Canyoneering | Purgatory Canyon
Hype:
Purgatory Canyon is a great half-day or three-quarter-day canyon that is physical but not too complicated. There are three mandatory rappels plus at least one more drop that has an unnecessary anchor. Purgatory also has a little bit of easy stemming. Purgatory is scenic with some nice narrows.
Canyon Rating: 3A 
Time: 4-6 hours
Length: 1.25 miles from Trailhead to Junction at bottom of canyon, then 1.4 miles via climber's exit or 3.2 miles via hiker's exit.
Longest Rappel: 100 ft
Gear: Standard canyoneering gear.
Fees: None
Recommended Ages:
 | 0-3 |
 | 4-11 |
 | 12-19 |
 | 20-49 |
 | 50-69 |
 | 70+ |
Recommended Months to Visit:
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Navigate to 37.686711, -110.536334.
For the most part, you should be able to follow Google Maps. However by default, Google Maps navigation will (as of 2019) take you on a stretch of road that is extremely rough and impassible. At 37.695308°, -110.583872°, turn south instead of continuing northeast. Stay left at the next 4 forks, and the roads will meet back up at 37.695963°, -110.553218° where you will turn southeast and continue to the trailhead.
From the Dante's Trailhead, follow the rim southwest about 300 ft to a break in the cliffs. Continue southeast down to the white slick rock layer. Go north until you pass the west fork of Purgatory, then continue east to the top of Purgatory Canyon. There isn't an obvious way to drop into Purgatory Canyon right at the top, so circle around the east side until you reach a point where you can climb down into the canyon.
Near the top of the canyon is some easy stemming. Then you'll soon come to the first drop.
Drop #1: Rappel 65 ft from a deadman anchor.
Drop #2: Rappel 25 ft down a jagged boulder face. Can be downclimbed, but rock is crumbly.
Drop #3: Easily bypassed on the west.
Drop #4: Rappel 25 ft down a huge boulder shaped like a turtle shell.Be really careful not to stick your rope here.
A short section of easy stemming followed by very scenic narrows.
Drop #5: Rappel 100 ft past two potholes. Anchor is an arch about 30 ft up canyon from the lip.
Drop #6: Rappel 100 ft down two stages.
There are two exit routes. The fastest and most direct route is the climber's exit. This involves some 5th class climbing (around 5.4) for a couple of moves. After the first person is up, they can meat anchor the other group members.
The hiker's exit circles around to the south and is slightly easier scrambling but involves a lot of extra hiking. There is still a 4th class climb to get up to the rim.
We did both exits on different trips, and the climber's exit is definitely preferred by our group.
Closest City or Region: Ticaboo Mesa, Utah
Coordinates: 37.686477, -110.533964
By Jeremy Dye
Jeremy Dye, Alex Chagovet, Sandy Crow, Stephen Dunne, Josh Allen,
Purgatory was the last canyon I did at R-Fest Spring 2019. After a late night in Inferno Canyon the night before, we weren't up for a hard canyon, so we opted for a not-r-rated canyon instead. Purgatory ended up being a great pick. We took it really slow in the morning and got a late start, which was well-deserved. The canyon ended up being a lot of fun as well. Near the bottom of the canyon, we stopped and ate lunch and talked for about an hour in the shade. We analyzed our situation the day before and talked about what we could have done better. We talked about the warning signs we should have paid more attention to and also what we did correctly. We took the climbers exit out, and the I drove home, pulling over to take a nap on the way home.
Rappels
Downclimbs
Stemming
Wetsuit Generally Not Required
No Drinking Water
Wayfinding
Road Access is Dirt - High Clearance
Access Road is 2WD Accessible
Camp Sites: 
Canyoneering: