For those adventure seekers out there, we have the perfect recipe for adventure: a dose of athleticism, a dash of route finding, rappelling, wading, swimming, scrambling, and in rare instances, waterfall navigation. Finally, add a bit of courage and gumption and you have the unrivaled experience known as canyoneering.
Imagine hiking through sandstone walls as they twist through canyons so narrow you must turn sideways to squeeze through. Suddenly, the canyon floor falls away, revealing a 100ft drop. You rappel down the fluted rock face to see what awaits you below: multicolored-rock amphitheaters, cool spring-fed seeps and pools, natural stone bridges, secluded arches, and gardens.
Canyoneering is one of the defining activities in Moab. Few places on the planet have the unique topography and geological features that create the perfect recipe for this unique adventure sport. Canyoneering allows you to check out these remote areas of sheer walls, petrified dunes, domes, and vast canyons, all sculpted by nature and having evolved for thousands of years.
Unlocking the secrets of these magical places requires special technical skills and a broad regional knowledge. Canyoneering is a muscle-powered, gravity-assisted activity that can offer fun body movement in utter beauty. Or, it can challenge one’s comfort with rappelling off the edge of a magnificent cliff. The deeper you decide to go the more profound the experience.
Are you active, fun-loving, and adventurous? Visiting in summer? Then swimming and wading your way through a deep slot canyon should be on your bucket list! Because canyoneering requires rappelling, scrambling, hiking, route finding, and possibly swimming, it isn’t a sport to enter casually or without knowledge. Proper gear matters. Sturdy shoes with excellent traction and sticky rubber soles are a must. Canyons with deep pools and periodic swimming may require wetsuits, even in the middle of a hot summer. Durable and quick- draining backpacks and dry bags are designed to give flotation and protection for your personal items. But don’t worry, your guide can rent or provide these items for your trip. Be prepared to get dirty—that’s part of the fun!
Most local canyoneering guide services can find a trip suitable for you and your groups’ fitness level and enthusiasm for excitement. A few of our favorites areDesert Highlights,High Point Hummer,Moab Cliffs and Canyons,andNAVTEC. No matter who you choose, we are confident that you are in good hands!
Half-day and full-day trips are offered to various canyons in the greater Moab area, many just 15-30 minutes from downtown Moab. Other remote and exquisite canyons lie further afield and offer differing challenges with equally dramatic landscapes and striking narrow worlds, places most people will never see.
Learn. Explore. Grow. Play. Get muddy. Slide down a rope. No other activity invites you to fully embrace the Moab desert so intimately.
Grab your friends, your sense of adventure, and go dangle from a rope!!