What is your FAVORITE (not best) canyon?

Since we're all stuck at home.....

This is a question I like to ask folks when I go canyoning with them for the first time. What is your favorite canyon? And by that, I don't mean, what is the "best" canyon you have done, I want to know what is your personal favorite, and why. Maybe the best canyon you've done IS also your favorite, maybe it isn't. People often have a personal favorite for a variety of reasons, and I'd love to hear them!

Like, for example, my personal favorite is probably Reid Nielsen, out in the top part of the Swell. Its nothing fancy or memorable, and is not the "best" canyon I have ever done. But its easy to get to, easy to take beginners in, often has water, is a fun scramble, is scenic enough, has good sculpting, is remote, etc, etc. It's far from being a classic canyon in every way, but every time I go there I end up having a blast. Silly, I know, but it is what it is.

What about y'all???

One my favorite day canyons is Fat Mans Misery.

Gorgeous hike in, sporty down climbs, short raps (short ropes), and options to mess around in the barracks before a nice hike out. A pretty solid day while being pretty easy but not too easy. Always a good time.

Chambers is fun, but its kinda like spending 2 hours in a wrestling match with sandpaper fun.
The narrows are consistent, deep, and sculpted in the most incredible ways.

Some favorites:

Lower Titou Gorge (Dominica)
Ribiero Frio (Madeira, Portugal)
Imlay (Utah)
Pine Creek (Utah)
South Fork Choprock (Utah)
Alcatraz (Utah)
Larry Canyon (Utah)
North Fork Trail Canyon (Utah)
Stone Donkey (Utah)
Fortymile (Utah)
Aztec Creek (Utah/Arizona)
Silver Grotto (Arizona)

I know @Kip Marshall 's is Mystery.

Always the Over-Achiever!!!

What's YOUR favorite Tom? I know that could be a tall order, given your resume, but surely there is one canyon out there that has your heart more than any other. Parunuweap?

My favorite canyon is Imlay (via Sneak) most of the time, and Heaps when I am in tip-top shape.

But there are many many very good canyons. Parunaweap is not one of them. It has some nice sections but they are short and non-continuous; it is a pain to get to (and out of), and it is cowed up.

Tom

I'll do a list like Scott. A lot of my favourites come from having had a lovely time in it.
So here we are:
West Fork of Cheesebox
Middle/East Fork of Bull (in the Roost)
Old Woman Wash (Swell)
Tidwell Canyon (with the exit up Horseshoe Canyon)
Pandora's Box
Good Day Jim
Mindbender

That's a pretty heavy list, especially those last three. Why Old Woman Wash? Again, not judging at all, I am genuinely curious to hear why a canyon like that makes the list.

Mine prolly is Dunham. Lots of bang for buck.
I'm incredulous ol Scott has stone donkey on his list. Maybe I gotta make the trek for that. Same neighborhood

Stone Donkey has a long approach and exit for a short canyon. Some might not like it as much for that reason. All the approaches and exits are very scenic though.

Stone Donkey itself is short, but it is the single most impressive section of slot I have seen. I don't know of any real slots that are deeper than this one.

Oh wow. See that's what I liked about Dunham. The immediate deepness and zionesqe feel. I did not know stone donkey was as beautiful. I like all those slots around there. Round valley is gorgeous too.

Or just indecisive.

Something like Titou Gorge on a Caribbean island can't really be compared to something like Larry Canyon in the Roost since they are too different.

One is a slot full of running water and hot springs in a jungle type setting. One is a nice romp through a desert slot canyon.

It's kind of like asking which is better, Lobster or Rocky Road icecream?

Titou Gorge might be my #1, but only because it's so different than most others I have done.

You can combine Round Valley Draw, Hackberry, and Stone Donkey (along with Sam Pollock Arch and Booker Canyon) into one three day (or more) backpacking trip. That's what we did the last time I was there.

Larry canyon in the Roost. For me it’s the embodiment of Utah desert canyons. Scenic slots, fun rappels, remote wilderness, great views, exciting exit hike. Not the best one I’ve ever done, but my favorite.

Arscenic would have to be on the top of my list of favorite canyons.

The first time we planned on descending the canyon, we were new and inexperienced canyoneers and my boys were pretty young. My oldest son Justin (who does not like heights at all) was 11, my second in line Brandon was 9 and my youngest Trevor (who also didn't like heights as well) was 6. We made the short approach and got to the first drop just behind a group of 4.

We walked up to where the bottom drops out of the canyon and Justin and Trevor both said that there was no way they were rappelling down THAT! It was very intimidating as its very hard to see anything except a bottomless black hole in the wash bottom.

We asked the other group if they were going first but they were deciding who was going back to the car to get the rope they forgot . We told them that they were welcome to use our rope and they graciously accepted the offer. We set up the rappel and after they had all descended we sat around for a while deciding if we could get everyone down without too much drama. Wasn't going to happen on that day. We decided to pull the rope and retreat.

The next fall, we went back (after many trips to the Red Ledges) and things went so much better. Although Justin and Trevor both had a difficult time overcoming their fears, they did so without too much effort on our part and I was very proud of them. The rest of the canyon was a natural playground for them and the initial anxiety soon turned to laughter and fun.

Been through Arscenic a couple of times since, but this will always be the favorite.

Brandon on the first rappel (not bothered by heights at all).



Trevor being lowered.



Playground.



Brandon starting last stage.



Justin starting last stage with top and bottom belay.



The rest of the canyon was much more fun for Justin (and Trevor).

Ah, thank you so much for asking! Old Woman Wash is just a delightful day. The approach through Farnsworth is nice and there's always something very special about cutting through the reef. It's seldom trod, so it feels like quite an adventure. To be poetic, it feels like a place crafted not so much from stone, but rather from living colours. The canyon itself has only a few short raps so you can go very light. When we did it, it was after some big rains and it was brim full. Lots of downclimbs into big pools sunk in that deep red kind of Wingate, yellow ash trees, and a few very pretty narrows. It's one of those very benign canyons whose virtue is by being not so much a technical challenge, but rather by being a beautiful journey.

That being said, a lot of my opinions about places get coloured by my experience. I did it in autumn after big rains. I imagine if I'd done it in summer when it was completely dry I might not be so keen on it!

Larry Canyon is an underrated canyon, but I don't know why. It is one of the best out there in my opinion, but you still don't hear about it as much even though it has had beta for a long time.

It seems that I hear more about No Mans than Larry, even though both canyon systems are next to each other and Larry is by far and away much better than anything in No Mans.

I haven't done Chambers so can't comment on that one (I heard it's good), but Larry and Alcatraz are the best I have done in the Roost and some of the best anywhere.