Heaps Canyon, Zion National Park

Exiting the Upper (Phantom Valley) Narrows

LOGISTICS
Rating	4B VI 5.4
Season	Summer or fall
Time Commitment	12 to 20 hours
Longest Rappel	280 feet (90 m)
Access	Heaps can be approached either from the Main Canyon Floor via the West Rim Trail, or from Lava Point. Both approaches take about 4 hours, but the Lava Point approach uses considerably less energy than climbing 3000 feet (900m) from the main canyon floor. See Approach Tab for details. Heaps ends at the Emerald Pools cirque. You can follow the trail out to Zion Lodge or The Grotto.
Permit	REQUIRED. Group size limit 6.
Emergency	Zion Wilderness Desk: 435-772-0170 Zion EMERGENCY: 435-772-3322
EQUIPMENT
Essentials	Helmets, rappelling gear, webbing and rapid links. Drybags for your gear. A hooking kit should be carried at all times. Family Band Radios can be extremely helpful on the final rappels.
Cold Water   Protection	Thick wetsuits or drysuits required at all times
Drinking Water	Once in the canyon, filterable pothole water is available, but not recommended.
DIFFICULTIES
Flash Flood Risk	High - Long sections of unrelenting narrows and a large watershed above combine to make this a canyon only to be done with a totally clear forecast.
Skills Required	Please see the Preface to Heaps.

 

SEASONAL ADJUSTMENTS

Summer and Fall are the only practical times to do Heaps. Once it stops flowing from snowmelt in the Spring, it can be done (but then, we call that summer).

The big variable for Heaps is the current water levels and how it effects pothole escapes. Snowmelt fills the canyon in the spring, and thunderstorms refill it. Hot summer weather will pull the water out of it, and several weeks without rain can result in difficult conditions. Ask the backcountry desk and other knowledgable sources for "current conditions".

Overview
Heaps can be approached either from the Valley Floor via the West Rim Trail, or from Lava Point. Both approaches take about 4 hours, but the Lava Point approach uses considerably less energy than climbing 3000 feet (900m) from the valley floor.

Option A: From Lava Point

This approach uses less energy, but does require a car spot. Follow the West Rim Trail south 6.5 miles (10.4 km) past Potato Hollow to a trail junction. The West Rim Trail splits here: take the right branch to continue along the West Rim. Walk 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to around campsite #4, then leave the trail and follow escarpment edge another 1/8 mile to the top of a ridge, between an amphitheater on the left and Phantom Valley on the right.

Option B: From the Main Canyon Floor

From the Grotto, skip up the Angels Landing / West Rim trail 4.3 miles (7 km), gaining 3000 feet (900m) en route to West Rim Spring. This is a very small spring providing reliable water, but it requires treatment. Take the "Rim Route" (left fork) of the West Rim Trail 1.3 miles to around campsite #4. Leave the trail and follow the escarpment edge another 1/8 mile to the top of a ridge, between an amphitheater on the left and Phantom Valley on the right.

The ridge is at UTM NAD83: 12S 323930mE 4128070mN.

From the Ridge

Looking into Phantom Valley from the first rappelWork your way down the ridge, carefully following small social trails to avoid the worst of the brush. Progress on the ridge is soon blocked by a short cliffband. A small tree with slings above a dirt and gravel slope provides a possible rappel anchor, but a cleaner rappel can be found by stepping west 10 feet (3 m) over a rock ridge and slinging a block (may require a long sling). Rap 65 feet (21 m) to the ground. Continue down the ridge, downclimbing on the left side when needed. Delicately climb an exposed, crumbling knife-edge ridge to a large tree on the right. Rap from a tree 205 feet (62 m) to the high point of the ground, 20 feet (6 m) right of a large Ponderosa Pine. Alternatively, rappel to a tree on the face below, and rappel from there to the ground. Bag the ropes and walk down the slope to the slickrock, then follow the ridge all the way to the bottom of the wash. Walk the wash one hour to where it drops into a dark slot, then suit up.

*****

Variation Note:  Heaps can also be accessed by descending The Gunsight, rather than through Phantom Valley. See Isaac Canyon, via The Gunsight for description. Follow the description for the Gunsight, then head down Heaps from the Crossroads. This route bypasses some of the best, and most challenging, narrows of Heaps.

A small keeper in the first narrowsPhantom Valley Narrows

 After a few walking and wading sections, the real fun begins with a rappel through a series of beautiful pools. After a few rap 'n swims, the canyon opens up briefly, before closing in for another pool-drop section. When full, this section is easy and fun. When the water is a little lower, as many as eight challenging pothole escapes may be required.

The canyon then opens up and works its way through a section with canyons coming in on both sides. This is The Crossroads. Escape to the south out Isaac is Canyon is possible from here, if needed. Traverse around a pothole and rappel off a tree. A few minutes of hiking takes you to the Long Sandy Corridor. At the end of the Corridor, the canyon turns sharply left and plunges into darkness.
 

The author wading through dark narrowsSecond Narrows

The next section of narrows is long and intense. Work your way through it. Near the end, there are potential bivy spots high and left, above the streamcourse for most conditions. Strenuous climbing, pack tosses, ingenuity and, as a last resort, drilling and hooking may be required to pass the numerous difficulties.

Many hours later, the intense narrows relent and the huge, smooth face of Lady Mountain can be seen on the right. A flat sandy corridor leads to a flat rock and a plunging slot on the left. The flat rock is often used to remove dry suits and prepare for the final rappel sequence.
 

