No Thoroughfare Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3A III (v4a1 VI) Raps:2-3, max ↨160ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Required 9.4mi Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Granite | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Best season: | Spring;Fall
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39.0107, -108.6617
39.0320, -108.6309
38.9866, -108.6993
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Introduction
As a shuttled canyoneering descent, No Thoroughfare Canyon has a few really nice rappels, but an excessively long approach, distance between falls, and return hike.
This route is available year round, but icy in winter and hot in summer.
Approach
Park the exit vehicle at the Devils Kitchen parking area.
Set the shuttle by driving 3.5 miles up Monument Rd, turn Left (South) on Glade Park Rd for 4.5 miles. Turn Left on Little Park Rd for the remaining 1.45 miles. Park the start vehicle at the Upper No Thoroughfare Canyon Trailhead off of Little Park Rd.
From the Upper No Thoroughfare Trailhead hike down a maintained trail to the large open canyon below where the trail maintenance ends. However, a decent path has been worn and it is easy to follow mostly on flat ground with a few drops into and out of dirt side gullies. In the uploaded kml, search for a better path after bypassing or down climbing the DC with 5', 10' and 30' drops (the first interesting obstacle) and the waypoint where the trail was regained.
Descent
Original writeup read: "Three major waterfalls. All but second waterfall can be downclimbed or bypassed around. Second waterfall requires a major bypass out of canyon right or west. To stay in canyon, requires a 50ft rappel."
Updated top down descent:
DC 5', 10', 30' drops with a bypass trail DCL
DC short falls
Second Waterfall = Upper No Thoroughfare Falls
R1: 160' from webbing on a tree DCL up high on a ledge to the bottom of the falls. In icy conditions during winter, this becomes about 210' to rappel to a flat section of ice.
R2: 110' (DC) from a small tree DCR. This may be a down climb in favorable conditions.
First Waterfall = No Thoroughfare Falls
R3: 140' to the bottom from bolts DCL. A rebelay is available half way down on Rappeller's Left on a ledge just past the pour spout.
A primitive trail bypasses the First Waterfall DCL.
First Pool
DC: 20' or bypass on the maintained hiking trail DCL.
Exit
After rappelling the First Waterfall, follow the trail in the trail in the wash 1.9 miles past the First Pool until the wash intersects with the Devil's Kitchen Trail. Continue to the parking lot.
Red tape
A National Park's pass or a Colorado National Monument entrance fee is required.
Beta sites
- gjhikes.com : No Thoroughfare Canyon Best text description about scrambling the hillside to bypass the Second Waterfall = Upper No Thoroughfare Falls
- AllTrails.com : No Thoroughfare Canyoneering Route Hiking kml including a track with all the bypasses
- AllTrails.com : No Thoroughfare Canyon Out and back hike to the Second Waterfall
- Mountain Project : Ice Climb No Thoroughfare Falls WI3-4 150' = First Waterfall, describes the rebelay on Climber's Left about 90' up
Trip reports and media
11 Mar 2025 Top down descent with limited remaining ice. Beta update including kml, text and photos. Ira Lewis, Wayne Herrick
