Birch Hollow
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| | Difficulty:3A III (v3a1 III) Raps:9+, max ↨120ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Optional Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 21 Jun 2025
"Group of 12 with mixed abilities ranging from brand new to advanced. Two Advanced leads, One Assistant, and others who were competent belayers. Exit |
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| Best season: | Spring; Summer; Fall
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37.3098, -112.8554
37.3097, -112.8565
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Introduction[edit]
One of the few canyons that does not require a permit, usually done in combination with Orderville Canyon (which does require a permit).
Approach[edit]
From the trailhead, follow use trail down canyon to first rappel.
Descent[edit]
R1: 70’ in smaller watercourse (traversing RDC along shelf), or 120’ from big tree in main watercourse. Both are optional rappels with sharp / loose rock…can be bypassed with trail LDC.
R2: 70' from fallen log in watercourse (30' from edge)
R3: 13' from bolts RDC or fairly easy stem
R4: 15' from double bolt LDC or tricky downclimb RDC
R5: 20' from bolts LDC
R6: 100' from tree LDC
R7: 30' from bolts RDC
R8: 35' from bolts RDC
R9: 70’ from bolts LDC
R10: 60’ from bolts LDC
Downclimb into potential pool, then canyon opens to Orderville.
Note: Continuing down Orderville Canyon adds a few more short rappels.
Exit[edit]
For a no-shuttle loop, exit up and out of Orderville via Wild Wind Hollow. A steep but well-worn trail has developed.
For a short shuttle exit, hike up Orderville to jeep road / 4x4 parking and then continue along the road to the Orderville TH (or, leave 4x4 shuttle at the end of the road to shorten the walk).
For a long shuttle exit, leave a vehicle at the Zion National Park visitor center. After descending Birch, continue down Orderville Canyon and exit to the Temple of Sinawava via The Narrows (LONG day and PERMIT REQUIRED). Take the park shuttle to the visitor center to acquire your personal shuttle vehicle and retrieve your other vehicle from the Birch Hollow TH.
See this thread for more detail: http://canyoncollective.com/threads/birch-hollow-zion-exit-information.24889/
Upper Orderville outside of the park boundary. At the lower Orderville 4X4 Parking.
Red tape[edit]
If exiting up Orderville Canyon, no permit is required because the entire trip is outside the bounds of Zion National Park. However, descending Orderville Canyon after finishing Birch Hollow (a popular option) requires a permit for Orderville Canyon.
Beta sites[edit]
BluuGnome.com : Birch Hollow- Chris Brennen's Adventure Hikes (Southwest) : Birch Hollow
- RoadTripRyan.com : Birch Hollow
- CanyoneeringUSA.com : Birch Hollow
- Climb-Utah.com : Birch Hollow
Zion Canyoneering Book by Tom Jones : Birch Hollow by itself- Zion Canyoneering Book by Tom Jones : Birch Hollow then out Orderville
- ToddsHikingGuide.com : Birch Hollow
- CanyonCollective.com : Birch Hollow
- Super Amazing Map : Birch Hollow
- ZionCanyoneering.com : Birch Hollow
- SummitPost.org : Birch Hollow
- https://www.stavislost.com/hikes/trail/birch-hollow-and-orderville-canyon
Trip reports and media[edit]
- http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?74639-Birch-Hollow-07-25-2015
- https://www.facebook.com/pat.winstanley.7/media_set?set=a.733350823390284.1073741926.100001461198708&type=3
- Candition.com: Birch Hollow
Wikiloc.com: Birch Hollow- YouTube.com: Gerald Murphy, Birch Hollow and Orderville
- YouTube.com: Nick Clegg, Birch Hollow
- YouTube.com: Greenroom Productions, Birch Hollow Zion National Park
- YouTube.com: Richard Pattison, Birch Hollow movie