Cherry Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3A III (v3a1 III) Raps:15, max ↨105ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Limestone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 27 Apr 2025
"River Crossing was super easy, about 60 cfs, maybe mid shin deep. Nice Sandy bottom, so easy to cross barefoot. A nice social trail has formed on mu |
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| Best season: | Winter
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36.9072, -113.8281
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Waterflow
Introduction[edit]
Beautiful slot with curved limestone walls. According to Rick Ianiello (author of Las Vegas Slots) this is one of the best canyons in the Las Vegas area.
Cherry has been descended for more than a decade, by hundreds of people, using only natural anchors (such as those described in the beta below). Please, if you are planning on making a descent, know how to evaluate, construct, and manage natural anchors within a technical canyon. Cherry is not "throw and go" where every anchor is always simple. Every potential descent needs to be prepared with the knowledge and equipment to evaluate and construct these natural anchors. If you do not have these skills, please learn them in a controlled-safe environment hopefully from an experienced source, BEFORE going to Cherry Canyon. With the proper understanding the anchors in Cherry are not sketchy nor dangerous, and the risks of using natural anchors can be effectively and safely managed.
This is not the place to pull out the drill and install bolts or other fixed anchors. They are absolutely not needed outside of a Land Manager-sponsored SAR operation. If you cannot, or don't feel comfortable, descending Cherry without the use or installation of bolts, don't do it, and don't install them. Fixed anchors have been removed from Cherry TWICE before. Learn the skills to do so without, and come back later.
Cherry Canyon is within the federally designated Paiute Wilderness Area. Please abide by the laws of Wilderness Areas. That means it is illegal use motorized equipment (I'm looking at you power drill). However, to be precise it is legal to hand drill anything in a wilderness area. So if your up to the task you can place a high-quality stainless steel two-bolt anchor, but note that it requires far less expertise and time to just manage/create the natural anchors.
Approach[edit]
Parking for this canyon is best accessed going northbound on I-15. If coming from Utah you must travel pass the parking site and turnaround at the next exit. The current GPS coordinates for parking are correct/confirmed. There is a sizable gravel parking area off the Interstate that will allow for several cars. This parking is not an on/off ramp so be careful merging with high speed traffic on I15. Alternatively, if you are going southbound, and want to continue going southbound at the end of the day, you can park on the north side of the interstate and use a culvert for access.
After parking, scrambled down the trail to the Virgin River. You must cross the river which has variable flows. Check here: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/09413700/#parameterCode=00060&period=P7D At approx 110 CFS the water level is about knee deep. Since this is a dry canyon, most groups take an extra pair of wet shoes for the crossing and stash them for the return trip.
During spring runoff or recent storm the Virgin River will NOT be wade-able. Water levels can be checked here USGS Water Flow
Download GPS coordinates included on this map page are confirmed.
Follow the obvious wash to the left. Eventually the trail leaves the gravel semi-flat wash after about 15 mins and a strenuous scramble up begins to the left. The scramble is non-technical and not exposed but very strenuous. Plan on 60-90 mins of continuous strenuous scramble. If doing this scramble during warmer months an early start will be in the shade. There is no defined trail but the route (go up) is obvious and the ridge point on the GPS coordinates is accurate/confirmed. Once on top of the ridge look straight down at the obvious wash which leads directly into Cherry Canyon. Pick your way down to the wash by any numerous game trails, turn right, traveling down wash which will lead to the first rappel. This start of this canyon is easy to find without any confusion.
Descent[edit]
There are only natural anchors in this canyon. There are no bolted raps. Anchors include trees, rock arches, rock pinches, and cairns. Groups need to be familiar with evaluating and constructing natural anchors. Webbing may need to be replaced on occasion. 100 feet of webbing would be advised if numerous anchors need to be replaced.
Max rap is about 105-110 feet. A 65 meter (213 ft) rope will cover all raps but this could change depending on how far the anchors are set back. A 200 foot rope will be slightly short but could be extended with webbing etc...
Several raps are multi-pitch which does not allow the group to see the bottom of the rap from the start point.
Numerous anchors are set back from the rappel that can catch the rope on the pull. Most raps will require a test pull to ensure rope retrieval.
Most rappel starts are friendly, sloping starts that are suitable for novices with a skilled leader.
R1 boulder 40-45'
R2 cairn 15'
R3 cairn three-stage 100'
R4 small tree 85'
Small natural slide *whee*
R5 small arch LDC wall about 5' off the ground or tree 35'
R6 cairn 30'
R7 tree 25-30'
R8 tree LDC 25-30'
R9 cairn 80'
R10 cairn 30'
R11 cairn 40' (Strongly recommend test pull here - Pinch point LDC)
Canyon opens up. Expect about 3 small down climbs before the next rappel.
R12 cairn two-stage 60'(Recommend test pull)
R13 rock pinch LDC 50'
R14 boulder three-stage 80' (Last stage can be down climbed LDC)
Optional: Turn left here and walk around the mound LDC of the final rappel to skip it.
R15 cairn 40'
Above lengths are approximate and may change if cairns/anchors are relocated.
Exit[edit]
Follow the obvious watercourse after the last rap down canyon for 5 mins. This will lead you back to the original access wash that closes the loop ("leave wash" on map). Hike back down the same way you came up the wash to meet the Virgin River.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
BluuGnome.com : Cherry Canyon- Las Vegas Slots Facebook Beta
Las Vegas Slots Book by Rick Ianiello : Cherry Canyon- CanyonCollective.com : Cherry Canyon
- HikeArizona.com : Cherry Canyon
- RoadTripRyan.com : Cherry Canyon
- https://www.stavislost.com/hikes/trail/cherry-canyon
Trip reports and media[edit]
- Changes after Sep 2014 floods
- 23 Mar 2014
- 3 Nov 2013
- Meetup 18 Mar 2013
- Boogley 31 Jan 2012
- Video 21 Mar 2013
- Candition.com : Cherry Canyon
- EVEN-FURTHER CHERRY CANYON