Hidden Falls Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3A III (v3a1 III) Raps:4-11, max ↨120ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Optional 0 min Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Sandstone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 16 Mar 2025
"Extremely rare conditions made for a difficult but rewarding trip through hidden falls. Started the canyon from the parking lot around 8; after the tu |
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| Best season: | Sep-Jun
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36.1468, -115.5122
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Introduction[edit]
This is a sweet canyon in the Red Rock Canyon Area outside of Las Vegas. The approach is steep but on a trail most of the time and very easy to follow. It's a fun canyon to practice downclimbing on because most raps are optional and present a variety of challenges. Big views, towering walls and some beautiful slickrock sections through varied and visually striking geology. It's a nice day out.
Approach[edit]
Hitchhike up the road as far as you can. The trail up to the ridge is cairned, obvious and well-established. It is possible to do this route without a shuttle vehicle. If you have a 4wd shuttle available you can cut off some mileage and about 1,200' of elevation gain.
Descent[edit]
R1: 40' dissolution hole RDC
R2: 120' fat pine LDC
R3: 40' small oak down on a ledge RDC or a not-so-hard downclimb in the middle of the drainage if it's not slick with algae. Apparently you can also stay up higher RDC and avoid this all together.
R4 optional: 25' chockstone RDC of big boulder in drainage or can downclimb off ledge RDC which is easier than it looks from the top
R5 optional: ~30' from a bush RDC but frankly a pretty easy downclimb right down the middle
R6 optional: 25' from pinch point LDC of a huge slabby boulder in the middle of the drainage but walking down the sloping face of the boulder and then downclimbing RDC to a little platform with a rabbit hole that gets you into a grotto beneath is more fun
R7 optional: ~25 bush LDC but pretty easy downclimb in the middle or RDC
R8 optional: webbing on pinch at the top of the drop LDC. We used it as a handline to downclimb
R9 optional: can go around on ledges LDC
R10 optional: 40' bush into a (probably usually avoidable) pool; can skip by climbing up and around on ledges LDC.
R11: 75' bolt LDC, canyon is escapable above this but it's probably the best rappel and you have the rope so just do it
Exit[edit]
You're almost at your car already
Red tape[edit]
$15 day pass or the national parks annual or senior passes are accepted.
Beta sites[edit]
BluuGnome.com : Hidden Falls Canyon- Chris Brennen's Adventure Hikes (Southwest) : Hidden Falls Canyon
- Super Amazing Map : Hidden Falls Canyon
Las Vegas Slots Book by Rick Ianiello : Hidden Falls Canyon- https://www.stavislost.com/hikes/trail/hidden-falls-canyon
- Nov. 26, 2022 Descent
