Great Falls Basin
| Rating: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Difficulty:3B II (v3a2 III) Raps:6-8, max ↨75ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:High Clearance Rock type:Granite | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Condition Reports: | 5 Apr 2026
"Visited last two waterfalls but did not descend on 5 April 2026. Locals mentioned a major storm event about 2 months prior. End of the canyon is VERY |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best season: | Any
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regions: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
35.8553, -117.3817
Search nearby locations
Weather forecast
WaterflowIntroduction
A beautiful granite canyon in a surprising place with great bang for your buck. Though probably not a destination in itself for many, it could be tacked on to a trip to Death Valley or combined with other local canyons (Slot & DECAF BAG) or attractions like the Trona Pinnacles and Ballarat Ghost Town to make a worthwhile trip (several canyons in this area as well). If you are also a rock climber, there is plenty of that to do around this canyon. See the links section. Wild burros are commonly seen in the area.
Water: Read the latest reports! The canyon condition can vary from pools full of water with required swimming to bone dry. When the pools are full the water is COLD! The deep canyon walls are all granite and the bottom hardly sees the sun, so the water always stays very cold, including in Summer. If there is water, you will likely want your wetsuit. The canyon is in the shadows the first half of the day making it an appropriate descent year-round if properly prepared. Get an early start in Summer and maybe a later start in Winter.
Hazards: There are many old pipes and other metal shrapnel along the canyon and on the rappels that mostly does not present any issues but can get a pulled rope stuck on or catch a canyoner on descent.
Approach
Driving: No 4x4 or AWD needed in most conditions. From Ridgecrest, CA take the 178 East, driving to Searles Valley and through the little town of Trona about 30 miles / 35 minutes from the center of Ridgecrest (178/ S Lake China Blvd). Leave the paved road at 35.853136,-117.335738 going west on a dirt road #P24 for 1.4 miles. Drive straight to the Third intersection and turn left on dirt road #P26 continue carefully for 1.2 miles crossing a few washes until you see the sign for dirt road #P27. You will turn Left again here going down a steep short section towards the wash bed. It's another 0.4 miles to the parking area. CAUTION: You may want to inspect this section by foot first. It is steep and your car may not want to climb back up later. Turn right at the bottom and you will shortly get to the parking/camping area beneath the last waterfall.
Hiking:
The hiking approach can take 30-60 minutes depends on the group. Start at an opening in the fence to the right when facing the rocks. Go on a sandy hill, around a few boulders and get into a gully on the left. Watch for and follow the many rock cairns along the trail. Watch out for slippery loose gravel over rocks. Hike up to a saddle, then follow more cairns down to the stream bed. Turn left, down stream towards DC1 and R1.
Descent
| Number | Tiers | Total height | Anchor (looking down stream) | Anchor Gear | Rope* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC1 | 2 | 12’ | N/A 2 x 6’ Downclimbs | N/A | N/A |
| R1 | 2 | 30' | 2 Bolts LDC (2 new Bolts 6/3/23) | 8-10’ Webbing or rope | 60’ |
| Walk through/under a boulder pile to an 8' Drop LDC, bypass RDC | |||||
| R2 | 1 | 40' | 2 Bolts Center (1 historic anchor + 1 new Bolt 6/3/23) | 8-10’ Webbing or rope | 80’ |
| DC2 | 1 | 6' | Downclimb over a chockstone | N/A | N/A |
| 6’ Slide RDC (straight in the middle) down to R3 anchors | |||||
| R3 | 1 | 25' | 2 Bolts RDC | Rap off Chains OR 8-10’ Webbing | 50’ |
| DC3 | 1 | 8’ | Downclimb or rap off old Rusty bolt. | N/A | N/A or 20’ |
| R4 | 2 | 50' | 2 Bolts RDC | Rap off Chains OR 8-10’ Webbing | 100’ |
| R5 | 1 | 45’ | 2 Bolts LDC | Rap off Chains OR 8-10’ Webbing | 100’ |
| R6 | 1 | 50’ | 2 Bolts LDC | Rap off Chains OR 8-10’ Webbing | 100’ |
| R7 | 1 | 40’ | 2 Bolts RDC | Rap off Chains OR 8-10’ Webbing | 80’ |
| R8 | 1 | 75’ | 2 Bolts Center on a large Boulder (installed 4/23/22) | 8-10’ Webbing | 150’ |
- Rope - Recommended length based on distance from anchors to edge + rappel height + horizontal distance between tiers (when applicable) x 2
Waterfall notes:
R1 - DC1 and R1 can be bypassed by going under the big boulder RDC (the old way)
R4 - Watch the rope pull!
R6 a - Between R6 and R7 there is a large boulder blocking the way - Climb over, around, or under the Boulder
R6 b - This is a GREAT (!!!) opportunity for a guided rappel. Especially if the pool under is full and freezing. You will use the R7 bolts as the bottom anchor and go over the large boulder. You’ll need a 170-200’ rope here due to the distance between the two waterfalls.
R8 - Mostly free hanging rappel. The best rappel of the canyon! You can bypass R8 LDC by going along the base of the wall and follow use trails downhill (But WHY?). You can also climb up the bypass and do it on it’s own.
Exit
From the bottom of the last rappel is a very short walk back to the parking area. 1-2 minutes.
Red tape
No red tape. Land is administered by BLM. Visitation to the bottom of the canyon is common. Camping is allowed. There is established rock climbing routes in the area. Bring a trash bag to clean up a little trash at the parking area (though not too bad).
Beta sites
Photos and beta from 1999-2003 rope descents (they describe 6 rappels): http://www.lenzenhuber-studios.com/mountaineer/local_desert/great_falls/great_falls.htm
Trona Pinnacles: https://www.calwild.org/trona-pinnacles/
Climbing:
https://www.summitpost.org/great-falls-basin/475987
https://www.thecrag.com/climbing/united-states/great-falls-basin
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1113701/Great-Falls-Basin-Trona
Trip reports and media
October 13th 2018: https://travels.ncbarth.com/2018/10/great-falls-basin-oct-13.html
A May 2003 trip: http://www.lenzenhuber-studios.com/mountaineer/local_desert/great_falls/great_falls_basin2003.htm
A 1999 trip: http://www.lenzenhuber-studios.com/mountaineer/local_desert/great_falls/randy-mike.htm
Background
Lou Lenzenhuber did a series of descent starting in the early nineties.
Hardware and historic photos indicate much earlier descents. Vintage canyon photos: http://www.trona-ca.com/great-falls/
Initial description here is from a solo trip by Nic Barth on October 13 2018 during the Trona Gem-O-Rama event. Conditions were dry. 10am start. 3 hrs round trip including lots of roped tripod selfies...