Imlay Canyon (Sneak Route)
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| | Difficulty:4B IV R (v5a2 IV) Raps:18-23, max ↨120ft
Red Tape:Permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 30 May 2025
"Once again, such a fun and beautiful canyon, one of my top favs! Rappelled into the last part of upper Imlay, my new favorite way to get into this can |
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| Best season: | Summer; Fall
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37.3158, -112.9606
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Introduction[edit]
Imlay Canyon is one of the most difficult canyons in Zion due to its approach, technical potholes which often require specialized equipment and techniques to escape, and prolonged exposure to cold water. Be sure to read Tom Jones' preface to Imlay and Heaps before attempting this canyon as it is a step above most other Zion canyons in difficulty.
Approach[edit]
Start at the Grotto shuttle stop and head toward Angel's Landing. Scout's Lookout is just after Walter's Wiggles, a set of 20+ steep switchbacks; at this point, continue up the West Rim trail. Continue on the West Rim trail until it starts to descend and you cross a brige. About 1000ft after the bridge, turn off the trail to the right at a large pine tree and cross the drainage below. Contour along the left (west) wall as far as possible and then descend slightly to the drainage below. Cross the drainage and climb the ridge that separates two separate drainages running north and find a use trail along the top of the ridge heading north. When you reach a wall where the ridge becomes very steep, drop down into the drainage on the right (east) and continue north up the water course and on small use trails. After about 220ft of elevation gain, reach a saddle and descend briefly then continue past the drainage exiting to the right -- this is Not Imlay. Shortly after, ascend a somewhat tricky upclimb with a small use trail on the right, then a tree on the right side of the climb. Continue upward for about 180ft of additional elevation gain until you reach another saddle. Continue down the drainage keeping your eye on the right side. When the terrain permits, contour onto the sandstone out of the drainage onto a large area of solid sandstone with a towering wall running east-west on the far side of Imlay Canyon. Head just right of the sharp right-hand bend in the canyon after it gets narrow and look for a cairn, possibly with a sandal on it. Continue your descent to the canyon bottom where you should find a broad, flat area of sand with somewhat over hanging rock. If taking 2 days, bivy here. You should reach this point 3.5-5.5 hours after starting.
Descent[edit]
The number of rappels will vary greatly depending on your conditions and your group's ability to downclimb. For most, 23 rappels. 14 in upper section. 9 in lower section. Second biggest rappel is about 60 feet which is the second to last rappel. Before this, next or third biggest rappel is about 45 feet.
Downclimb and rappel a number of obstacles in well-lit semi-narrows. One of the obstacles near the beginning of this section is a logjam that can be difficult to swim through and to climb.
After a while, enter a set of very dark narrows. After a few rappels, there will be a rappel that heads RDC initially and then turns LDC to open into a pool. This is the first technical pothole and may require special equipment and techniques to escape -- be sure not to send too many people down before someone has escaped, and be sure to have the means to bring people back up to the top of the rappel to warm up if escape proves difficult. After this pothole, a series of additional challenges follows before this narrow section ends.
Continue down more open canyon until the start of another set of dark narrows. After a few rappels, the narrows become brighter and there is a sequence of potholes, two of which may require technical escapes. The longest rappel so far leads to a short hallway at the end of which the final rappel into the Narrows begins. Rappel 120ft into the Narrows, likely in view of a number of tourists.
The technical descent will likely take at least 4 hours.
Exit[edit]
Pack up and head down the Narrows 1.5-2 hours to the Temple of Sinawava. Take the shuttle back to your car.
Red tape[edit]
Permits[edit]
Permits are required with a group-size limit of 6 people.
The permit system is complicated and is no longer administered by the park service. However, it is advisable to start at the park's webpage for canyoneering permit information when looking for permits and details about how they are obtained and other regulations and timeframes. Zion NP Canyoneering Permits: https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/canyoneeringpermits.htm
Vehicle (Yellow) Passes[edit]
If you are starting Heaps or Imlay from the main Zion Canyon floor and hiking up the West Rim Trail, the park WILL issue you a vehicle pass. This is because these canyons require an early start—well before the in-canyon shuttles begin operating for the day—and you’ll need a permit to drive up Zion Canyon and leave a vehicle at the trailhead.
If you are starting from Lava Point, however, the park WILL NOT issue a vehicle pass. Even though you’ll be relying on the in-canyon shuttle to return at the end of the day, the Park’s reasoning is that since you can reach Lava Point on your own schedule, you should be able to start early enough to complete the canyon and catch the last shuttle without needing to leave a vehicle in Zion Canyon.
It's possible that some rangers better understand the implications of the policy and may be willing to issue vehicle passes for those doing the top-down route. Rangers do have some discretion, but the above information is based on the official policy and email correspondence with the Zion Wilderness Desk.
Beta sites[edit]
BluuGnome.com : Imlay Canyon -Sneak Route- RoadTripRyan.com : Imlay Canyon (Sneak Route)
- CanyoneeringUSA.com : Imlay; Sneak
- Climb-Utah.com : Imlay Canyon
Zion Canyoneering Book by Tom Jones : Imlay Sneak- CanyonCollective.com : Imlay
- Super Amazing Map : Imlay Canyon
- SummitPost.org : Imlay Canyon
- https://www.stavislost.com/hikes/trail/imlay-canyon-sneak-route
Trip reports and media[edit]
- Dennis Turville on Canyon Tales : Troll's Treat (aka Imlay Canyon), June 7-9, 1978
- Scott Card on Canyon Tales : Sneak Route & Full Imlay
- https://www.facebook.com/pat.winstanley.7/media_set?set=a.951311948260836.1073742006.100001461198708&type=3
- Candition.com : Imlay
Wikiloc.com : Imlay Sneak Route