Best Family-Friendly Slot Canyons and other questions

[Brewhaha]

This last Spring me and the fam hiked the lower portion of Bell Canyon as an out-and-back. We were originally going to do the lower portion of Wildhorse but missed the junction. Anyway, we had a fabulous time and the Boss and crumb-crunchers (G2, B4, B8, B11) want to do more of these narrow or slot canyons. We also visited Lower Antelope Canyon (or as I call it "Bend Over Canyon") and had a great time. So I am coming to you, the experts, for advice. Are there any canyons that could fit into any of the following categories (moving from non-technical to moderately technical):

1) The entire canyon is family-friendly.

2) The upper portion of the canyon is family-friendly and could be hiked as an out-and-back.

3) The lower portion of the canyon is family-friendly and could be hiked as an out-and-back.

4) One more category that is just for me: The entire canyon can be traveled without any special equipment (ropes or clothing) and a minimum about of down-climbing, exposure, and tight-spots (don't laugh, I know it sounds like the only canyon I'm describing is the LazyBoy Recliner Slot).

I know that categories (2) and (3) are kind of different, but if it is possible to see at least a part of these great canyons by hiking in and then backtracking I would be willing to do it. I would love to see a large list here in each category if possible.

Thanks!

BTW, here are some pictures of our only two slot adventures.

[Udink]

4) One more category that is just for me: The entire canyon can be traveled without any special equipment (ropes or clothing) and a minimum about of down-climbing, exposure, and tight-spots (don't laugh, I know it sounds like the only canyon I'm describing is the LazyBoy Recliner Slot).

Moonshine Wash definitely falls under category #4. My wife and I went through with a group of people this spring, and there were several younger-ish kids there (I think ages 8 through 13) and they had no problems whatsoever. In fact, they did much better than a few of the adults.

[Brewhaha]

Where is Moonshine Wash?

[Udink]

Where is Moonshine Wash?

It's directly south of Green River, about a 30-mile drive on a dirt road.

http://climb-utah.com/Roost/moonshine.htm

[stefan]

moonshine is north of robbers roost and northwest of the great gallery in horeshoe canyon.

some obvious standards in escalante are peekaboo, spooky, brimstone, and bighorn wash in escalante. egypt 3 is more involved ... a good stepping stone to more difficult canyons.

little wildhorse and crack are must dos.

buckskin gulch is pretty darn super

upper waterholes

....

[Brewhaha]

How would you rate peekaboo, spooky, brimstone, bighorn, egypt 3, crack, and buckskin based on my four categories?

[stefan]

1) The entire canyon is family-friendly.

2) The upper portion of the canyon is family-friendly and could be hiked as an out-and-back.

3) The lower portion of the canyon is family-friendly and could be hiked as an out-and-back.

4) One more category that is just for me: The entire canyon can be traveled without any special equipment (ropes or clothing) and a minimum about of down-climbing, exposure, and tight-spots (don't laugh, I know it sounds like the only canyon I'm describing is the LazyBoy Recliner Slot).

---------------
okay, as far as (4) i've tried to indicate where it's tight. downcliming difficulties are relative so nothing i have mention is very difficult in the grand scheme, but could be depending on who's doing the canyon. exposure ... none of these. i am going to pull a steve allen, and err on the side of caution. i am sure scott patterson or shane burrows will give some sort of difficulty description, possibly, to complement this.

also i have used the (1),(2),(3) to indicate when one might not like the downclimbs OR when it's the natural way to do the canyon, even though you could get through all of the difficulties = (1).


first off ... egypt 3 is *super tight* so, perhaps not the best choice.

little wildhorse is excellent family oriented slot, and one can do a loop with bell which is pretty nice. (1)

crack has 3 downclimbs. it's best to do it from the behind the reef road, and descend. if anyone doesn't like the drops, turn around, but the lower part of the canyon IS where it's at. this is (2) and (3) and possibly (1)

moonshine has a number of downclimbs, but they are relatively easy (note, easy is in the eye of the beholder) again, if you enter from the top, you can decide to turn around. this is a (2)

spooky and peekaboo can be done from the bottom or the top. spooky gets quite tight, as does peekaboo to some extent. peekaboo has steep slab to ascend to enter from the bottom. but you could enter from the top and turn around if someone doesn't like it. spooky and peekaboo can hold water in the winter. brimstone can be entered from the bottom (and top, middle is all but impassable). it gets tighter and darker as you go ... essentially you stop when you don't feel like dealing anymore ... this is probably the spookiest slot of the 3. bighorn is short but nice. it has some upclimbs from the bottom which get somewhat tight. peekaboo is a (1) or (2), spooky is a (1) with tight parts so possibly a (2)/(3). lower brimstone is a (3) upper brimstone is a (2). upper dry fork narrows are nice too (1). bighorn wash is either a (1) (2) or (3). zebra slot (3) easy.


