Fire Canyon (Capitol Reef National Park)
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| | Difficulty:3B II (v3a2 II) Raps:5-7, max ↨125ft
Red Tape:Permit required Shuttle:Optional Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Sandstone | |||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 22 Sep 2024
"This is an exceptionally beautiful canyon that feels very remote and wild. We removed a lot of tat/trash but only had to replace the webbing on the fi |
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38.2711, -111.2386
38.2637, -111.2159
38.2834, -111.2460
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Introduction[edit]
Fire Canyon is an exceptionally beautiful canyon that is infrequently visited. It has a fairly short technical section but requires a relatively long hike at both the front end, 1.5 miles from the Cassidy Arch trailhead, and then 2.5 miles back. The technical section features 5-7 rappels up to 125 feet. The hiking along Frying Pan Trail affords stunning scenery in both directions.
Fire Canyon can be combined with one or more of the Wives, if you hike from the Cohab Canyon trailhead, or with Cassidy Arch Canyon if you hike from the Cassidy Arch trailhead. Fire + Cassidy makes for a great outing that will take most of a day.
Approach[edit]
Start hiking from either the Cassidy Arch trailhead or the Cohab Canyon trailhead. Leave the Frying Pan trail at the point mentioned on the track. From there, route-find towards the canyon through uneven terrain until you drop into the canyon, which at this point will be a sandy wash. Some minor downclimbs may be required.
If you walk a few minutes up canyon, you will find several interesting slide slots to explore before continuing your descent.
Descent[edit]
From the drop-in point, continue down canyon until you encounter a large bowl-shaped drop. This is R1.
- R1: 125ft from a stout pine tree above a crack in the center of the drop.
- R2: 45ft from a small tree above a wide ledge. A bit of an awkward start, and beware a crack that might make the rope pull more challenging.
- R3: 75ft from a boulder pinch into an enclosed chamber.
- R4: 80ft from a boulder pinch into a slot carved out of the bottom of the canyon floor. You can use the slot to continue down canyon.
- R5: 20ft from a pinch into a chamber that might have a pool. This might look downclimbable at first, but the LDC wall disappears about ten feet off the ground.
- R6: 15ft from a chockstone into a pool. Could also be an elevator downclimb for the skilled.
- R7: 25ft from a hanging chockstone into a pool. Anchor is reachable via an easy friction downclimb. The entire elevator could be a downclimb, although the lower walls are fairly slick.
The last obstacle in the canyon is a 5ft downclimb into a pool, possibly waist deep.
Exit[edit]
Continue down canyon until you reach the Frying Pan trail. Follow it back to either the Cohab Canyon trailhead or the Cassidy Arch trailhead.
Red tape[edit]
Permits[edit]
A permit is required for any and all canyoneering within the boundaries of Capitol Reef National Park. Permits have a group-size limit that varies depending on the canyon or route. A separate permit is required for each canyoneering route. Currently, there is no quota limit nor permit cost, though that is likely to change at some point in the future. Permits can be obtained onsite through a self-serve kiosk located just outside of the visitor center or by sending and email to [email protected] using the following format:
Subject: Name of canyoneering route and date you will be canyoneering.
Email Body: Date of visit (single day only): Canyoneering route (single route only): Number of people: Vehicle location: Number of motorized vehicles: Vehicle description(s):
If you plan to camp overnight as part of a canyoneering trip, you are required to obtain a free backcountry permit, available at the visitor center.
Additional Access Information:[edit]
- CRNP canyoneering permit information webpage: https://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/canyoneering.htm
- Other: http://www.americancanyoneers.org/access-capitol-reef/
Group-Size Limit:[edit]
Canyoneering groups are limited to a maximum of 8 people for this Canyon.
Groups larger than 8 or 12 sharing the same affiliation (school, church, club, scout group, family, friends, etc., or combination thereof) may divide into groups smaller than 8 or 12, provided they do not occupy the same canyon, drainage, general area or the same route on the same day.
Park Entrance Fee:[edit]
The Scenic drive is the only area of Capitol Reef where an entry fee or park pass is required. Passes can be attained at the visitor center or at a self-pay kiosk at the start of the scenic drive. Fees are good for seven days and can be found here: http://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/fees.htm
Beta sites[edit]
RoadTripRyan.com: Fire Canyon- Bluugnome.com: Fire Canyon
Trip reports and media[edit]
- Bogley.com: Fire Wife TR