Golf Canyon | Virgin River Gorge

Canyoneering Golf Canyon - Virgin River Gorge Canyoneering Golf Canyon

Virgin River Gorge

Overview | Getting There | Route | Photos | Maps | Comments

Overview

RATING: 3A

Thu

Sunny. High near 53, with temperatures falling to around 51 in the afternoon. East northeast wind 6 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

53 | 31

Fri

Sunny, with a high near 56. Northwest wind 3 to 12 mph.

56 | 31

Sat

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55.

55 | 37

Sun

A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

48 | 36

Mon

A chance of snow showers before 1pm, then a slight chance of rain showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

51 | 31

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SEASON: Late fall through early spring.
RAPPELS: 14 to 30 m ( 99 ft. )
WATER: Generally none.
FLASHFLOOD: Low/Moderate

Thu

Sunny. High near 53, with temperatures falling to around 51 in the afternoon. East northeast wind 6 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

53 | 31

Fri

Sunny, with a high near 56. Northwest wind 3 to 12 mph.

56 | 31

Sat

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55.

55 | 37

Sun

A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

48 | 36

Mon

A chance of snow showers before 1pm, then a slight chance of rain showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

51 | 31

View Full Weather Details
Jon on one of the big rappels.

Jon on one of the big rappels.

Looking down canyon from the first rappel.

Looking down canyon from the first rappel.

I had low expectations for Golf Canyon. On the map, it appears to be short and drops quickly. Not the type of canyon I generally enjoy. The canyon is a charmer, however. A 3-ish mile approach up a sandy wash and steep ridge get the heart pounding a bit before the short, but quite scenic technical section. The approach distance seems to make this a bit less popular than Cherry Canyon and some of the other Virgin River Gorge Canyons.

Some estimate the canyon at 7-10 hours. Golf Canyon is a canyon that has quite variable time. Our time was a little under 5 hours for a group of two and what we thought was a relatively casual pace. If you have a large or inexperienced group, the number of rappels can swallow time and make for a long day. Most of the anchors are deadman, so after a major flood, the canyon would take a bit more time to re-build anchors.

Note: Reaching the canyon involves wading the Virgin River. I would not recommend attempting this canyon if the Virgin is flowing at 200 cfs or higher. The crossing would likely be dangerous at those levels. At about 90 cfs, it was knee high and ice cold in December. A pair of sandals for the crossing and dry shoes for when you are across is highly recommended. CFS information is available on the USGS site.
Jon on one of the first short rappels.

Jon on one of the first short rappels.

Jon on a photogenic rappel.

Jon on a photogenic rappel.

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