Conditions:Black Canyon-20250317233443

Latest:	17 Mar 2025 (2 mos ago)

Reported by:	Nclegg (407 reports)
Quality:	Good
Waterflow:	Low
Wetsuit:	Thick wetsuit
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Normal
Time:	5 hours

Team: 5 people

Trip report URL:

Comments: Lower narrows run. Flow was low but water clarity was nice. Multiple slides and jumps in play. 5mm wetsuit was manageable, but a few in the group wore drysuits.

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
17 Mar 2025 Trip report	Great	Deep pools	Thick wetsuit	Normal		4 people	Triggerfish (60 reports)
Comment: Hiked in as a larger group, then split to catch the big waterfall at the top of the lower canyon. Cold, clear water was flowing low but enough to make a waterpark of the place. Nothing pushy or hydraulic. Jumps and slides were a blast.
17 Mar 2025	Good	Low	Thick wetsuit	Normal	5 hours	5 people	AZ Advocate (51 reports)
Comment: 1st time through this canyon and it was a blast. Cold, clear water, deep pools, and excellent company made for a stellar day. I only have a 4/3 wetsuit, so wore my dry suit which made for a very warm run through the canyon. Water flow was pretty low, so it just ensured clean pools and slick water slides without pushing people around or off their feet. We used the ridge exit shortly after the narrow section which was stout but gets the elevation gain completed quickly and then the rest of the exit is on the trail, so smooth sailing. I haven't exited through the creek bed but I don't think that'd be much fun unless rock hopping for hours is on your agenda for the day. Excited to do this one again next year when we actually have some more snow and higher flow.
17 Mar 2025		Low	Thick wetsuit		7 hours	4 people	EMoorcroft (450 reports)
Comment: Our group opted to head up streamnand climb above the big falls and it was worth it. We then finsihed the lower half of the canyon. Water was deep enough to enjoy the slides and jumps. Super fun day. We downclimbed the last rappel and only did 2 rapps including the 140' falls.
17 Mar 2025	Good	Low	Thick wetsuit	Normal	5 hours	5 people	Nclegg (407 reports)
Comment: Lower narrows run. Flow was low but water clarity was nice. Multiple slides and jumps in play. 5mm wetsuit was manageable, but a few in the group wore drysuits.
22 Dec 2024	Ok	Very Low	Full wetsuit	Normal	6 hours	3 people	Nclegg (407 reports)
Comment: Lower narrows descent. Multiple large pools were entirely dried up. Only a few wades under waist depth.
18 Mar 2024		Moderate	Thick wetsuit		7 hours	3 people Advanced	EMoorcroft (450 reports)
Comment: We did the lower section plus the big rappel in 7.5 hours from car to car. Anchors looked good except for the last one which we replaced with new black webbing. We did 3 rappels including the big one and were able to jump/ slide the other obstacles. Storms the 2 days prior brought new snow melt and moderate flow. The rooster tail on the big rappel was cool. Thick wetsuits were a luxury. Exit was quick and easy.
16 Mar 2024	Great	Moderate Low	Thick wetsuit	Normal	5 hours	2 people	Nclegg (407 reports)
10 Mar 2024	Good	Moderate Low	Thin wetsuit			2 people Advanced	EMoorcroft (450 reports)
Comment: Still in fun mode. Jumps and slides still in play. Some jumps very shallow and require skill. The anchor for the 140' had been cut out so I replaced it with a double knot chock, bucked up on a plate in a crack. Long day but fun.
20 Mar 2023	Amazing	High	Thick wetsuit	Normal	8 hours	3 people Advanced	EMoorcroft (450 reports)
Comment: Awesome route with flow. 5 stars in the right conditions. Very sporty and fun. We set a traverse line to the r4 anchor.
11 Mar 2023	Amazing	Very High	Full wetsuit	Advanced	7 hours	2 people	Coalemus (160 reports),Nclegg (407 reports)
Comment: Time reflects a hike to the base of R3 and a descent of the lower narrows. Snowmelt from a few days of warm weather combined with rains resulted in heavy flow, which made navigating the already slick watercourse even more challenging. The water was doing some freaky things at the base of a few falls but we were able to avoid the more hazardous features. We downclimbed the final rappel canyon left.
28 Mar 2022	Good	Low			11 hours	2 people Advanced	RFontaine (270 reports)
Comment: We did the upper loop from the top of Black Canyon Trail. Flow was very low throughout the canyon, lots of algae in pools and the rappels are spread fairly far apart with lots of bushwhacking through rocky riverbed in between. Basalt rock is VERY slick even when dry. We cleaned up anchors, removed old webbing, and updated beta. The narrows was the best part of the trip. We brought our wetsuits but didnt end up putting them on. The water was cold but bearable. Even with low flow, the narrows had lots of deep pools to swim through. Black Canyon Trail is a pleasant well used trail but deceptively long. Very nice camping up at the top! All in all, this canyon would be an easy 5 stars if it was in heavy flow like the cover photo shows, but I wouldnt repeat it otherwise.
25 Apr 2020	Good	Low	Full wetsuit	Normal	9 hours	4 people Intermediate to Advanced	Erek (206 reports)
Comment: Did loop starting and ending from upper TH. Did four optional rappels before mandatory 140', instead of bushy bypass. Most rappels avoid water flow. Some in group bypassed second rappel by downclimbing LDC on slopy ledges. Narrow sections is best section. Awesome slides and jumps. Good trail back, but last steep hill up was brutally steep at the end. Saw a huge rattlesnake in canyon and brown bear towards top. Water was cold up top, glad to have 5mm wetsuit, but warmer in lower canyon. Very slippery canyon, slow moving in canyon.