25 places canyoneering people travel for: the towns to base a trip in, and the famous spot at each one.
Springdale, Utah, USA
The Subway, Mystery, Pine Creek and Heaps; permits required for every technical canyon
Open the guide arrow_forwardNear Hanksville, Utah, USA
Short desert slots from Leprechaun to the infamous Sandthrax; no permit required
Wayne County, Utah, USA
Remote BLM slots including Bluejohn, Larry and Mindbender
Escalante, Utah, USA
Peekaboo and Spooky for first-timers; long dark swims in Choprock
Emery County, Utah, USA
Ding & Dang, Little Wild Horse and dozens of slots described in Steve Allen's guidebooks
Destination guide →25 places canyoneering people travel for: the towns to base a trip in, and the famous spot at each one.
Springdale, Utah, USA
The Subway, Mystery, Pine Creek and Heaps; permits required for every technical canyon
Open the guide arrow_forwardNear Hanksville, Utah, USA
Short desert slots from Leprechaun to the infamous Sandthrax; no permit required
Wayne County, Utah, USA
Remote BLM slots including Bluejohn, Larry and Mindbender
Escalante, Utah, USA
Peekaboo and Spooky for first-timers; long dark swims in Choprock
Emery County, Utah, USA
Ding & Dang, Little Wild Horse and dozens of slots described in Steve Allen's guidebooks
Destination guide →Peak canyoneering season by region. Plan the trip around the best conditions.
18 legendary canyons. Pick one to read about it.
Zion's most famous canyon: a tunnel-like section of the Left Fork carved into a tube, reached after short rappels and cold swims. Permits come from a seasonal or daily lottery on Recreation.gov.
How the disciplines fit together, how the grades work, and where to start.
Most people start on a guided trip, then take a rope-skills course. From there the sport splits: dry desert slots with potholes and squeezes, flowing European-style canyons that lead to alpine, tropical and swiftwater descents, and a leadership track toward canyon leader and professional guide. Tap a branch to see what it takes and what comes next.
Sources: Wikipedia: Canyoning (names, regions, hazards, training bodies) · ACA: Canyoneering curriculum · ACA: Canyon Leader certification · Canyoning Institute: certification pathway · Tom's Utah Canyoneering Guide: ACA rating system · FFME: canyon grading system (v/a/I–VI) · Descente-Canyon: Trou de Fer, Fleurs Jaunes, Iragna grades · NPS: Zion canyoneering permits
A draining canyoneering shoe with a Vibram Idrogrip sole, sized up to fit over neoprene socks.
Named among the best canyoneering shoes in Scoutorama's canyoneering shoe guide · scoutorama.com
Maker's pageAn adjustable-friction canyoning descender with three rope set-ups and a friction spur, for independent canyoneers and guides.
Covered in Scoutorama's best canyoneering descenders guide as Petzl's current Pirana model · scoutorama.com
Maker's pageA sheath-heavy static rope made for sandstone canyons of the Colorado Plateau, light to carry but resistant to core shots.
Picked as a favourite in Scoutorama's best canyoneering rope guide · scoutorama.com
Maker's pageA 9.5mm canyon rope with a Technora sheath for abrasion resistance in aggressive canyons.
Named in Scoutorama's best canyoneering rope guide · scoutorama.com
Maker's pageEach row is one grading system, the way it looks on the trail. Read down a column to convert. Pick a level to see the terrain.
Pick a level to see what canyoneering terrain looks like there.
The athletes to watch, the organizations that run the sport, and the events on its calendar.
USA
Author of Zion: Canyoneering and Tom's Utah Canyoneering Guide; founder of Imlay Canyon Gear and Canyoneering USA
USA
Self-published Colorado Plateau guidebooks since the 1980s, including the Technical Slot Canyon Guide to the Colorado Plateau
USA
Wrote Canyoneering: The San Rafael Swell (1992) and co-wrote Canyoneering the Northern San Rafael Swell (2013)
USA
Founded the American Canyoneering Association in 1999 and Canyon Guides International in 2017
USA
Author of the FalconGuides technique manual Canyoneering: A Guide to Techniques for Wet and Dry Canyons
Photo: Rémih · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsDiscover the world of canyoneering across 25 destinations. From discovery to mastery: find your spot, build your skill, send your project.
The beginner's guide, the channels, podcasts, sites and apps worth your time, the brands behind the gear, and the people who run the sport.
Everything you need to know to get started — gear, safety, common mistakes, and the language of canyoneering. Built for first-timers, useful for everyone.
Curated channels, podcasts, and apps from coaches and pros.
12 brands shaping the canyoneering world.
Canyon-specific packs (Heaps, Kolob, Mystery), rope bags and Canyon Fire rope; founded by guidebook author Tom Jones
PIRANA CLUB and PIRANA GUIDE canyoning descenders; CANYON GUIDE harness
CanyonTech 9.5 mm rope with an abrasion-resistant Technora sheath
Low-stretch ropes with a dedicated canyoneering range
TOTEM variable-friction descender, popular with US canyoneers
OKA and Hydrobot canyoning descenders; Target Canyon harness
Canyoning (barranquismo) packs, harness protectors and rescue gear
Canyoning harnesses, rope bags and protective over-suits
IGUAZU and IRUPU canyoning harnesses and a canyon figure-eight descender
Canyon Guide boot and the Hidro line of shoes for wet terrain
TX Canyon approach shoe built for wet canyon rock
The original Canyoneer shoe with Stealth rubber (now discontinued); its successor, the Terrex Hydro Lace, is a common rental shoe in Zion and Moab
Map view, filtered by grade, season, discipline. Plan your year — or just your next weekend.