Needlerock Creek (Lower)
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| | Difficulty:3A II (v3a1 II) Raps:3-4, max ↨100ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 2 Jul 2017
"Skipped last rappel due to uncertainty on exit-it appeared high Kern flow was covering trail north to get to exit. Long entrance and exit for not much |
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| Best season: | Anytime
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36.0896, -118.4663
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WaterflowIntroduction[edit]
An accessible low flow canyon with nice views of the Needles climbing area towering overhead and of the Kern River at the end. Quality degraded by low angle slabs that don't quite justify rappels (easily bypassed) and bushwhacking sections including minor poison oak and wild rose to avoid. The last rappel is the best, with a pleasant patio area at its base. Worth doing if you run out of things to check out in the area or everything else is too high flow. A wetsuit is not needed in most conditions. Ample natural anchors.
Approach[edit]
Park at one of the two pullouts either side of Needlerock Creek and proceed down the creek.
Descent[edit]
Work your way down and around the slabby upper section. Alternatively this could be a good area to practice rappelling with beginners or kids.
Keep an eye out for poison oak and wild rose to avoid. There are also a lot of sections with pine needles coating polished granite (slippery).
Rappel 1: 40' from a tree on true left (fiddlesticked, no anchor). Down a granite slab rolling into an overhang with a vegetative finish. It's possible this rappel may be bypassed with equal effort. From the top anchor, 140' of rope is needed to Rappel the entire slab. There are several ledges with trees that can be used to reanchor.
Continue down.
There are several more slabs and ledges that are required to Rappel. Not everything has permanent anchors but there are plenty of trees to use for retrievable anchors.
Rappel 2: 80' minimum (slabby finish allows for a longer rappel if desired) from small tree on true right (fiddlesticked, no anchor).
Rappel 3: 40' from small tree on true right (fiddlesticked, no anchor). The watercourse goes down an interesting chute into a waist-deep pool (ankle depth with finesse).
Rappel 3 (alternate): About 50' from tree on true left. Probably a less awkward rappel. Dry. Awkward drop with alot of bushes in the watercourse. It was unsafe to down climbed so there is webbing on a small tree left of the water course for a 50' Rappel.
More thwacking.
Rappel 4: 100' from very small rock arch and rock chock. Positions you nicely on the edge of the left branch of the steep waterfall. Other anchor options exist. Nice patio area at the base of the falls with shallow pools and spray for those hot days.
Downclimb the slabby V-crack about 40' to the river.
Exit[edit]
Once at the Kern River follow the riverbank upstream, climbing where possible (a little steep and loose). Continue steeply upward through moderate scrub until you encounter the trail. Follow the trail back to your car.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
Trip reports and media[edit]
Background[edit]
First documented canyoning descent by Nic Barth, Alden Anderson, Scott Merrill, Pete Bohler, Sara Gallagher, and Celia Hoffman -- May 24th, 2015 (low flow conditions: Kern River at 250 cfs)