Conditions:Illusions Canyon-20250803040144
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
...additional reports
Latest: |
2 Aug 2025 (2 days ago) |
|---|
| Reported by: | Nclegg (428 reports) | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality: | Great |
|
| Waterflow: | Deep pools |
|
| Wetsuit: | Full wetsuit |
|
| Water temperature: | ||
| Difficulty: | Normal |
|
| Time: |  6 hours
|
|
Team: 3 people
Trip report URL:
Comments: We encountered multiple dead birds and a dead baby bear in the keeper pothole (bear was removed so future parties are not forced to swim with it). We drilled out the lower two hook holes as they were blown out. Water level is 4+ feet below the lip.
All condition reports
| Date | Quality | Waterflow | Wetsuit | Difficulty | Time | Team | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 6 hours
| 3 people | Nclegg (428 reports) | |
Comment: We encountered multiple dead birds and a dead baby bear in the keeper pothole (bear was removed so future parties are not forced to swim with it). We drilled out the lower two hook holes as they were blown out. Water level is 4+ feet below the lip.
| |||||||
| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 7 hours
| 5 people Intermediate to Advanced | Sstaverman (18 reports) | |
| Great | Deep pools
| Thin wetsuit
| Special challenges |  4 hours
| 10 people | JGM (22 reports) | |
Comment: Great canyon, and by far the best in the area. If this has 2 hrs more in canyon time it would be world class. Smiles galore. We were all able to climb out of the keeper without aid, but it is getting low.
| |||||||
| Great | Deep pools
| Thin wetsuit
| Normal |  9 hours
| 3 people Beginner to Advanced | Koli Venture (1 reports) | |
Comment: Canyon was great. 3mm wetsuits worked, one of us got pretty cold and had to do some jumping jacks. We stuck our rope on the final rappel and spent an hour trying to unstick it. We decided to exit and return the next day to retrieve the rope. The next day 2 of us rappelled into the canyon at about the mid point and did the second half of the canyon. When we arrived at the stuck rope we were quite surprised to find it stuck the way it was. We reset and rappelled down and this time the pull went smoothly.
| |||||||
| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 5 hours
| 3 people Intermediate to Advanced | Nclegg (428 reports) | |
| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 6 hours
| 4 people Beginner to Advanced | Nclegg (428 reports) | |
Comment: Water level in the final pothole is 8.48" below the lip.
| |||||||
| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 6 hours
| 3 people Intermediate to Advanced | Nclegg (428 reports) | |
Comment: Water level in the final pothole is 7.98" below the lip.
| |||||||
| Amazing | Deep pools
| Thick wetsuit
| Normal | 10 hours
| 4 people | AZ Advocate (56 reports) | |
Comment: An excellent day through the canyon with an unfortunate injury to a party member towards the end which needed an evac. Accident report has more information.
| |||||||
| Amazing | Deep pools
| Thick wetsuit
| Special challenges | 11 hours
| 3 people Beginner to Intermediate | Hikerdude5 (1 reports) | |
Comment: Very beautiful canyon, Illusions did not disappoint. Must see for Arizona canyoneers. We were very comfortable temperature-wise in 7+7mm farmer john wetsuits. The log jam described in bluu gnome for rap 6 was washed away so we tossed a log down from the top of rap 5. Final pothole is full to a couple inches above the lip.
| |||||||
| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 6 hours
| 2 people Advanced | Nclegg (428 reports) | |
Comment: Manageable in a 5/4 but partner was chilly in a 4/3 and thin vest. Keeper pothole is still full. Please be mindful of the locations where rope grooves have developed and take measures to avoid exacerbating them.
| |||||||
| Great | Deep pools
| Thick wetsuit
| Normal | 7 hours
| 3 people | AZ Advocate (56 reports) | |
Comment: Excellent conditions for late May. Pools are still cold, (relatively) clear, and very cold. Keepers are still easy swimmers. The pool for the last rappel still had water 6-8" above the lip of that keeper.
Old webbing removed and new added where needed.
| |||||||
| Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| | 6 hours
| 3 people Intermediate to Advanced | EMoorcroft (451 reports),Triggerfish (64 reports),Dyln cole (82 reports) | ||
Comment: Keepers are full, thick wetsuits encouraged, webbing looked great. Beautiful canyon with a smooth exit, nothing to complain about and everything to enjoy. Thrilling day with fun down climbs and rappels.
Great to avoid rope grooves by increasing pull angles or toggling.
| |||||||
| Amazing | | Full wetsuit
| | 5 hours
| 4 people | RFontaine (294 reports) | |
Comment: Top of the line! Super fun and asuper pretty! Showing a couple of Utah canyoneers their first time through! Drop in via sneak approach near exit parking for minimal bush. Fall colors in full effect! Potholes super full well above lip. Water cold but comfortable in 5/4 wetsuit with cave suit and wool base layers. Probably last weekend 5/4s will be feasible as temps are dropping fast up there. Sneak exit out is always a breeze!
| |||||||
| Amazing | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 8 hours
| 8 people Intermediate to Expert | MountainMongo (12 reports) | |
Comment: Never gets old!! Tried an old approach from the north side and it had become fully overgrown. All anchors were in great shape except the loss the anchor below the double glue ins is causing significant rope groves in the sandstone from the rope pull. Better anchor placement would avert further damage. Pothole was in easy mode only 4 inches below the lip.
| |||||||
| Amazing | | Thin wetsuit
| | 6 hours
| 2 people Beginner to Advanced | RFontaine (294 reports) | |
Comment: Another great run through Illusions! My partner had never been so that made it even better! We parked at the exit and did the sneak approach once again starting here (34.98639, -111.77142) and following a developing use trail down from the ridge. This is very direct, and cuts off alot of bushy drainage aswell as cutting out the short shuttle. Took us 1 hr to get to R1 this way. Water levels are dropping. 4/3 wetsuits were adequate. Replaced webbing at final rap, water in keeper pothole is 2” above lip.
| |||||||
