Canyoneer Imlay Canyon (Sneak Route) Zion National Park, UT

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This is a technical canyon. If you are unfamiliar with how to build anchors or the gear required for canyoneering do not attempt this route.

Imlay Canyon always seemed too big of a day with its "27 rappels" and absurd number of obstacles. It actually never even made it on my to-do list because it felt too advanced, but Madeline, Scot, and Kelly invited me and I committed, not without anxiety. Imlay turned out to be my favorite canyon to date. It's all sorts of fun, challenging, and gorgeous. We lucked out with the water levels and only had to pot-shot one keeper, but the climbs and stemming kept the day really interesting. We were also able to downclimb and handline many of the rappels, and most of the raps we did do were short, resulting in fewer than 27 rappels and faster travel than anticipated.

I think it's good to note that there is the extended Imlay Canyon, which starts from the West Rim and drops into what I have heard is the less-pretty part of Imlay. We took the sneak route, and is what this route describes, which cuts out the first half of the technical section. We brought 5 short ropes to keep us moving faster, as well as extra wetsuit layers. I was happy for my 6mm even in July. In order to do Imlay, we acquiried the required technical canyon permit from Zion National Park, as well as a White Pass, which allowed us to drive a car into the canyon to park within the main Virgin River Canyon in order to get an earlier start before the Zion shuttle system started. This was a wonderful VIP experience.

So, at 4am, we left from The Grotto Trailhead, headed up past the Angel's Landing junction, and continued onto the West Rim Trail. Once the trail started to drop down and crossed a footbridge, we kept a lookout for the standard route into the backcountry, leaving the trail about a quarter mile after the bridge. It was dark during our approach, so I didn't take any pictures. However, I was just within this area on my way to Sneak Peak a few months ago, so you can refer to those photos on the approach if you care to do so. We followed a small hump of a ridgeline that avoided brush on either side, and continued along a social trail up the middle prong of what appeared to be three drainages – it's also the most reasonable-looking one. We gained some vertical feet to a saddle/notch, then dropped back down, and then gained more to another saddle/notch. We encounered a short Class 3 section where we set up some webbing to aid as a handline on the way to the second one. Eventually, we worked down the final drainage – had we followed this drainage to the mouth, it would have brought us into Imlay with a couple of rappels, but instead we scrambled up the east side of the drainage onto a wide slickrock ridge that dropped us down into the bivy area, a wide section within Imlay Canyon (Class 3 down climb). A gorgeous, massive sandstone wall larger than I can describe hovered just above us.

Now at the head of Imlay Canyon's Sneak Route, we geared up and headed in. Almost immediately, we were faced with some down climbs, and the obstacles continued from there. There are too many to describe, and the conditions vary so much, but expect a long time in the canyon. I'll note that there are two open sections: the first is shortly after the start of the canyon, and the second is a bit farther than halfway through and served as our rest area. Also on our trip, there was a log jam in a dark section with a squeeze that two of our party couldn't fit through (myself included) and had to climb up and over.

The final rappel is by far the longest, and dropped us into the Zion Narrows. We followed the watercourse to the Temple of Sinawava and took the shuttle back to our car at The Grotto.

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After lots of hiking along the West Rim Trail, we left the trail just past the footbridge and headed north through some wonderful scenery. This view is during the ascent along the minor ridge heading north, shot looking south back the way we came.

Continuing north into the sneak route. The center notch in this photo is where we went.

Continuing along the ridge, view back the way we came.

Heading up the gully. Our notch is the one on the left.

At the top of the first gully looking down. A nice social trail made the going pretty easy, with only some Class 2 stuff to navigate.

Navigating down from the first notch.

Heading up to the second notch, view looking back the way we came. This was a short Class 3 section that may require a handline for some.

At the top of the second notch/saddle, looking down at the final descent into Imlay Canyon.

After descending for a while, we kept an eye out for a social trail on our right to exit the canyon. After finding it, Class 2 led to the slickrock above.

A massive headwall that shadows Imlay Canyon (right).

Heading down into Imlay Canyon, just below the headwall.

At the head of Imlay Canyon.

We suited up here just before the start of the obstacles.

Water almost immediately after entering Imlay.

"The Trash Compactor". There wasn't as much wood piled up as there sometimes seems to be.

Imlay Canyon opens up for a short while before the meat of the canyon begins.

Entering the narrows.

A simul-rappel - please protect the rock by not putting your rope in the very heavily-eroded notch. There was also a bolted option, which is preferable.

The simul-rappel from below.

Continuing through the darkest portion of Imlay Canyon.

The canyon begins to brighten up and introduces a bunch of easy potholes (at least they were easy on our trip, dependent on water levels, I assume).

A wider section within Imlay Canyon marking a bit more than the halfway point of the rappels. We had lunch here before getting back into the thick of it. I'd say the second part was more fun and less technical, but the whole canyon is great.

Starting into the second half of Imlay.

Looking back before entering the second half.

A log jam (it was still here two years later). Option to drop into the water below rather than take the log.

A rappel/handline or tricky down-climb.

It's really rappel after rappel at this point. I hope you brought a bunch of short ropes!

Final rappel. Just behind Kelly is a short swimmer section leading to the left and to the final rappel.

The last rappel into the Zion Narrows. It's by far the longest of the day.

On the right of Kelly is Imlay, on the left is the Narrows.

Scot about to start down.

Looking back up at Imlay Canyon from within the Narrows.

Following the Narrows back to Temple of Sinawava.

I've taken a million photos of the Narrows on different routes. I was kind of over documenting the same thing. It's a few miles of Narrows walking and then along the paved Riverside Walk to get to Temple of Sinawava.

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Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!