Capitol Reef National Park
March 27-28, 2026
On our way back from an incredible trip to Escalante, we decided to camp for a night and squeeze in one last adventure: canyoneering Cassidy Arch Canyon.
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| Hazel checking out the orchard behind our camp |
Cassidy Arch Canyon is more a series of rappels than any significant canyon; this was great for Hazel seeing as rappelling is her favorite part of canyoneering. The adventure starts with the hike up the popular Cassidy Arch Trail. The hike up is a short, steady climb, offering sweeping views of the massive Navajo sandstone walls and the deep cuts of Grand Wash below.
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| Starting up the trail |
We made steady progress and were the second group to the top that day. The couple ahead of us was very surprised to see us pull out our harnesses and start setting up the rappel. They decided to hang out and watch for a while as they didn't know people did things like this.
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| Justin at the bottom of the second rappel below the arch |
The highlight of this canyon happens right at the start; the very first rappel takes you directly through the top of Cassidy Arch itself. It is an interesting rappel that starts in a crack, but quickly opens up to a free hanger. Justin went first so he could fireman Hazel and me. Hazel loved the rappel and the spectators were impressed that Hazel was having so much fun and was not scared at all. We just laugh; they have no idea how many rappels Hazel has done.
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| Justin dropping into a cave like section at the bottom of one of the rappels |
Once you are through the arch, the fun is far from over. Cassidy Arch Canyon is a route stacked with multiple rappels ranging from short, technical drops into tight slots to beautiful, long vertical walls. The rappels are very close together with very little hiking in between.
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| Hazel found this mini arch while she was waiting for Justin to finish rappelling |
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| Justin setting up the last rappel |
We're pretty efficient with the rope work and our small team moved quickly through the canyon. We were back to our car in less than 3 hours leaving plenty of time to make it the rest of the way home. It was the perfect way to split up the long journey home and a great introduction to canyoneering in Capitol Reef, an area we have not been to previously.
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| Justin and Hazel hiking out of the final section of canyon |
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| View of Cassidy Arch from the approach trail |
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