Telephone Canyon Trail

Telephone Canyon is a technical slot canyon reached off Zion's West Rim Trail, not a hike you stumble into casually. The approach alone is a five-plus-mile, roughly 2,400-foot climb from the Grotto Trailhead before the route drops into a short but demanding canyon that ends with a sudden 900-foot descent into the Narrows corridor.

What the canyon involves

• Most parties make about 13 rappels and three downclimbs to get through — this is canyoneering, not hiking, and requires two 60-meter ropes, harness, descending gear, webbing, and a helmet.
• A permit is required for the canyon.
• Because the route empties into the Narrows, the same flash-flood danger that applies to the main Narrows corridor applies here — check the park's current flood potential rating and canyoneering permit conditions before entering.
• The canyon is named for an old telephone line that once ran from Cabin Spring to the Temple of Sinawava nearby.