Conditions:Monarch Canyon-20251103001920
Latest: |
2 Nov 2025 (0 days ago) |
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| Reported by: | MRickerd (39 reports) | |
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| Quality: | Good |
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| Waterflow: | Very Low |
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| Wetsuit: | None |
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| Water temperature: | ||
| Difficulty: | Normal |
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| Time: |  4 hours
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Team: 2 people with experience level Advanced to Intermediate
Trip report URL:
Comments: Seems as if it has been a while since this canyon has been descended, so I will be fairly thorough.
Parked up at intersection with Monarch Canyon road to TH. Easy to bypass first rappel, as a hiking trail exists LDC.
The foliage has grown very dense after Monarch Spring. The first patch needs to be crossed, and several other patches need to be worked through, not around.
Several deep pools exist. Cool, clear water.
First rap is ~50 feet off of webbing around base of large wedged rock RDC. You will need to wade through knee high water to cross pool.
Downclimb maybe 30 feet to a rock chock LDC for the final 50 feet to the floor of the canyon. There are two 'steps' on this final rappel, so the final vertical drop is rather short.
Once you finish at the base of the waterfall, you can exit by immediately following the wall RDC up along a scree fall and an angled crack. If you do this you can then drop back into the canyon above the first rappel and make your way back up the canyon to the start.
You can also exit further down canyon, and once the elevation evens out, you can go RDC and up and through the hills back to the start, or drop again into the canyon, preferably further upcanyon than the spring to avoid the foliage.
All-in-all, a semi-worthy adventure, depending on who you are. We were camped in the area for a couple of days, so this was a worthwhile activity for us. Likely not worth the hassle if you are just passing through. The fact that you are getting fairly wet, in the driest and hottest place in NA, is quite fun.
All condition reports
| Date | Quality | Waterflow | Wetsuit | Difficulty | Time | Team | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Very Low
| None
| Normal | 4 hours
| 2 people Advanced to Intermediate | MRickerd (39 reports) | |
Comment: Seems as if it has been a while since this canyon has been descended, so I will be fairly thorough.
Parked up at intersection with Monarch Canyon road to TH. Easy to bypass first rappel, as a hiking trail exists LDC. The foliage has grown very dense after Monarch Spring. The first patch needs to be crossed, and several other patches need to be worked through, not around. Several deep pools exist. Cool, clear water. First rap is ~50 feet off of webbing around base of large wedged rock RDC. You will need to wade through knee high water to cross pool. Downclimb maybe 30 feet to a rock chock LDC for the final 50 feet to the floor of the canyon. There are two 'steps' on this final rappel, so the final vertical drop is rather short. Once you finish at the base of the waterfall, you can exit by immediately following the wall RDC up along a scree fall and an angled crack. If you do this you can then drop back into the canyon above the first rappel and make your way back up the canyon to the start. You can also exit further down canyon, and once the elevation evens out, you can go RDC and up and through the hills back to the start, or drop again into the canyon, preferably further upcanyon than the spring to avoid the foliage. All-in-all, a semi-worthy adventure, depending on who you are. We were camped in the area for a couple of days, so this was a worthwhile activity for us. Likely not worth the hassle if you are just passing through. The fact that you are getting fairly wet, in the driest and hottest place in NA, is quite fun.
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