Overview

Hype:

Wife 2 Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park is a rewarding slot canyon adventure for canyoneering enthusiasts with moderate technical skills. This route features a series of short rappels, tight narrows, and scenic sandstone walls that showcase the park's stunning geology. The approach hike is relatively short and provides picturesque views of the surrounding desert. The canyon is typically dry, making it a great option for those looking to avoid water obstacles. A free permit, obtainable from the park’s visitor center, is required for this adventure. Wife 2 offers just the right amount of challenge and beauty, making it a memorable experience for those who take on its twists and turns.

Canyon Rating: 3A

Time: 2.5 hours from Betrothed to bottom of canyon

Length: 0.2 miles with 1 mile approach from trailhead to Betrothed and 0.5 mile approach from Betrothed to top of Wife 2

Longest Rappel: 100 ft

Gear: 200 ft rope, standard rappelling gear

Fees: Entrance Fee

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

Permits: Permits are required https://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/canyoneering.htm

Links: http://www.bluugnome.com/cyn_route/cap-reef/cap-reef_the-wives/cap-reef_the-wives.aspx

Getting There

Navigate to 38.283433, -111.246052.

Parking in the parking lot on the north side of the road.

Route

Approach

Hike up Cohab Canyon until you get to Betrothed Canyon. Then take the cliff route south past Betrothed Canyon until you get up on top of the cliffs. Stay relatively high as you travel west to the top of the canyon.

Canyon

Rappel #1: 100 ft off a small tree. Drop down into a super narrow crack in the ground that opens up underneath into a cave-like room.

Rappel #2: 80 ft off a solution pocket. Chimney up to get past the narrow section of canyon. Near the top of the chimney is a solution pocket with webbing looped through it for rappel #2. This rappel is awkward the whole way down because it constantly tries to get you wedged. Some people might choose to chimney down.

Downclimb #1: 15 ft chimney downclimb.

Rappel #3: 50 ft off a solution pocket.

Downclimb #2: 20 ft downclimb. 5.6 difficulty, exposed.

Downclimb #3: 15 ft chimney downclimb.

Rappel #4: 80 ft off a deadman anchor. Deposits you directly onto the Cohab Canyon trail.

Maps

Closest City or Region: Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Coordinates: 38.279359, -111.243294

Interactive Guide Map

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November 12, 2016 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Anthony Dye,

Logistics

3:30 Leave parking lot. Start hiking Cohab Canyon.

4:05 Betrothed Canyon turnoff.

4:25 Top of Wife 3 Canyon (Anthony drops in, pull cord too short, look for other options).

5:00 I drop rope and Anthony continues without me.

5:15 Anthony reaches bottom of Wife 3 Canyon.

5:35 Anthony hikes back to top of canyon.

5:40 Drop into Wife 2 Canyon.

6:45 Bottom of Wife 2 Canyon.

7:01 Parking lot.

Story

Anthony and I took a bunch of young men through Cassidy Arch Canyon and wanted to do a couple of the Wives before heading home. We did Wife 3 first, except that it was just Anthony because we grabbed the wrong pull cord. After Anthony rappeled down, I had to drop the rope to him from the top and wait for him to finish the canyon and hike back up around so we could do Wife 2.

Wife 2 didn't disappoint. We dropped in a different fork than most people usually do, but we were able to find a solution pocket to rappel from. We did the whole canyon by headlamp, which made it especially exciting. We weren't able to locate anchors on a couple of the drops, but we downclimbed them, so that worked out OK. We were in a good mood and had fun doing a quick canyon together.

Video of Trip

Pictures