One of the many rappels in Water Holes Canyon
Water Holes Canyon is a slot canyon just south of Page, Arizona. It empties into the Colorado River from the east, just below Glen Canyon Dam. Like Antelope Canyon, Water Holes is on Navajo land and requires permission to access.
As you head south from Page, the state highway crosses on a bridge high over this canyon, and it’s from this bridge that you access it. From this point, the upper stretch of the canyon is more of a cool hike than anything. There are no pools or standing water, and the short steps up the sandstone pour-overs are made passable with the help of a few metal ladders. It’s fun and photogenic.
Upper Water Holes Canyon is a scenic desert slot suitable for hikers.
Where the pour overs require them, ladders and moki steps help you get up and down.
Eventually you exit the upper part of the canyon and come out on the desert plateau.
Where are we? Chris uses the paper map and Joey, the Iphone.
Turn around and head back down the slot.
The lower section of Water Holes Canyon is more technically challenging. There are multiple rappels including one that is about 80 feet in length. We were there after a considerable stretch of dry weather yet we still found ourselves in some mud and standing water, most of which was foul. Thankfully it never got above our thigh. Earlier in the season it would have likely been more wet.
The first crux is a downclimb around an old vehicle that probably drove off the highway and has subsequently been crushed and bent into a barely recognizable form from all the flash flood forces down here.
Then you lower down on a sling into another tight spot.
Just plow through the mud or try your best to avoid it.
Sooner or later we were all in it. It was really foul.
Looking down into the manky pool about 80 feet below. Rappel anchors indicated we were going in.
Thankfully there was another set of rappel bolts off to the side that allowed us to skirt to pot hole.
And back into the mud.
And the rappels kept coming.
Again
After about seven rappels there’s a steep climb up the sandstone to exit the canyon. If you go further down than that, the slot drops to the Colorado River on what is reported to be a 100+ meter rappel. We definitely didn’t care to take that on. Even if we had ropes that were long enough it would have put us down at the river and we would have had no way to get home.
Some tight downclimbing.
And after an uncomfortable, crooked, overhanging rap, the slot widened and we saw the exit. It was the only point we could get out of the slot before the huge pour off before the Colorado River.
So we climbed up and out of the canyon before the long rappel and walked back to the bridge and called it good. Water Holes Canyon is a good one. Hike the upper part for an easy desert outing, or grab the ropes and helmets and take on the lower section. Either way, get permission, do your homework beforehand, and definitely stay away if there’s any chance of weather.
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