Overview

Hype:

Dianas Throne Canyon is a great technical slot canyon south of Mt Carmel Junction on the way to Kanab. Because the canyon is close to the highway, has easy access, and is very photogenic, Dianas Throne Canyon is very popular. Several local guiding companies take groups through the canyon, so every little drop is bolted. This is a great canyon for beginners with good leadership.

Canyon Rating: 3A

Time: 2-3 hours

Length: 1.25 miles with shuttle or 2 miles round trip

Longest Rappel: 80 ft

Gear: Standard canyoneering gear.

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

Permits: Not required

Getting There

Navigate to 37.194670, -112.661007.

This canyon is accessible to all vehicles. Parking is on the shoulder of Highway 89. If you happen to have two 4WD vehicles, you can cut out a mile or so of hiking with a shuttle.

Route

Approach

5 minutes. From the 4WD trailhead parking, head north down the hill until you reach the bottom of the wash. 

Canyon

Once you reach the wash, head down canyon (west).

You'll soon reach some narrows. The only real obstacle is a short downclimb over a chockstone. The canyon soon opens up again into wash walking. 

After a quarter mile or so, you'll reach the first two drops. The first is about 10 feet. Most will rappel from a 2-bolt anchor, but this drop can also be downclimbed or partner assisted. The second drop is a 10-foot drop. This can be rappelled from a 2-bolt anchor or partner captured.

After another short section of wash walking, the canyon bends left and has 3 drops in quick succession. For the first of these, rappel 20 ft from a 2-bolt anchor down a slab onto a sandy ledge. For the next drop, rappel about 80 ft from a 2-bolt anchor down a chute. This drop can also be downclimbed with some exposure. Then rappel 20 ft from a 2-bolt anchor.

The canyon bends right (northwest) and slots up again. There are some minor obstacles including a 5-foot climb over a chockstone before the canyons bends left. Rappel 15 ft over an overhanging lip into a round room.

Here, the canyon opens up to sandy wash walking for about a thousand feet before you reach the final section of narrows. 

The final narrows has a swirly downclimb under a chockstone then a drop. Rappel 20 ft from a 2-bolt anchor. This drop can also be downclimbed. Continue through the narrows to one final, 5-foot drop that most will downclimb but some will rappel. The canyon ends dramatically and spits you out in a wide sandy wash.

Exit

Continue down the wash until you're past the giant sand hill on the left, then turn left and leave the wash. Follow the social trails up the ridge to your parking area.

Maps

Closest City or Region: Mt Carmel Junction, Utah

Coordinates: 37.194637, -112.661041

Interactive Guide Map

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April 11, 2021 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Madilyn Dye, Cooper Dye, Ondylyn Wagner, Killian Wagner,

Logistics

No shuttle.

Start: 1:30 p.m.

End: 5:00 p.m.

Story

This was our last adventure on our Spring Break trip to Kanab. We had previously done just the lower portion of Dianas Throne Canyon and didn't realize that the upper canyon was as good as it was. The kids were worn out from a week of camping and adventuring, so the road walking to get to the top of the canyon was rough for them. We played the "fortunately unfortunately" story game on the hike in, which helped them forget how tired they were. Once we reached the canyon, they were all smiles again. We really liked the canyon and how pretty it was. Everyone took off their harnesses prematurely before the last rappel, so I climbed half-way down, and we lowered the kids from the top to the middle to the bottom. Then Ondy used the handline to climb down and I climbed down without the rope. On the hike up the sand dune, we left the wash earlier than we should have. The sand was so steep, that we had several kids slide down in spots and we had to use a rope to pull them back up to us. Once we made it up to the ridge, the kids were really dragging their feet, so we clipped a rope onto their beltloops, and I towed them up the hill.

When we got back to the cars, we opened the shell to put in our canyoneering gear, and half of our gear and camping equipment was missing. There was a major panic moment for a minute or two until we realized that the missing gear was in the back seat of Ondy's car. It turns out that Anthony was driving home from his trip to Bull Valley Gorge, and they saw our cars parked at the trailhead. They pulled over to and played a prank on us by switching all our gear around. Nice one!

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Pictures

October 10, 2012 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Madilyn Dye, Ondylyn Wagner, Jaren Wagner,

Logistics

Total trip time was 2 hours.

Story

We decided to explore Dianas Throne Canyon on our way to Lake Powell. I found the canyon on Average Joe Road Trips, but I didn't want to purchase the guide, so we did the canyon with basically no beta. I had read that the canyon was pretty easy but that it may have some rappels near the top. So we decided to explore the canyon from the bottom.

We parked on the shoulder of Highway 89 at 37°11'40.81"N, 112°39'39.63"W, 3 miles southeast of Mt Carmel Junction, Utah.

We then hiked roughly north across country until we dropped into a drainage, we followed the drainage to the wash, then we started hiking up the wash.

We explored a side cayon that was really cool.

Tara had to nurse Madi, so the rest of us killed some time playing on the rocks.

The bottom of Dianas Throne Canyon (37°11'52.95"N, 112°39'30.15"W) is very impressive. The slot canyon ends very abruptly.

We worked our way up canyon. There were several small climbs, but nothing too difficult.

This next obstacle was mildly difficult by yourself but quite easy with a boost.

The last obstacle in the canyon was actually fairly difficult. I had to leave the baby carrier (and Savannah) at the bottom while I climbed up. At the top, I tied a piece of webbing around my knee and lowered it down. Ondy brought Madi up, Jaren brought Savannah up, then Tara brought up the rear.

About 10 feet further up canyon, we found a deadman anchor. If we do this canyon again, I won't bring harnesses, but I will bring a long (80 ft) handline that I can run through the deadman anchor.

After one more small climb, we got to the top of the canyon. We then hiked straight up the sandstone hill and back to the car.

Pictures