Baboon Laughs
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| | Difficulty:3B V (v3a2 V) Raps:4-6, max ↨165ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 23 May 2025
"Our group of 6 did this canyon in about 3.5 hours in the afternoon after the hike in and it was very toasty on the approach, mostly dry in the upper |
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| Best season: | Spring;Fall
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37.5700, -110.8837
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Introduction
A beautiful, easier route in the Water Pocket Fold area between Happy Dog and Poe Canyons. The canyon itself from a base camp in Halls Creek will only take 4-6 hours, getting to base camp requires a hike of 3-5 hours via the overland route - see trip descriptions for Poe and Happy Dog Canyons.
Baboon is part of the "Animal Kingdom" in lower Halls Creek, comprising Smiling Cricket (aka Poe), Jiminy Cricket, Happy Dog, and Laughing Baboon. It is the shortest and least demanding of the 4 animal routes. However, it features one of the best pothole jumps in Utah, about a 15 foot jump into a deep wide pothole usually with deep enough water, as well as one of the best sandstone slides, also about 15 feet and into a usually deep pool. Most groups will downclimb past the first bolt station and take 2 rappels to drop in to the canyon proper. By this count the jump is rappel #4 and the slide follows soon after. As the canyon opens up at the bottom, there is usually a thick forest of poison ivy so best to keep the wetsuit on until you are up on the slickrock. Since it is the shortest of the 4 animals, it can be a good choice for the day of the hike out to the highway.
Approach
Descent
Exit
Red tape
Kingdom Route Parking
A permit is need to park a vehicle overnight along the Burr Trail Road for "The Kingdom Route/Overland Route." The Parking area (WGS 84, 37.61615, -110.79873) has been established with specific boundaries laid out for vehicles and cars will be towed if not within the boundaries or with a valid permit. This option was closed for a while by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, but the Capitol Reef National Park rangers worked with Glen Canyon National Recreation Area rangers to get the parking lot established again. This route option is used to access the Miller Creek Canyons (Poe, Baboon, Dog) and also as an alternative for Halls Creek Narrows. Please contact the CRNP Visitors Center for a permit. Source: http://www.americancanyoneers.org/access-capitol-reef/
Beta sites
Super Amazing Map : Baboon Laughs aka O Canyon- RoadTripRyan.com : Laughing Baboon Canyon
Trip reports and media
Background
This canyon was called 'O Canyon' on the first descent by Mike Bogart & Dennis Turville on Oct 17, 1978 [canyon name database].
While both "Baboon Laughs" and "Laughing Baboon" are commonly-used names for this canyon, the earlier usage seems to be Baboon Laughs based on the history described by the Canyon Name Database.