite canyons with green pools: Iragna, Cresciano, Pontirone and Lodrino
Interlaken & Central Switzerland
Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
Large commercial canyoning scene; Grimsel and Chli Schliere (Alpnach) trips
Corsica
Corsica, France
Bavella granite canyons including Purcaraccia's slabs and jumps
Soča Valley (Bovec)
Bovec, Slovenia
Limestone canyons such as Fratarica in the Julian Alps
Val Bodengo
Lombardy, Italy
Granite gorge with long slides and jumps near Lake Como
Nevidio Canyon
Durmitor, Montenegro
Narrow, cold limestone gorge on the Komarnica river
Madeira
Madeira, Portugal
Volcanic island streams with tall waterfall rappels
Réunion Island
Indian Ocean (France)
Fleurs Jaunes, Takamaka and the huge Trou de Fer
Dominica
Caribbean
Rainforest canyons around Titou Gorge