Stone Donkey Canyon | Paria

Canyoneering Stone Donkey Canyon - Paria Canyoneering Stone Donkey Canyon

Paria

Overview

Thu A chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. West southwest wind 6 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
83° | 58°
Fri A chance of rain showers before 9am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 9am and noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
82° | 55°
Sat Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
86° | 53°
Sun Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
89° | 56°
Mon Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
91° | 58°
RATING: 3B
SEASON: Spring, Fall.
GEAR: Standard Technical Gear, Wetsuits in Spring/Fall. Bring a 60 m rope and a 15 m rope (or webbing).
RAPPELS: 1 to 60 m ( 197 ft. )
WATER: General springs for drinking along the hike, and several pools in the canyon. Wetsuit in cool conditions.
FLASHFLOOD: High in the short slot section.
Thu A chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. West southwest wind 6 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
83° | 58°
Fri A chance of rain showers before 9am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 9am and noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
82° | 55°
Sat Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
86° | 53°
Sun Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
89° | 56°
Mon Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
91° | 58°
Looking at the head of the canyon.
Looking at the head of the canyon.

Stone Donkey Canyon is the exquisite slot with the big approach! Though short, this slot is quite stunning and in my opinion, well worth the effort to visit. The goods start with a dramatic rappel often bathed in a shimmering glow, followed by a short but dramatic narrow slot that is likely to leave an impression on most. Magnificent!

So, with the hype in mind, what is the approach like? Well, there are several options, none of them short or easy. My strong recommendation is to make this outing into a light overnight backpack and approach via Hackberry Canyon. This approach is longer than the 2 cross country routes, but trust me, it is much more enjoyable! As my recommended route, this is what is described below. Fast/strong hikers with long days could cover the almost 18-mile round trip in a day, but most will want 2 days. Hackberry, particularly around Stone Donkey is quite pretty. Throw in an extra day's rations and make an even more leisurely 3-day trip out of it.

The narrows of Stone Donkey Canyon
The narrows of Stone Donkey Canyon
The short but sweet Stone Donkey from the top.
The short but sweet Stone Donkey from the top.

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