Conditions:Darwin Falls-20201203001543

Latest:	30 Nov 2020 (4 yrs, 5 mos ago)

Reported by:	Bricepollock (39 reports)
Quality:	Ok
Waterflow:	Deep pools
Wetsuit:	None
Water temperature:	40 F
Difficulty:	Normal
Time:	4 hours

Team: 2 people with experience level Advanced

Trip report URL:

Comments: Darwin Falls was quite the surprise. For the entire first part of the decent there was no clear use trail through the thick brush consisting of 8 ft reeds, trees/branches and a difficult to see stream through the canyon proper. Not entirely enjoyable for me personally.

The overhung long rappel next to the waterfall is quite asthetic. You cannot see from the top, but there is an alcove at the bottom to avoid dunking into the pool. At least the first person needs to do a swing/swim to get across the waterfall (left). The rest can be pulled over by the first person to bypass.

The second rappel also leads to a little standing position, but then becomes a deep pool over 10 ft deep. I had a 15 ft long swim to reach a tree. At this tree I fixed the rope and my partner did a part Tyrolean traverse, part zip line down to the tree to avoid the water.

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
28 Oct 2023	Great	Very Low	None	Normal	5 hours	6 people	Kmiller (5 reports)
Comment: Road to Darwin Falls is almost completely gone. Access is closed to the public except via walk in. Canyon was once again scoured by the Aug Hurricane Hilary flooding. Most vegetation has been washed out and the water course has changed in places. Still no deep pools as per last years reports. All anchors had webbing replaced. We opted to skip the water course rappel on the big falls and rig the standard RDC location. Great day to play in the water.
29 May 2023	Great	Very Low	None	Normal		4 people Intermediate to Advanced	Abby Wines (50 reports)
Comment: Canyon changed by flash floods: vegetation has grown back noticeably since my last trip in April, but still is very reduced compared to past years. There are still no pools deeper than knee-deep. We set up anchor to rap down the big waterfall directly (as opposed to normal route on RDC side of waterfall) because it was hot out and we wanted to get wet. It was awesome!
16 Apr 2023	Amazing	Very Low	None	Normal	4 hours	8 people Beginner to Advanced	Abby Wines (50 reports)
Comment: The canyon is completely different than previous conditions. Flash flood in August 2022 scoured out most of the vegetation. No bush whacking, just open canyon corridors. Then one of the atmospheric river storms in winter 2023 deposited gravel. Every place I waded or swam on prior trips is now just ankle deep walk on gravel. Road is a little rougher than normal to trailhead. Recommend high clearance. Won’t need 4x4 though.
12 Nov 2022 Trip report	Great	Deep pools	None	Normal	4 hours	6 people Brand new to Advanced	Bricepollock (39 reports)
Comment: One washed out section of the road in beginning of road to Darwin, not passable by a car but a truck made it okay. Canyon no longer has the tall reeds, they are all flattened. A thin layer of mud on all rocks makes things look more slippery than actually were. Replaced all webbing at the main falls. Pool was 4 ft at deepest at base of main falls rappel. Option to skip last rappel (Darwin Falls) by R-rated traverse on right. No wet suites needed, just a dry layer for the person who swam / wadded.
15 Feb 2021	Amazing	Low	Thin wetsuit	Normal	2 hours	1 people Expert	Bjp (60 reports)
Comment: Fun novelty to have so much water in the desert. The first waterfall is beautiful and worth the trip. I wore a rain jacket over a 6/5 long-sleeved neoprene jacket with air temperatures in the mid-60s and felt great. Direct water exposure beyond deep wading is over quickly, so the main issue is how cold it is to be wet afterward.
30 Nov 2020	Ok	Deep pools	None	Normal	4 hours	2 people Advanced	Bricepollock (39 reports)
Comment: Darwin Falls was quite the surprise. For the entire first part of the decent there was no clear use trail through the thick brush consisting of 8 ft reeds, trees/branches and a difficult to see stream through the canyon proper. Not entirely enjoyable for me personally. The overhung long rappel next to the waterfall is quite asthetic. You cannot see from the top, but there is an alcove at the bottom to avoid dunking into the pool. At least the first person needs to do a swing/swim to get across the waterfall (left). The rest can be pulled over by the first person to bypass. The second rappel also leads to a little standing position, but then becomes a deep pool over 10 ft deep. I had a 15 ft long swim to reach a tree. At this tree I fixed the rope and my partner did a part Tyrolean traverse, part zip line down to the tree to avoid the water.
17 Feb 2018	Good	Deep pools	Thin wetsuit	Normal	5 hours	4 people Brand new to Advanced	Johnbcaves (158 reports)
Comment: We did the shuttle approach so we could check out China Garden, where we enjoyed a leisurely lunch by the oasis. This stop was worth it- be sure to see all the surprisingly large goldfish in the pond! We didn't find the first anchor, so had to build one. We swam a few times in the very cold water... all had 2mm shortys but were freezing after short exposure. Any longer exposure would've been problematic. IMO, optimal season should be considered beyond March if doing the shuttle, as this is a WET canyon.