Moab Adventures · Canyoneering
Canyoneering in Moab: The 5 Best Guided Canyon Tours
Canyoneering means going down a canyon instead of around it. You rappel the drops, scramble the ledges, wade the pools, and come out somewhere the shuttle crowds never see. Guides bring the ropes and teach you the rest, which is why most people on these trips have never touched a rappel device before.
- No experience needed
- Guides supply all technical gear
- Family friendly routes available
- Trips run year round
The Basics
What Canyoneering Actually Involves
A canyoneering route travels the length of a canyon from the top down. Some of that is walking. Some of it is scrambling over chockstones or stemming between two walls with a foot on each. The rest is rappelling the drops you cannot climb down. Around Moab that usually means sculpted sandstone, a few pools, and a lot of rock nobody has bothered to name.
You Do Not Need Experience
Guides teach the rappel at the top of the first drop, then run a second rope clipped to your harness for every descent after that. If you can hike two or three miles over uneven ground, the technical side is learnable in about ten minutes.
Why Moab Has So Many Canyons
The Entrada and Navajo sandstone that produced the arches also fractures into narrow drainages, and flash floods have been cutting into those fractures for a very long time. The result is hundreds of short, steep canyons within a half hour of town.
What Your Guide Handles
Permits, route finding, anchors, ropes, harnesses, helmets and rappel devices. They also read the weather, which matters more here than most people expect. Your job is to show up in decent shoes and follow instructions.
Local tip: The hardest part is the first step backward over the edge, and it lasts about three seconds. Guides in this town have watched a lot of nervous first timers reach the bottom of that first rappel and immediately ask to go again.
The Best of Moab
The Top 5 Canyoneering Tours in Moab
Five routes, five different days out. Rappel heights, trip lengths and seasons are listed for each so you can match a canyon to your group before you start comparing operators.
Suggested: guest on the 110 ft free hanging rappel in Bow and Arrow Canyon
No. 1 · Best All Around
Bow and Arrow Canyon
Four rappels, and the second one drops 110 feet with nothing under your feet the whole way. The half hour approach passes dinosaur tracks and petroglyph panels, and Long Bow Arch spans the canyon above the route. It is close enough to town that you can pair it with an afternoon in Arches, which is why it books out faster than anything else on this list.
Bow and Arrow Canyon GuideSuggested: rappel beside Morning Glory Natural Bridge into the Medieval Chamber
No. 2 · Best for First Timers
Medieval Chamber
Two rappels and very little filler between them. The first drops 90 feet into a water carved sandstone chamber that stays cool and dim even in July. The second is a 120 foot free hang alongside Morning Glory Natural Bridge, a 243 foot span that ranks sixth longest in the country. You walk out down Grandstaff Canyon, roughly 2.4 miles beside a spring fed stream with cottonwoods overhead.
Medieval Chamber GuideSuggested: rappeller descending into remote Granary Canyon with arches visible
No. 3 · Most Remote
Granary Canyon
Ancestral Puebloan granaries are still tucked into alcoves in the canyon walls, which is where the name comes from. Add natural arches, sculpted narrows and a full day well outside cell coverage. The BLM closes the route from April 1 through August 31 for desert bighorn lambing, so the practical season runs September through March. Those months carry the whole year of demand, and the dates go early.
Granary Canyon GuideSuggested: guest stemming between narrow slot canyon walls in Entrajo
No. 4 · Best in Hot Weather
Entrajo Canyon
About two and a half miles of water carved narrows starting from a 30 to 45 minute approach near Mill Creek. Two rappels, and a lot of stemming, bridging and downclimbing in between. Pools run from ankle deep to over your head depending on recent weather, so a swim is possible and the guides will tell you which before you leave the trailhead. This is the one canyon here that improves as the thermometer climbs.
Entrajo Canyon GuideSuggested: canyoneer navigating potholes or a tight slot on the Rock of Ages route
No. 5 · For Fit Adventurers
Rock of Ages Canyon
Also known as Pool Arch Canyon, and the longest guided route in the Moab area. Roughly six miles and six hours through the Behind the Rocks region, ten minutes from downtown. The first rappel is the big one at about 160 feet and it drops you beneath a large arch. After that come a tight slot, a string of sculpted potholes, and enough scrambling that you will feel it the next morning. Come in reasonable shape and this is the best day of the trip.