other nice slots with some moderately easy downclimbs are round valley draw, willis creek, and bull valley gorge in the grand staircase. willis is easy. bull valley is easy save for some obstacles. round valley has a number of moderately easy downclimbs. cottonwood wash narrows are super easy.

bull valley is (1) and or (2)/(3)
round valley is a (2) though the entrance may stop some. ( you could come from the bottom too, but it's a bit of a hike into hackberry)
willis is a (2) but you can do a very long loop with bull valley gorge and sheep creek which is nice.
cottonwood wash narrows (1)


kanarra creek near zion is also quite nice with rushing water. easy save for the water and some walking up wodden ladders/logs this is a (3)

happy canyon narrows are very easy(3), but they aren't AT ALL easy to get to.

upper straight wash in the swell is easy (2). lower part is technical (eardley). ding and dang of course. chute of muddy creek is excellent. it can be wading in deep water during certain times. (1) depending on how you do it. i think most do it from tomsich butte.

could also check out lower maidenwater (2), has a short drop into a pool, not terribly difficult though. could do a loop with lower trail canyon (trachyte ck). also lower swett is kinda nice (1). can walk lower leprechaun up till it tightens (3) in north wash.

buckskin is a (1) or (2) i guess. there are some initial, relatively easy drops which you can reverse. but most descend and go up paria. the buckskin is easy but long. the mud puddles/wading can make things difficult though. easy when completely dry. there is one log jam that usually has an opening one can easily downclimb through (otherwise short rap)

[asdf]

upper straight wash in the swell is easy

I have hiked Straight Wash via Red Draw, Crawford, Cliff Dweller Flat and a few others. All but two really require some route scrambling with some exposure.
I have done it with my son in a back pack, but always with help from my wife and friends. But one in the canyon, its a great easy hiked with no major obstacles in the upper ends.
Crawford was by far the easiest to get in and out of. After our trip this weekend we are for sure headed back in the summer. With the slot so close to the dirt road, the pools could be a lot of fun when the weather is warm.

[Alex]

Does Moonshine require 4wd vehicle to get to it or can a high clearance 2wd vehicle make it to it?

[Scott P]

Crack Canyon is good for an adventurous family. Last time I did Crack all the way through was April 21, 2006. On that trip, we had our one year old daughter Shaylee, our three year old son Kessler, our four year old nephew Josh, and six year old nephew Matthew, my brother Mark, his wife Angie, and my two parents. People thought we were crazy for taking all those young kids through, but it is an easy canyon, with only one short 4th class boulder.

[stefan]

Does Moonshine require 4wd vehicle to get to it or can a high clearance 2wd vehicle make it to it?

2WD unless roads are jacked

[rockgremlin]

Crack Canyon is a good recommendation.

The Fiery Furnace in Arches is also a good place to take the family to explore. Lots of slotty stuff in there, and very accessible. Just remember to get a stupid permit at the visitor's center first. While there, check out the Tusher Tunnel: http://www.climb-utah.com/Moab/tusher.htm

Also, Leprechaun Canyon is a really good and very scenic slot canyon, accessible from the bottom as an "up and back" route. It's also just around the corner from you in the North Wash area. http://www.climb-utah.com/Powell/leprechaun1.htm Lucky Charms is probably a good possibilty too.

[tanya]

In the Grand Staircase area here are my families favorite slots canyons.


Willis Creek


http://www.zionnational-park.com/gra...ase-hiking.htm

Lick Wash


http://www.zionnational-park.com/gra...e-monument.htm

Hackberry


http://www.zionnational-park.com/sta...-hackberry.htm

Cottonwood

http://www.zionnational-park.com/gra...cottonwood.htm

Older kids might enjoy Bull Valley Gorge

[tanya]

In the Zion area here are my famlies favorites

Spring Hollow



http://www.zionnational-park.com/eas...ing-hollow.htm


Red Hollow


http://www.zionnational-park.com/eas...red-hollow.htm

Peek-a-Boo (Red Canyon)


http://www.zionnational-park.com/peek-a-boo.htm

Kanarra Creek - Its up near Cedar City rather than near these other 3 slots. This would be for older kids or stay below the falls. Recently the ladders have been in really bad shape!


http://www.zionnational-park.com/kanarra-creek.htm

[tanya]

Family Slots inside of Zion National Park

Shelf Canyon


http://www.zionnational-park.com/zio...rails-pine.htm


Hidden Gardens


http://www.zionnational-park.com/zio...dens-trail.htm

Clear Creek


http://www.zionnational-park.com/zio...lear-creek.htm



http://www.zionnational-park.com/zio...-wash-hike.htm

Echo Canyon -- but this is a GRIND for kids to hike up to and then if there is water in it, its ice cold and its no longer family hikable.




http://www.zionnational-park.com/zio...cho-canyon.htm

[Brewhaha]

Absolutely FANTASTIC information.

