Family Camp
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| | Difficulty:4B III (v3a2 III) Raps:2-6, max ↨60ft
Red Tape:Permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 9 May 2026
"Family camp has had some sand move around. Many of the potholes are now full of sand, only one may benefit from a partner assist at this time. Overall |
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| Best season: | Srping to Autumn, BEST in Spring
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37.2042, -112.8728
37.2259, -112.8877
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Introduction
A unique canyon for Zion. It feels similar to many Escalante canyons and involves a lot of stemming and stunning desert views.
Note: Canyon can be done without any stemming comfortably, all drops can be down climbed by strong down climbers. Many will want to rappel at least once or twice. This canyon is rarely full of water, but when it is, IT IS COLD!
Approach
Similar to the Misery Approach, park at the Crazy Quilts and Checkerboard Mesa parking and hike up the drainage immediately to the South. There will be a trail. Once at the pass, follow the trail east until you reach the first drainage. Continue past, over the small ridge and into the next eastern drainage. You will land approx 37.20190, -112.87214. Leave the trail and into the dry wash. If you find these early avoidable potholes full of water, you are in for a very wet day.
Follow the dry wash through some interesting and very pretty sandstone ridges. Eventually the wash will bend right and you will encounter a drop and a semi-keeper pothole. This indicates the start of the "technical" section.
Descent
(Rated 4 due to natural anchor building, ghosting techniques, and optional sand traps. If you find webbing in the canyon please remove it.)
"SLOT" 1 (only 30 feet long):
The canyon starts with avoiding the semi-keeper pothole by traversing down canyon left, then you will do some sand walking inside some pseudo-slots. The slot will suddenly deepen and a fun down climb comes into view. This is often accompanied by a pool of water. It could be ankle deep, or waist deep. Be prepared.
Exit the very pretty slot and the canyon bends left, walk down a sandy wash until the dry fall drops into a dark slot. Ghost of a tree down canyon right. (30 ft + distance from anchor) Or down climb. This section is short but very pretty.
"SLOT" 2 (only 80 feet long):
Walk down the sandy slot, and it drops away into a ominous slanted drop filled with choke stones. Ghost off a choke stone, or down climb 30 feet. There will be a pool at the bottom. May be ankle deep to a short swim.
The slot ends and the canyon jets left.
Walk in a sandy wash.
"SLOT" (100 feet long) 3:
Then the dry wash will begin to take on some potholes, enjoy the easy down climbs. Then the canyon drops into a slot with potholes. Down climb, meat anchor and ghost intermediate drops (to 8ish feet). Each one landing in small potholes that may require small partner assists. This section can be cold when filled with water.
There is one drop that could be considered the "crux of the canyon" and is found as the last obstacle in this section. After climbing out of a pothole, there will be a smooth poor off into a large room. This poor-off is slightly overhung and about 10 feet tall. It CAN be down climbed but is very difficult and exposed. A PACK anchor works well here (though it takes some work).
Exit the slot into a more open ravine. Here an emergency exit can be found down canyon right. The next section is committing.
SLOT 4 (Terminal narrows):
Walk down the wash and into the next slot. A neat rappel (25') will appear that can be done as a down climb. Be careful of sticking a rope here.
Walk down the very pretty wash, soon you will find a short drop into a pool, this is done as a exposed down climb. The pool may be ankle to waist deep. The down climb involves going inside of a skeleton arch. Very cool.
Continue around the corner, you'll begin to see signs of potholes. After some small ones, You will run into 1 - 3 potholes that will require partner assists. The last one is deep enough, that if filled with water could prove to be a semi-keeper. A pack toss, or partner assist will grant easy passage. Then there is some pretty stretches of canyon and one very tight section. The tight section is about 30 feet long but is about 16 inches wide. Fun!
Pass through and enjoy a subway-esk like hallway, this indicates that the end is near!
The canyon bends right and soon begins to open up. A drop is encountered. A fun 20 ft down climb or rappel. You may use a sand trap well here!
Wade through some final small narrows and you are DONE!
EXIT:
You will see a dry wash to your right, that is your exit. The wash to your left drops 400+ feet to the river below. It is UNLAWFUL to descend to the river.
Exit
The coordinates of the start of the exit are 37.18564, -112.87891. Do not rappel past this. If you rappel past this be prepared to ascend out back to this point. Rappelling into Parunuweap is not allowed as you are below Labyrinth Falls. Additionally you would need a very long rope (400+ ft?).
Red tape
Permit required from Zion Wilderness Desk. Ask for a permit for Family Camp. Be prepared to explain the drainage location (west of Misery) and show a map if needed as many rangers will be unfamiliar with this area.
Be prepared to explain that you are not traveling beyond the wash exit where you can hike out.
Beta sites
https://www.canyoneeringusa.com/zion/technical/family-camp-canyon
Trip reports and media
Background
Named Family Camp due to the multiple rescues resulting from teams rappelling beyond the point of no return (the rappel after the exit), notably a family who got stuck hundreds of feet above the floor of Parunuweap.