Sierra Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3B III (v3a2 III) Raps:7, max ↨50ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 30 Dec 2024
"Perfect winter canyon for a mixed group.. With road reopened, parking from the pullout 3/4 mile north of the bridge is a much easier hike than com |
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| Best season: | Nov-Apr, After rains
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33.5491, -111.3102
33.5331, -111.3141
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Nearby photosIntroduction
One of the more interesting and worthwhile canyons in the Superstition Mountains.
Approach
Park at Fish Creek Hill vista. The Apache Trail is closed to vehicles beyond this point due to rockfall and road damage.
Recommend referencing KML track.
From the car park, follow the road a short distance beyond the closure. Just before you reach a large yellow road sign adorned with stickers, cut left down into a drainage that will bring you directly to Fish Creek. The drainage is nontechnical, quite clean, and has a few easy downclimbs. Car to creek should take between 30-45 minutes. Hike up the creek a short distance to the approach gully and begin working your way up to the saddle that enables access to all of the call sign canyons. A faint game trail weaves steeply up the hillside between the cliffs on the left and dry creek bed on the right. Once at the saddle, scramble up over a small ridge and enter the Sierra drainage.
Alternatively, you can approach by hiking the closed section of road from the vista down to Fish Creek and then downstream a ways until you reach the gully, but this option is less interesting, less engaging, and will add about an hour to the total trip time.
Descent
Much of the rock in the Superstition Mountains is poor quality. It is recommended to stay in the watercourse on this route and others, using established anchors on what is often scoured, higher quality rock than that found in the surrounding environment. A fatality occurred on December 30, 2021 when a group placed and rappelled off a marginal anchor to bypass a pool and avoid getting wet.
R1: 15’ off rock pinch into shallow pool.
R2: 25’ off rock pinch RDC.
R3: 20’ off rock pinch into deep pool. Alternatively, traverse along an exposed ledge LDC leads to a slung boulder anchor and 50’ rap to avoid pool.
R4: 45’ off small tree high LDC into deep pool. This pool is avoidable by carefully climbing around an edge midway through rappel.
R5: 25’ off rock pinch.
The canyon opens up briefly and the north fork of Sierra can soon be seen entering LUC. A few downclimbs will bring you to a second narrow section.
R6: 50’ off boulder LDC.
R7: 40’ off rock pinch.
Exit
Hike along Fish Creek until the approach / exit drainage enters from the right. Take this drainage back up to Fish Creek Hill parking area. There is some scrambling up and around boulders, but nothing too challenging.
Alternatively, you can continue hiking along Fish Creek to the closed section of the 88, and then walk a couple miles along the road back to the parking area. This is a more gradual ascent, but includes more creek walking and may add approximately an hour to the exit.
Red tape
Beta sites
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Super Amazing Map : Sierra Canyon - HikeArizona.com : Sierra Canyon - Tonto NF
- HikeArizona.com : Sierra Canyon - North Fork
- OnRopeCanyoneering.com : Sierra Canyon
- ZionCanyoneering.com : Sierra Canyon
- CanyonCollective.com : Sierra
Trip reports and media
- https://www.facebook.com/pat.winstanley.7/media_set?set=a.314247251967312.72483.100001461198708&type=3
- Candition.com : Sierra Canyon
- https://www.facebook.com/pat.winstanley.7/media_set?set=a.1714329208625769.1073742190.100001461198708&type=3&uploaded=6
