Elephant Butte, at 5653 ft, is the highest point in Arches National Park The route, winding through the maze of entrada fins, requires good route finding or persistence, a rappel, and a bit of lower 5th class climbing to reach some of the best views around Elephant Butte makes a great outing for those canyoneers with a little climbing experience, or climbers It is not very technical, but very rewarding with excellent views Caution: I've had several groups e-mail me recently that Elephant Butte had very challenging ...

One of my climber friends once told me that Not Mindbender was one of the best canyons he had done in the Roost I would very much echo his sentiment There are other canyons in the Roost that are more narrow or difficult, but Not Mindbender tops the list for its beauty and charm The exit requires someone with moderate climbing ability 55/10 m, but is worth the effort Don't miss this canyon if you are in the Roost The longer variation described here is recommended for those with two cars, wanting a longer day The sta...

Fallen Roof Granary is one of the more photographed ruins on Cedar Mesa Its image is often seen in calendars and photos, and for good reason, the ruin and aspect make it very photogenic and scenic The lighting on the ruin can be really dramatic In addition to Fallen Roof, Road Canyon contains the Seven Kivas Ruin and several other fantastic ruins This is one of my favorite hikes on Cedar Mesa, both for the ruins, as well as the views from the canyon rim The lower trailhead, in particular, offers excellent primitive...

One of the things I love about the San Rafael Swell is the diversity of canyons From pothole challenges, like Quandary and the Squeeze, to more mellow en-devours, like Baptist Draw, or this one, Lupacchiotta lou-paw-key-o-ta, the Swell offers it all This is a short, casual affair in the highest region of the Swell Though only a couple of hours, it makes a nice casual break when passing through on nearby I-70 The canyon has straightforward anchors, and no downclimbing, making it very suitable for beginners or hikers...

Nine Mile Canyon is known as the world's longest art gallery The canyon is about 40 miles long but became named Nine Mile Canyon when F M Bishop on Powell’s expedition to the area did a nine-mile triangulation drawing he named Nine Mile Creek For rock art enthusiasts, this is an absolute top of the list place to visit The canyon is home to hundreds of rock art panels, as well as granaries, and other Native American sites It is an astonishing place to visit With more than 1,000 cataloged rock art sites, the sheer vo...

Ah, Witch's Cauldron Canyon, what a history we have together! I initially explored it with Kent Beverly, Mark McCray, and Penny Martens in about 2004 It was one of our first explorations, and we got shut down at the Cauldron A year or so later Kent, Penny and I gave it another go, getting slightly below the Cauldron before fearing it would get too narrow to pass through and reversing out Foiled again! Due to scheduling and partner conflicts, I had given up on finishing the canyon In the spring of 2007 Mike Kelsey a...

Ah, BIG Tony, with emphasis on BIG! This one of the first X-rated canyons I did, and it packs a wallop! Like many of the neighboring canyons on King Mesa, this one has plenty of exposure and climbing to keep your attention! The upper section of the canyon contains hours of high stemming Most of the high stemming is at a reasonable width or was for me! and felt pretty secure, though a couple of crux wide spots will get your attention Looking down 12 m+ as you stem across a wide section reaching with all you've got t...

Afton Canyon is known as the Grand Canyon of the Mojave Along its steep-walled conglomerate cliff wall lies the short but dramatic Spooky Canyon Few canyons are as deep, dark, and cave-like as Spooky Canyon This is one that you will need a headlamp to explore its black depths Next door to Spooky Canyon is what I suppose could be dubbed Not Spooky Canyon A similar canyon, Not Spooky is not as dark as Spooky Canyon but has similar obstacles and a sinuous nature We, with limited information on our trip, ascended Not S...

No Mans Canyon, next to Larry, seems often overlooked by canyoneers Both forks, however, are good and intermediate canyoneer friendly The North Fork has one of the most scenic sections of canyon around and is highly recommended I recommend the South Fork only for those with ascending skills, and it can be visited along with the North Fork in one long day Route finding after the North Fork exit is straightforward, but several groups have struggled a bit in the complex terrain Be sure to follow the map carefully

Ah, Icebox, the often overlooked and seldom done canyon in the Kolob Canyon section of Zion National Park Reviews from the few I have known that have done it have been mixed No glowing recommendations, but also no scathing reviews either I finally got a chance to check it out in the summer of 2015 My verdict Well, at almost 13 miles and 2000' of elevation gain, the route has length a plus in my book It is definitely seldom visited and feels very off the beaten path also a plus in my book In hot times, it doesn't re...