Final Descent

Take a look down the slot on the left. This is NOT the exit; a rappel from the lip of this slot is about 500 feet to the ground. Instead, climb a sandy chimney on the right (30 feet (10m), 5.4) to the crest of a lump. A small human descends the yawning last rappelDownclimb a slot over the other side to a small tree. Rap carefully 60 feet (18 m) down a slot to an exposed sloped ledge at a large tree. Be careful not to release any of the loose blocks perched in the slot, as there are tourists below visiting the Upper Emerald Pool.>

From the large tree, rappel 165 feet (50 m) to a small ledge in the chimney. There is some loose rock on this rap too. Do NOT underestimate this rappel: it is vertical and very exposed the entire length.

From the small ledge, rappel 280 feet (90 m) free to the talus below. Carefully rig the final rappel. There is a lot of poison ivy at the base of the rappel; avoid touching it.

From the landing area at Upper Emerald Pool, pack up your things and stroll down the Emerald Pools Trail to Zion Lodge, about 30 minutes. Alternatively, those you left a vehicle at The Grotto may return there via the Kayenta Trail.

Note:  There is an "Escape from Heaps," via Isaac Canyon from the Crossroads, for those who may need to escape poor conditions in Heaps. See Isaac Canyon via the The Gunsight for the description.

Steve Brezovec descending past the streaks walls of the Heaps Canyon exit

PDF Canyon Guide A printable canyon description and map you can take with you.

Zion: Canyoneering Have all Zion's classic canyons in one convenient book.

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Heaps Canyon & Isaac Canyon

Detailed Route Maps Click on any map to browse a larger view, then right-click to save and print.

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Deluxe Maps Deluxe maps are available in two formats: • 1 Mb files in the Map Download Center, designed for printing on 11" x 17" paper  • Canyoneering Maps for Purchase in the Canyoneering USA Store. Printed maps are 13" x 19", nicely presented on 24 lb. white paper.

Zion: Central Canyons and Trails

Author's Experience

My first trip through Heaps was in summer 2000 with Scott Holley. Quite an adventure! In 2001, we hit it twice: in June with Bill Briggs and Buzz Burrell (plus Scott and Tom), and again a month later with Hank Moon and Alicia Scotter, which proved to be very difficult in low-water conditions. Since those initial years, I tend to hit Heaps once or twice a year. I usually do it as a one-day event, but have bivied on the rim once (Campsite 4, it sucked) and in Phantom Valley twice (quite nice). I have only once descended the Gunsight Canyon start, when we descended Isaac Canyon in 2005, opting for the Phantom Valley approach all other times.

Heaps and Imlay in a Day, 9/23/06 - My own personal "Jihad" against the idea I might be getting old. Still got something in the ol' ticker. 
A Late Season Heaps, 10/26/09 - A foursome heads out for one-day Heaps descent in gorgous conditions. Most of us are at the Upper Emerald Pool before dark.

From Canyoneering: Zion, by Tom Jones

2002-143 - Zion NP (UT) – Rescue – Heaps Canyon

On Sunday, April 28th, Dave H. and his companions were descending Heaps Canyon. They were completing their descent when H. lost control on the final, 300-foot rappel. Park dispatch was notified of an injured person near Upper Emerald Pools. The SAR team was immediately dispatched. The first ranger reached H. just before 8 p.m. and found that he was suffering from head, back and leg injuries. Two park medics stabilized him, and an EMS helicopter from Page was dispatched to the park to assist with the evacuation. The SAR team began the evacuation around 10 p.m., carrying H. across a boulder field and down the Emerald Pools trail to the trailhead. He was flown to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George.

(Sourced by direct communication with Zion SAR staff.)
  

Exterior Links

Trip Reports

Heaps, 10/20-21, 2001, by Steve Brezovec and Scott Holley
"Heaps Through the Eyes of a Beginner," 6/23/07, by Luke Galyan

Stories

Descents by Dennis Turville
The Devil’s Pit by Royce Trappier
1991 Heaps Canyon Decent, or In Search of the Devils Pit by Gordon Worsfold and Lori Webb
Escape from Heaps by Steve Ramras
Rescuer or Rescuee? by Tom Jones
Heaps Rescue, 6/2/06, as reported by the National Park Service and Tom Jones
Heaps... Revisited! by Randi Poer
 A Sh***y Trip in Heaps by Dave Black

 

Alternative Descriptions

Heaps Canyon at Bluu Gnome

• West Rim split West Rim split
• Top of Gunsight Top of Gunsight
• Phantom Valley Phantom Valley
• Harness Up! Harness Up!
• Looking down Looking down
• First Rap First Rap
• Looking up! Looking up!
• Knife-edge ridge Knife-edge ridge
• Slickrock walking Slickrock walking
• The ridge The ridge
• Hoodoos Hoodoos
• First wet rappel First wet rappel
• First Wet rap, Luca First Wet rap, Luca
• Exiting first rap Exiting first rap
• Bolted anchor, Heaps Bolted anchor, Heaps
• A small keeper A small keeper
• Wood-work Wood-work
• Another rap Another rap
• Rappel, swim, climb Rappel, swim, climb
• Exit from the Narrows Exit from the Narrows
• Small sandy corridor Small sandy corridor
• Big Sandy Corridor Big Sandy Corridor
• Quicksand! Quicksand!
• Rest break Rest break
• Into the darkness Into the darkness
• Downclimb Downclimb
• Sunbeams Sunbeams
• Photographer at work! Photographer at work!
• Rap into a slot Rap into a slot
• Tom in Heaps Tom in Heaps
• Green Green
• Deep within Deep within
• Floating Floating
• Penultimate Penultimate
• To the bird perch To the bird perch
• Final rap anchor Final rap anchor
• Over the edge! Over the edge!
• Final rap Final rap
• Out of the box Out of the box
• Almost down Almost down
• It's a long way down! It's a long way down!
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