Overview

Hype:

Orderville Canyon is amazing! The top 4 miles are a bit hot, dry, and ugly, but the lower section is every bit as amazing as the Narrows but with a lot fewer people. The lower section of Orderville has some small waterfalls and boulder jambs that can be tricky to navigate around.

Canyon Rating: 2C1

Time: 6-10 hours

Length: 9.2 or 11.4 miles one way

Longest Rappel: 0+

Gear: Wetsuit recommended. 1 50-foot handline is recommended for fit canyoneers. Less fit canyoneers will appreciate harnesses.

Fees: Park Entrance, Canyoneering Permit

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: A backcountry permit is required if hiking down Orderville from the top.

Links: https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/t/utah/zion/orderville-canyon

Getting There

Navigate to 37.332516, -112.863286.

This trailhead is for the full top-down Orderville Canyon trailhead. Orderville can also be accessed from Englestead Canyon, Birch Canyon, or bottom-up from the Narrows.

Route

Approach

Park at either the 2WD or 4X4 trailhead. A high clearance vehicle will save you about 2.25 miles of hiking. Follow the established trail southwest. After about a mile, the canyon walls start to rise on either side of you.

Canyon

The canyon starts out shallow and gradually deepens as you go. At about 3.6 miles from the 4x4 trailhead, Englestead Canyon joins from the south. The canyon continues to deepen and become more scenic. Soon, a small stream starts to flow. By the time you reach the bottom of Orderville, the water is flowing with more volume. Near the confluence with the Narrows, you'll likely encounter people hiking up from the bottom. They rarely venture higher than the bottom waterfall though, so you'll probably have most of the hike to yourself.

There are some nice little waterfalls and boulder jambs that spice things up a little bit. Most groups will likely get very wet here, but it is possible for more athletic canyoneering to navigate the obstacles with minimal water exposure. 

Exit

Once at the junction, continue down the Narrows for 1.5 miles then take the Riverside Walk the last 0.9 miles to the Temple of Sinawava bus stop. Most of this route involves wading in shallow water.

Maps

Closest City or Region: Zion National Park, Utah

Coordinates: 37.312353, -112.922622

Interactive Guide Map

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May 21, 2021 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Dana Sherry,

Logistics

10:00 - Beaver Road Trailhead

10:15 - Top of Englestead Canyon

12:15 - Bottom of Englestead Canyon

2:45 - Bottom of Orderville Canyon

3:45 - Temple of Sinawava Bus Stop

Story

I wanted to do Heaps Canyon for my birthday weekend. I left a day earlier than the rest of the group so I could get the permit and drop off the shuttle vehicle.

Dana had a trip planned with some other friends that bailed, and he reached out to me a day or so before the trip to see if I was interested and available. It worked out perfectly. We hadn't done any canyons together before this. We met at the visitor center and picked up the permit and dropped off a shuttle vehicle. Then we drove up to the trailhead. The trailhead we used wasn't published on other canyoneering beta sites, but I found it through scoping out other roads. It ended up being a lot more direct than the other trailheads. We did the canyon without any issues and had a great time. Englestead was entirely dry, but Orderville was flowing below the confluence. We stopped for lunch at the confluence of Englestead and Orderville then continued down Orderville. We took wetsuits in our packs but never put them on.

We finished around 3:45 and caught the bus to the visitor center then picked up the shuttle vehicle and drove back to the trailhead to get the second vehicle.

Pictures