Rock of Ages GuideQuick Comparison
Which Canyon Is Right for You?
| Canyon | Length | Rappels | Difficulty | Season | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow and Arrow | Half day | 4: 25, 110, 60, 90 ft | Beginner friendly | Year round | First timers who want variety and one big free hanging drop |
| Medieval Chamber | Half day | 2: 90 and 120 ft | Easiest | Year round | Families and nervous first timers who still want a big rappel |
| Granary Canyon | Full day | Multiple large drops | Adventurous beginner | Sep – Mar only | Fall and winter visitors who want backcountry solitude |
| Entrajo Canyon | Half day | 2, plus stemming | Easy to moderate | Best in summer | Groups who want a hands on slot canyon and do not mind water |
| Rock of Ages | Full day | 3: 160, 100, 50 ft | Challenging | Spring and fall best | Fit hikers ready for six miles and hidden arches |
Local tip: If you cannot decide, book Bow and Arrow or Medieval Chamber. Both are short, close to town, and easy to slot around a park day. Most people who do one come back for Granary or Rock of Ages on the next trip.
Before You Go
Good to Know Before You Book
Seasons and Closures
Spring and fall book out weeks ahead. Summer trips start early to beat the heat, and Entrajo is genuinely better when it is hot. Winter canyons are quiet and very doable on mild days. Granary is the one hard closure: April 1 through August 31, no exceptions.
What to Wear and Bring
Closed toe shoes with real grip, clothes you do not mind wrecking, sun protection, snacks, and two liters of water minimum. Skip cotton if there is any chance of water. Every piece of technical gear comes from the guide, so leave the harness at home.
Weather and Flash Floods
A storm twenty miles upstream can fill a slot canyon that is dry and sunny where you stand. Guides track the forecast and will reroute or reschedule rather than commit to a drainage. Late summer monsoon season is when this matters most.
One fee to know about: the Medieval Chamber approach runs through Sand Flats Recreation Area, which charges $10 per vehicle for a seven day pass. There is no single day rate. Most guided trips fold this into the tour price, but it is worth confirming when you book.
Common Questions
Moab Canyoneering FAQ
Do I need experience to go canyoneering in Moab?
No. Every canyon on this page takes complete beginners on guided trips. Your guide teaches the technique before the first drop and runs a separate backup rope on every rappel. Hiking a few miles over uneven ground is the only real fitness requirement.
Which canyon is best for kids and families?
Medieval Chamber and Bow and Arrow. Both have short approaches, manageable terrain, and guides used to working with children. Minimum ages are set by each operator rather than by the route, and they commonly land somewhere between 8 and 12. Check the individual canyon pages for current limits.
How high are the rappels?
Across these five routes they run from about 25 feet to 160 feet. Bow and Arrow tops out at 110 feet, Medieval Chamber at 120 feet, and Rock of Ages opens with roughly 160 feet beneath an arch. Every canyon starts you on something smaller so you are not learning on the big one.
Will I get wet?
In Entrajo, almost certainly. It holds pools that range from ankle deep to over your head, and swimming is sometimes part of it. Bow and Arrow is normally dry. The others may hold shallow water after rain. Guides check conditions the morning of and will tell you what to pack.
What if I am afraid of heights?
Rappelling is slower and far more controlled than most people picture. You set your own speed, and the guide holds a backup line that can stop you at any point. Plenty of people book these trips specifically because heights bother them. If it turns out not to be your day, guides can usually walk you around a drop.
When is the best time of year to go?
March through May and September through November give you comfortable temperatures and the widest choice of open canyons. Summer trips leave early and favor shaded or wet routes like Entrajo. Winter is quiet and works well on mild days. Granary is closed April 1 through August 31 for bighorn lambing.
How far in advance should I book?
Two to four weeks for spring and fall dates, longer over holiday weekends. Granary is the tightest of the five because its season is only about seven months long. Summer and winter trips can often be picked up with a few days notice.
Pick a Canyon
Five routes, from a two rappel half day to six miles of slots and potholes. Start with the canyon that fits your group, then work out the dates.
Compare the Top 5 Canyons