Overview

Hype:

Crumbling Canyon is a short conglomerate slot canyon in Spanish Fork Canyon. The approach is a bit grueling compared to the length of the canyon, and the ground is really loose, which can cause lots of loose rocks to fall on people below.

Canyon Rating: 3A

Time: 2-5 hours

Length: 0.78 miles round trip

Longest Rappel: 1-3 to 40ft

Gear: rope and pull cord to rappel 40'. 20' of webbing and quick links to build anchors

Fees: None

Recommended Ages:

0-3
4-11
12-19
20-49
50-69
70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Features:
  • Rappels
  • Downclimbs
  • Anchor Building - Fiddlestick
  • Fixed Anchors
  • Wetsuit Generally Not Required
  • No Drinking Water
  • Wayfinding
  • Road Access is Dirt - Low Clearance
  • Access Road is 2WD Accessible
  • Wildflowers and Vegitation

Getting There

Navigate to 40.003145, -111.405742.

Drive up hwy 6 Spanish Fork Canyon until The Northward turn off just West of the Cave looking feature (Lat 39.996904° Lon -111.405876°) onto a dirt road. This is Wheeler Canyon or better known as Horse Cock Canyon. Drive North as far as you are comfortable, get your gear, and start walking.

Route

Approach

From the car head north toward the cliffs with the split in it. Follow the dry river bed left NW across the cliff face. In 100 feet on the right is a fun short walking box canyon with a chockstone. You can't get up the box canyon though, so backtrack a little bit and take the left canyon and follow the cliffs on your right turning north and uphill. Walk north to the juniper line on the ridge to your right. From the ridge, make your way down the steep ravine. There is a lot of loose rock, and it can be very slippery, so go slowly and deliberately. If you choose your route carefully, you can get down to the canyon floor without any major downclimbing or any rappelling. Follow the canyon bottom to the mouth of the slot canyon. 

Canyon

Drop: 20-foot rappel from a tree into the canyon. This drop can be downclimbed.

Drop: 10-foot rappel from a bolted anchor. This drop can be downclimbed.

Drop: There are two options for this last drop. The first bolt drops you through a hole in the floor. You can also climb over the hole and continue to a second bolted anchor. Either one is about 40'. This drop can be downclimbed with significant exposure.

Maps

Closest City or Region: Spanish Fork Canyon, Utah

Coordinates: 40.003779, -111.406150

Interactive Guide Map

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April 2, 2021 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Anthony Dye, Ondylyn Wagner, Matt Laurendeau, Amanda Laurendeau, Bryson Passey, Caden Fry, Marcus Allan,

Logistics

Start: 5:15 p.m.

End: 7:40 p.m.

Story

I invited some of my BYU students and some coworkers to do Crumbling Canyon on Friday evening. We met at the gate and carpooled up to the high clearance parking spot. We handed out gear and started hiking up. We made good time and got to the top by 5:45. The scramble down to the top of the canyon was especially fun because of the large rocks that kept rolling and sliding with every step we took. We spread way out so we weren't knocking rocks on other people. We geared up at the first rappel. As opposed to the first couple times we did the canyon before it became well known, there was webbing and bolts at each of the drops this time. I set the rappel rope then downclimbed the drop and belayed the others down. Caden lost his footing and dropped the brake rope to catch his balance. He fell a few feet before I caught him with the fireman belay. We got everyone down then rigged the second drop for rappel. There was a dead deer between the first and second drops. Luckily it didn't stink, probably because it was frozen. At the last rappel, we set up ropes on both bolts so we could go twice as fast. Anthony downclimbed the last drop. Once we were at the bottom, Bryson and I explored up the canyon just to the east, but it didn't look very good.

Pictures

April 28, 2018 Trip Report

By Tara Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Madilyn Dye, Cooper Dye, Marci Parker, Callie Parker, Wade Parker, Aria Parker, Lillian Parker, Jepsons,

Story

We ended up leaving a bit later than planned (about 20 minutes or so). We headed up the canyon to do Crumbling Canyon up Spanish Fork Canyon. We got there and gave everyone gear to head up the canyon. We got started and ended up going up part of Box Canyon which happened to be really steep with a lot of loose rock under foot and was pretty narrow in parts. Jeremy figured out where we needed to go, so we backtracked and then headed up the correct fork in the canyon. It was a really steep climb up, even the grassy "field" as Jeremy termed it was super steep right up the mountain side. We then got our harnesses on and started our descent into the canyon. We headed down the steep canyon until we got to a small drop. I meat anchored everyone down and then rapped off a tree. We kept heading down until we got to a sketchy traverse. We rigged a hand line so everyone would feel more comfortable getting across. Once past that we reached a 20-25 foot drop that was down climbable. We did a three person lower for the kids and then partner assisted the adults. There were two or three more drops until we reached the final rappel. We set up a hand line since there were openings between the boulders that we were standing on. It took a while to get everyone down but it was a fun canyon. One of the families had to head back home but the rest of us went to the park to eat our lunch at 5:30.

Pictures

December 8, 2016 Trip Report

By Anthony Dye

Trip Members

Anthony Dye, Eric Burrows, Kyle Hurst,

Logistics

2 hourse round trip from the car

Story

Notes and Thoughts: 
This canyon is conglomerate and is not well traveled. This means that there is LOTS of loose rock both on the canyon floor and the walls. A helmet is a terrific idea. Not moving while someone is below you is a terrific idea. testing rocks before weighting them is a terrific idea.
If you are experienced in stemming/downclimbing techniques, this entire canyon can be done with no rappels. This also means that you could do the canyon as an "up and back again". When I do this canyon again, that is how i will do it. Some rock climbing, stemming experience would be needed.
There is another canyon on the east running parallel to this one. It needs further exploration, but my friends that did it partially, said it was not enjoyable.

The Canyon:
There are several downclimbs where partner assisstance, or a belay may be helpful for less experienced canyoneers.
After the last downclimb (you know it's the last because there won't be more after it) there is a fun short side canyon on your right. I am 6'0" 210lb and i had to go horizontal to fit through. One guy in our group bouldered over rather than go through. This canyon has yet another fork. The Right passage can be stemmed up to a potential  alternative entrance to the canyon. The left fork takes you through a chockstone tunnel and meets back with the main canyon.
You are now at the final Rappel. There is a bolted anchor located as far down canyon as you can walk. The First skylight/hole in the canyon floor can be downclimbed (for more experienced canyoneers only). Walk out the bottom and go down hill until you meet back up with your original trail to your car.

Video of Trip

Pictures