AtlasZion Main Canyon

Heaps Canyon (North Fork) (Gunsight)

verified ACA 4B Unknown flood risk Springdale, UT
Heaps Canyon (North Fork) (Gunsight)
NPS Photo/Sarah Stio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (National Park Service)

A narrow canyon that can be used to access Heaps or Isaac canyon.

Rappel 1 is 105 feet off a large tree on canyon left going down, with a small ledge near the bottom worth using so a 200 foot rope can be pulled from the full length of the drop. Below that, scramble down the dirt slope into the canyon and expect it to stay very narrow for the next four or five rappels. Rappel 6 is 130 feet off a tree on canyon right, down a broad slab into a narrow crack at the bottom; it may go at a downclimb, but the slab collects slippery sand. This is an access route rather than a destination, so the real planning is for whichever of Heaps or Isaac you commit to after it.

Logistics

ManagerNPS Zion National Park
PermitRequired, verify with land manager
Technical18 rappels, longest 170 ft
SeasonSummer; early Fall
Coordinates37.2802, -112.9759

Sources