I am literally jumping around just like my avatar.

I was getting worried that all of the good stuff was going to require lots of rappels and swimming and the body of a young, taught, Svedish boy.

Thank you very much. Keep it coming if you have more ideas.

[marc olivares]

great links Tanya, you posted a couple i haven't done... time to update "THE LIST"

[rockgremlin]

great links Tanya, you posted a couple i haven't done... time to update "THE LIST"

2nd that!! great list T!!

[tanya]

great links Tanya, you posted a couple i haven't done... time to update "THE LIST"

2nd that!! great list T!!

It helps that I am a little more advanced in the family thing that most of you guys having 5 kids and 4 grandkids. I avoid taking kids on hikes they will just complain about. Water seems to always make them fun and a slot canyon is usually a sure winner..... but it can't be too hard.

But sometimes I take a kid on an unplanned hike


My 5 year old had wanted to go climbing with Bo and I for the last 2 years. I kept putting him off telling him when we do an easy slot like Red Cave that he could go. Bo brought down some hardcore climbing friends as well as a couple of women who wanted to do Red Cave. Trey decided that morning he was not going, but he still headed to work with me and was hanging out across the road with his dad at the Chevron. We hikers were all across the road from the Chevron at our Vacation Rental House loading up. We were leaving and I spotted him. We was ready to cross Highway 9 to get to us!!! Scared me to death. He decided he was going to go afterall. So we pick him up and take him with us. He is dressed in a tank top, shorts and flip flops!

So I decide I will just let him do the easier fork and then I will hike out with him and let the others hike out and to the other fork. Well conditions had changed in the slot.... which is a constant for Red Cave. Just getting into the slot was a chore.... then we ran into a rattlesnake at the bottom.... and getting back up was not going to happen...... because Bo said no.... so off we went. He was a trooper and at age 5 he already had the male ego thing going. He worked his rear off and stayed up with the climbers. We did have to dig his flip flop out of the deep mud once. But with it back on his foot he was off.

We climbed out of the slot and started the long hot hike to the other fork. He kept up and his ego kept him from lagging. These guys had quite the pace going too.

We get to the other slot and sure enough.... more flood damage. It was a mess. We had to enter a different way that involved some slickrock scrambling. Trey and I followed Bo as usual and were in the slot comfy and safe. The 2 females followed Bo's friends. One fell and lots a ton of skin on her leg. (She almost ended up getting skin graphs). She was a mess now and frantic. I told her I would take her and we would hike cross country back to the head of the wash so she would not have to get in the water again. But then the other female was scared so I stayed with both of them. Trey was still hanging on at this point. When we got to water the woman was in horrible pain.

Then we got to a narrow section that was filled with debris and she totally freaked out, then the other woman freaked out.. then Trey got a bit excited since they were scared. Bo was already in the debris showing them how to put their back on one wall and feet on the other so they would not sink in the yuck.. it scared them if they went in the water how they would get back up in that foot and a half yuck. I handed Trey and (he calmed down instantly) to him and followed right behind. I yelled something back about being a grandma and doing this and they need to get in here.... the guys were saying... Look she can do it. It seemed to calmed the women down and they made it through.

That was the only time Trey got excited. From that point the guys just handed him down the obstacles and they helped the women.

At the end.... Trey was not even tired...... but if I took him on that with the family... he would have complained up a storm!

So for a "Family Hike" I try to make sure there is nothing too difficult and I make sure he has shoes that work for the hike.

[Iceaxe]

All the North Wash Canyons (Leprechaun, Blarney, Shil and even Sandthrax) can be explored from the botom for as far as you feel comfortable.

Same with the Posion Spring stuff (Arsenic, Slideanide and Constrchynine).

Trail is fun from the bottom.

These are all close to you. All canyons mentioned above are found here
http://climb-utah.com/Powell/index.htm
Often there are hiker notes at the bottom of the tech pages.

The Devils Garden Primative Loop in Arches is also really good.
http://climb-utah.com/Moab/devil.htm