Choprock Canyon (South Fork)
Eleven to fourteen hours of swimming, hard downclimbs and narrows tight enough to want a headlamp. RopeWiki's verdict is that for the advanced canyoneer Choprock takes the cake for best in the area.
RopeWiki states flatly that this canyon can only safely be descended when water levels are low enough to permit passage, and you cannot judge that from the rim. Get a current condition report. The sequence runs a mild wash with stems and downclimbs, then a riparian section thick with trees, brush and a lot of poison ivy, then the wades of the Happy Section, then the Grim Section: a dark twisting crack with tight constrictions and awkward angles where headlamps are the norm. It ends on a semi free hanging rappel into an alcove. There are no serious keeper potholes needing special gear, so the pothole kit stays home, but nothing else about the day is short. From the parking area it is 1.5 to 2 hours just down to the Escalante, and the exit is river walking with almost no trail until Fence Canyon. High clearance for the road in.
Logistics
| Manager | BLM Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Escalante Interagency Visitor Center) |
|---|---|
| Permit | Monument wide rule, not a canyon specific finding. BLM requires a free permit for all overnight stays anywhere in Grand Staircase-Escalante, self issued at developed trailheads or at the Escalante, Cannonville, Kanab and Big Water visitor centers. Day use by a private party requires no permit: BLM issues Special Recreation Permits for commercial use, competitive events, organized groups and recreation events, none of which covers a private party descending a canyon. The lottery permits BLM lists alongside the monument, Coyote Buttes North and Paria Canyon, are Vermilion Cliffs units administered from Kanab and do not apply here. |
| Time | 11 hr-14 hr |
| Technical | 3-5 rappels, longest 90 ft |
| Season | Spring; Fall; Aug |
| Vehicle access | High Clearance |
| Coordinates | 37.6441, -111.1598 |
Sources
- manager: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument/plan
- permitType: https://ropewiki.com/Choprock_Canyon_(South_Fork)
- desc: https://ropewiki.com/Choprock_Canyon_(South_Fork)
- notes: https://ropewiki.com/Choprock_Canyon_(South_Fork)
- permit: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument/plan