Spry Canyon
Drains from Deertrap Mountain to Lower Pine Creek. More serious than Pine Creek; expect committing moves.
The first rappel is 165 feet and the only drop over 100 feet in the canyon, so the rest of the day is a long string of short rappels and downclimbs where rope management costs more time than any single obstacle. Four or five spots can hold water and the sand in them washes in and out with each storm, so depths change between trips; expect a short swim or two. Several drops are two bolt anchors, but the last rappel is off an exposed pair in the watercourse, so keep people back from the lip. Poison ivy lines the exit wash. After a final 100 foot rappel off a large tree you rock hop out past a cabin sized rock to social trails down into Pine Creek. A wetsuit is worth carrying after summer rain and dead weight in a dry spell.
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: 6. |
| Distance | ~5 mi |
| Elevation | ~1500 ft |
| Time | 8-10 hr |
| Technical | 3A III. Several awkward rappels and tricky downclimbs. |
| Season | Summer, fall |
| Flood risk | Moderate |
| Vehicle access | Hwy 9 east of tunnel |
| Crowd | Low |
| Coordinates | 37.21, -112.93 |
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
- notes: https://ropewiki.com/index.php?title=Spry_Canyon&action=raw
- heroPhoto: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spry_Canyon_(8119659047).jpg