orderville canyon

The Orderville Canyon hike is the best kept secret in Zion National Park. The Virgin Narrows hike is long and tedious. The Subway is a great hike but overly popular and difficult to get reserved. Orderville on the other hand has great slot canyon aspects as well as the Virgin River section added at the end. A wonderful hike for families and groups with teens.

Orderville Canyon is puts the adventure into The Narrows. Our group of 6 adults and 7 teens climbed over 3 waterfalls, waded through water a bit higher than our waists, and balanced over fallen tree bridges to get to "big waterfall" about a mile upstream with a deep pool below for swimming. Most are intimidated by the first waterfall about 50 yards into the slot canyon. this is the easiest of the others so probably the right decision for most.

Our unruly, uncooperative kids really bonded over this side trip off the Narrows. We spent an hour going into Orderville Canyon from where it branches off from the Wall Street section of the Narrows, which can be crowded. We got as far as the waterfall. We heard going beyond it made for a challenging return, and it was getting late, so we bagged it. However, just getting to the waterfall made for plenty of fun for all. We clambered over slippery rocks, swam through shoulder-high (on adults) water, and our family worked together in ways we almost never do. I would not recommend going as far as we did up the canyon for very small children (our youngest is 8). However, if you want a good adventure and your kids are older, I would highly recommend this hike -- with the proper footwear and a strong hiking stick, and bearing in mind that anywhere you manage to get up to, you will have to get back down. Also, and this should go without saying, this is not a canyon to visit when the weather is not good. There may be stretches where you see no one for five minutes or so, which is nice in fine weather. Further, it is not a place you can get out of in a hurry without risking an ankle turn. So heed the forecast before you go in. That said, the views are marvelous, as is the adrenaline rush of just doing it. We are not the overly adventurous types (would never rappel down into anything), but from the bottom up, this was wonderful for all.

We chose to do Orderville beacuse we are hike and it was our first contact with canyoneering. We booked a permit on-line about two months before our trip on the park's site. We picked it up a day before a hike and we also schedule shuttle. We used a Zion Adventure Company (after we found out they are a little more expensive than other places). We didn't rent any equipment, we brought just a rope and we hiked in our hiking boots (my husband had a goretex and I wore my old leather pair). My biggest worry was a wet suit (it was middle of August, and it was 100 F, but I am small woman and I was seriously considering it. However I ended not renting it).We left at 6.30 in the morning and when we were dropped of around 8 am at the trail head the temperature was in mid 50 F (~13 C). Luckily for the first 3 to 4 hours the trail is just a regular hike. So we had time to warm up as well as the sun came and the temperature rose. I am glad we brought the rope. Also my boots did great. I was thinking about renting special boots, but I read on line a comment of a guy who said he did better with his hiking boots than his wife with special rental once. I figured that rental shoes I never wore before may hurt my feet. I wore my old leather hiking boots, thick wool socks and my feet stayed warm all the time, I didn't slip at all. The obstacles on the trial weren't difficult. If you are fit you shouldn't have any problems. I have a little climbing experience my husband has none and we didn't have any problems. I would say that the first one was some what challenging because the rock was very smooth and slippery, and there was no place to grasp on, so the rope came handy. But all the rest of obstacles was easy to pass, even without the rope. The water wasn't very deep (maybe chest high), we didn't have to swim at all, but that varies depending on the water level. However we ended up all wet. The canyon joints the last section of narrows, and you continue to the temple of sinawava, where is a shuttle stop. The last part of the hike is paved, so I brought my sandals to change my wet boots. I think it was a fun hike and we really enjoyed it. We didn't see many people in there, so it was pretty nice. In my opinion was moderate. I would recommend boots with good soil and uncle support ( I have no clue how people can do it in snickers or sandals !), bring plenty of water and I think the sticks are unnecessary.

Orderville is a side canyon off the narrows. Orderville is narrow and interesting. I went part way up Orderville, next time I visit I will do the whole thing.

My husband and two friends just did this canyon yesterday. They rented equipment from Zion Adventure Company - harness, canyoneer shoes and neoprene socks - and also paid for shuttle service from their company up to the Trail Head which was $24 per person. They also had to go early in the morning (7am) prior to their shuttle pick up time (9:30) to get their permit to hike in Orderville canyon from the top down. If you are taking an early shuttle at 6:30am, you would need to get your permit the day prior as the park office does not open until 7 am in the summers or later during other times of the year.I am thinking that this trip turned out somewhat like the movie City Slickers. My husband and his friends are not outdoorsman. They read up on this canyon online and took some climbing and rappelling classes at an indoor rock gym before going on this trip. It wrecked their feet and was basically an 8 hour long hiking day.In hind sight, they should have worn their regular hiking shoes and regular socks until they got to the end of the hike where the river water was. They had thought they would be wearing the canyoneer shoes with the neoprene socks all day long, and the people at Zion Adventure Company did not advise them otherwise. The socks retained sweat moisture and that combined with the shoes caused a lot of friction, blisters and abrasions to their feet.Most online guides of this canyon specifically tell you to bring rope because the height is misleading and you can easily twist your ankle jumping down unwisely. These guys had a 30 foot rope and did fine with the two portions of rappelling where there are anchors already bolted into the wall.All in all, I felt that we did as much preparation as possible online while at home and of course, it still was not enough when it came to the actual doing of it. It's too bad that you can not hire guides to take you to any areas that start north of the Temple of Sinewava area as I think that would have been so helpful.The guys said it was really rough on them but simply incredible to be in it so even though this review is full of the difficulties they had, it really is a 5 star rating. :) I hope this helps others.

Loved the close, best kept secret slot canyon near Orderville (not the canyon to the Zion Narrows); a rope would have been handy, but we loved it as far as we got.

Not for the faint of heart and WEAR SOLID WATER PROOF SHOES............ This hike is an ankle turner but is one of the best in the world

This route begins just outside the east side of the park on the North Fork Road. This is one canyon that those without technical rope and canyoneering skills can do. Although a rope is nice to have, many rugged individuals do it without.