POTHOLES!
Family Camp Canyon is a backcountry route next door to Fat Man’s Misery just inside the eastern boundary of Zion National Park. It is a fun canyon with only a few short rappels but quite a few potholes that could be interesting to escape at the “wrong” water level. If you mess up the navigation for Fat Man’s and turn south early, you might end up in this canyon, as a family group did in June 2010. The Father, 12 year-old daughter and 16 year-old son ‘camped’ at the end of the canyon, staring down the 400’ drop ahead for two nights until rescued by the Zion SAR Team. Let this be a reminder that if your surroundings don’t match the description, you are most likely not in the canyon you planned. Escaping early from the unanticipated canyon is a better idea than continuing forward. (This canyon offers many opportunities to escape before the final two rappels).
For people intentionally descending this canyon, an exit is made by hiking up the side canyon that joins Family Camp near the end, then climbing easily out the side and following a ridge back to civilization.
Family Camp has four sections of narrow slot. Parties are likely to do between two and six rappels, depending on downclimbing skill and boldness. There are numerous small potholes. In dry conditions, partner boosts and pack tosses will win through these, but some of these could be an entertaining struggle when wet. Intentional parties can ghost the canyon using modern techniques: partner captures, FiddleSticks, SandTraps. Please join in descending this canyon without leaving artifacts behind.
WGS84 Key Waypoints
Start of the Canyon – UTM 333804mE 4119164mN
Junction with Exit Fork – UTM 333221mE 4117120mN
Canyon Profile
Logistics
RATINGS
4B III ★★★☆☆
TIME REQUIRED
7-10 Hours
PERMIT REQUIRED
YES
SEASON
Spring, summer or fall
LONGEST RAPPEL
60 feet (18m)
EMERGENCY
Zion Wilderness Desk: 435-772-0170
Zion EMERGENCY: 435-772-3322
ACCESS
Starts/ends on the East side of Zion, with parking along Hwy 9 near Checkerboard Mesa.
Equipment
ESSENTIALS
Helmets, rappelling gear, webbing and rapid links. SandTrap, FiddleStick. Good partners.
COLD WATER PROTECTION
Wetsuits recommended in cool weather, especially if potholes are full.
DRINKING WATER
None available, bring plenty.
DIFFICULTIES
FLASH FLOOD RISK
Moderate. The collection zone is small, and all but the last narrows sections are short.
SKILLS REQUIRED
Navigation, ghosting natural anchor skills, pothole escape skills, downclimbing.
ANCHORS
Ghosting anchors.
Seasonal Adjustments
The canyon can be good in spring, summer and fall. The hike out is in full sun and punishing when hot, so bring plenty of water. Potholes might have water but it will be skanky.
Typical Timeline
0:00: Start
1:00: Checkerboard Pass
1:20: Start of Canyon
2:20: First Technical section
4:50: Skull Arch
5:50: Exit Last technical section
7:00: Atop ridge, work right
8:00: Checkerboard Pass
8:45: Back at Car
Getting there
Driving
Family Camp starts like Fat Man’s, by hiking up the canyon between Checkerboard and Crazy Quilt Mesas. From the East Entrance, drive into the Park 0.9 miles and park in one of several pullouts across from the mouth of the canyon.
Approach
Hike up the canyon west of Checkerboard Mesa, ignoring side trails and staying in the canyon bottom as much as possible. Climb a steep sand hill on a deeply entrenched trail to the top, which I call Checkerboard Pass.
Follow the trail down the other side about ¼ mile then left out of the canyon. There may be several trails: Choose the best one. Follow the trail east past a big round buttress that looks like a teepee. At the foot of the buttress is a wash – this is Family Camp Canyon.
The Business
Dodge a few small potholes by easily walking around them. The first narrows appears in about an hour with an easy downclimb and a pool that could be a swimmer. Further narrows offer a variety of obstacles—downclimbs, rappels, arches, easy potholes, maybe some hard potholes. Some ghosting anchor tricks are likely to be required; we used a SandTrap, a FiddleStick, a pack-stack and a few partner captures. After the sustained fourth narrows, the canyon takes a turn to the right and intersects the west fork of the system, the exit. Ten minutes downcanyon from the intersection is a dramatic 90 foot (27m) rappel with a big drop just visible 200 meters further on.
The Exit
Hike up the flat sandy bottom of the west fork for one-third mile, until a brief steep climb on the right allows exit from the canyon. Follow a small slickrock wash up into a bowl. Continue up to attain the crest of the ridge and follow that to the north. Once atop the slickrock ridge, work right across the slickrock into the large, open drainage to the east. Follow the drainage north to the entrance trail and Checkerboard Pass.
Author's Experience
I did Family Camp Canyon in dry conditions on June 26, 2018 with Robbie Brower and Hayley Walker, using information provided by Kip Marshall from a descent a month earlier. These were possibly the second and third intentional descents. I descended it again a couple months later in wetter conditions.
Trip Reports
Maps
Click for higher resolution
