Canyon Del Salto
| Rating: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Difficulty:3B II (v3a2 II) Raps:2-4, max ↨35ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:High Clearance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Condition Reports: | 14 Sep 2024
"Started at 6:30 was a great temperature. Started getting warmer when we got back to the vehicle at 9:00. Beautiful canyon! Can’t wait to come back |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best season: | Early Autumn to Early Summer;BEST in Feb;Mar;Nov;Dec
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regions: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
32.2670, -110.6617
Search nearby locations
Weather forecast
WaterflowIntroduction[edit]
The Spanish translation is "Waterfall Canyon" and at least on the one occasion that I've been through the canyon, it lived up to it's name nicely. This is a short canyon route near Tucson with a few technical challenges and some good scenery and is especially nice with flowing water. Though the canyon is short, the fact that there are no approach or exit trails may make the trip less appealing to some.
Approach[edit]
There appears to be two different ways to approach the canyon; access via high clearance 4WD or passenger car. Since I've only done the latter, that is what I will describe - the former seems to require a creek crossing and some rough 4WD roads. Redington Rd is rough dirt, but I've seen passenger cars make it as far as the pullout - then again, I've seen others give up before that. From I10 in Tucson, take the Grant Road exit, drive east on Grant Rd for 8.3 miles, then turn left onto Tanque Verde Rd which turns into Redington Rd after 7.9 miles. After passing parking for Tanque Verde Falls, park at a pullout on the left at 32.259996, -110.656194 - total mileage from the turn onto Tanque Verde Rd to the parking pullout is 12.4 miles.
From the car park hike N/NW through a minor drainage, then up the hill on the other side to reach a ridge, then down the other side to access the canyon. There are no trails for this route and the cactus and brush are plenty thick.
Descent[edit]
Once in the canyon head left to travel downstream to arrive shortly thereafter at the first obstacle of either a short rappel (6-8 feet) or a slippery, polished chimney downclimb RDC through a sculpted section with small potholes.
R1: 35 feet from a rock pinch in the main watercourse through an interesting striped chute. There used to have been a pool at the base of this rappel, but it has since filled with sand.
The next obstacle is a sloping series of short falls.
R2: 30 feet through a crack from a rock pinch center canyon, or downclimb LDC then re-enter the watercourse where desired.
R3: 20 feet off arch RDC - or potential slide - into a deep pool (swimmer when full). Alternatively, stay LDC to bypass.
Continue down canyon through some more pools and downclimbs until you reach a nice rock and water hallway with one small challenge of about 8 feet at a large chockstone boulder that can be downclimbed - though some may want / need a partner assist.
After a few more downclimbs, the canyon will open up and present one final vertical obstacle.
R4: 35' off rock pinch RDC.
Exit[edit]
Shortly after the last rappel I chose to exit the canyon on the left to avoid going down canyon toward private property. Scramble up through the brush on the left (south). Part way up a cairned trail may be located, turn right onto this trail and gain the ridge. Contour to the east at roughly the same elevation around the hills to route-find and cactus-kick your way back to the car park on Redington Rd.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
HikeArizona.com : Canyon Del Salto
Trip reports and media[edit]
- https://www.facebook.com/pat.winstanley.7/media_set?set=a.978805572178140.1073742023.100001461198708&type=3&pnref=story
- https://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=20147