Avocado Canyon
| Rating: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Difficulty:3B III (v3a2 III) Raps:5, max ↨130ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:4WD - High Clearance Rock type:Sandstone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Condition Reports: | 19 Jun 2025
"Rough road for the last mile or two, airing tires down helped make it a lot more comfortable. Unknowingly skipped raps 1 and 2. Removed bad anchor/web |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best season: | Spring Summer Fall
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regions: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
34.5562, -111.4322
Search nearby locations
Weather forecast
WaterflowIntroduction[edit]
A short canyon with a couple larger fun raps down clean rock walls. This canyon features some lovely high walls, chutes, and interesting layered rock. Quick approach and quick exit make for a lot of bang for your buck!
This canyon can be made into a full day trip by parking at Tramway Trail, extending the approach hike down drainage, and skipping the quick exit by continuing down to West Clear Creek. From there, one may head South, following West Clear Creek down, around and eventually back up Tramway Trail.
Approach[edit]
Follow forest road on KML map to approach. This long high clearance road has quite a few boulders near the end and some spots with 4wd may be helpful depending on conditions.
Once parked, head through woods down into main drainage, rock hopping and downclimbing.
Descent[edit]
R1: 15' rock pinch
R2: 30' into shallow pool
R3: 75' tree on edge DCR
R4: 45' rock pinch
R5: 160' rock pinch DCR (can be done with less, ~135', if the anchor is extended to the edge. Need ~40' of webbing).
Exit[edit]
Main Exit:
After last rappel, hike up first possible slope on left. Very slippery, loose soil/rocks. About 0.5 miles of hiking with about 600' elevation gain gets to top where it flattens out; continue on ridge to meet road. Much quicker and easier than West Clear Creek exit.
West Clear Creek Extended Exit:
Roughly 3.5 miles of classic West Clear Creek hiking (looking for trails in thick brush; hiking through long pools filled with slippery, polished rocks) now stand between you and the Tramway trail - go left (south) to begin the hike. The good news is that the slowest hiking is all found in the first mile and a half or so - after reaching Bear Canyon some decent trails can be found. Hike up this always beautifully scenic creek until you reach the Tramway trail which is marked on the left with a small cairn at a gravel beach and pool. Hike up the steep, but well defined trail the remaining .5 miles and 700 feet elevation gain to reach the trailhead and your vehicle.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
Super Amazing Map : Avocado Canyon- CanyonChronicles.com : Avocado Canyon
- HikeArizona.com : Avocado Canyon
Trip reports and media[edit]
Background[edit]
Sneak exit discovered by Jay Wisocki