Orderville Canyon
verified 2026-05-12
ACA 2A
High flood risk
Springdale, UT
Beautiful tributary of the Narrows. Tall narrow dark canyon ending with the famous Veiled Falls.
Common pairing with Englestead.
Logistics
| Manager | NPS Zion National Park |
|---|---|
| Permit | Wilderness/canyoneering permit ALWAYS required (rope/rappel descent). Acquired via three Recreation.gov paths: Seasonal Lottery 4 months out in 25-day windows (Nov 1-25 for Jan-Mar, Feb 1-25 for Apr-Jun, May 1-25 for Jul-Sep, Aug 1-25 for Oct-Dec); winners notified the 27th, claim by deadline. Unclaimed spots released the 15th at 10am MT. Daily Lottery 2 days out, apply 12:00am-3:00pm MT, drawing at 3:00pm MT. Fees: $6 non-refundable lottery/application fee, $10 per person refundable recreation fee. Pickup at Zion Visitor Center permits desk day-before or day-of. Max group size: 12. |
| Distance | ~12 mi exit through Narrows |
| Elevation | ~1800 ft loss |
| Time | 10-12 hr |
| Technical | 2A/3A II. 2 short rappels, swims, downclimbs. Good intro semi-technical canyon. |
| Season | Late spring through fall |
| Flood risk | Moderate-high |
| Vehicle access | North Fork Rd East Entrance |
| Crowd | Permit-limited |
| Coordinates | 37.36, -112.86 |
Sources
- canyoneering permits: https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/canyoneeringpermits.htm
- canyoneering overview: https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/canyoneering.htm
- seasonal lottery: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4251915
- daily lottery: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4251918
- heroPhoto: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orderville_Canyon_(8314965389).jpg