Englestead Hollow Gear Checklist
Englestead Hollow opens with one of the longest rappels in Zion, a drop of 260 to 300 feet, then settles into narrows with natural anchors and a few short drops. Writers who did it talk about a long-rappel device, gloves, webbing for building anchors, and one big decision at the bottom: climb out up Orderville Canyon for a dry day, or go down it with a wetsuit and a swim or two. The park requires a wilderness permit and a group of six or fewer.
What shapes your gear on Englestead Hollow
- Getting to the drop
- The approach is about 45 minutes. It follows an old logging road off North Fork Road, passes a rusting log loader, then drops into a wash that ends at the head of the canyon.
From Canyoneering USA: Englestead Canyon and Backcountry Post
- The first rappel
- The guide measures the first drop at 260 feet from a tree, then 50 more from a two-bolt anchor, 300 feet in all. Other writers give 290 feet. The guide also says it has been the scene of several accidents.
From Canyoneering USA: Englestead Canyon, BluuGnome.com and Stav is Lost
- Anchors
- Apart from the first two rappels, the anchors are natural. A 2008 writer counted 11 rappels in all, 10 in Englestead and one in Orderville, though the guide says floods have since reduced the number.
- Time and distance
- Canyoneering USA estimates 6 to 10 hours. Stav is Lost lists 6.2 miles and 800 feet of net gain for the version that climbs out up Orderville. The 2008 writer took about 10 hours on the trip that continued down the Narrows.
From Canyoneering USA: Englestead Canyon, Stav is Lost and BluuGnome.com
- Two exits
- Going up Orderville is shorter and drier and includes a short chimney. Going down Orderville reaches the Narrows and the Temple of Sinawava, with a lot of splashing and usually at least one swim. A second car goes at the exit you pick.
- Drinking water
- The guide says there is none in the canyon, so bring plenty.
What the agency requires on Englestead Hollow
A wilderness permit for the rope descent
The park requires a permit for any canyon that needs descending gear or ropes. Permits are also required for through-hikes of the Narrows and its tributaries, which matters if you go down Orderville.
A party of six or fewer
The park sets a six-person limit for every canyoneering route outside its short list of 12-person routes, and Englestead Hollow is not on that list.
At least two people
The park recommends a minimum of two for any technical canyon that uses rope, webbing or other devices.
A waste bag per person, and any abandoned rope
Permit groups must carry one human waste disposal bag per person. The park also asks canyoneers to pack out abandoned ropes they find.
What hikers carry on Englestead Hollow
A rappel device built for long drops
The guide's equipment line specifically calls for a long-rappel device, plus helmet, webbing and rapid links. A 2008 writer carried ropes and pull cords sized for 290 feet. A 2014 blogger descended slowly and still smelled the rope heating in his device.
From Canyoneering USA: Englestead Canyon, BluuGnome.com and Backcountry Post
Gloves
A canyoneer who normally avoids them wrote that 300 feet is the rappel where they belong, and a reply in the thread mentions a blister on his hand. The sustained friction on a long drop is the reason.
From Backcountry Post
About 60 feet of 1-inch webbing, plus rapid links
Below the first two rappels the guide expects you to rig natural anchors, and the 2008 writer lists 60 feet of webbing for slings. A guide author's trip report describes backing up even a solid-looking log or tree for the first people down.
From Canyoneering USA: Englestead Canyon, BluuGnome.com and Canyoneering USA: Englestead Canyon and Natural Anchors, Zion National Park, UT
A 3mm wetsuit if you go down Orderville
Both the 2008 writer and the guide recommend a wetsuit for the Orderville exit except in the hottest weather. The 2008 group still met a couple of swims in low water, and the guide says to expect more after rain.
A short rope for a handline in Orderville
The guide author's August 2003 party met mud from recent rain at a polished downclimb above a pool, with slippery slanted logs, and used a rope as a handline there.
From Canyoneering USA: Englestead Canyon and Natural Anchors, Zion National Park, UT
A high-clearance second vehicle for the shuttle
The shuttle is long. One writer parked a second car at the 4x4 Orderville trailhead and said a Subaru made it, and said the extra two-plus miles of rougher road save real effort after a long day. The 2008 writer recommended high clearance and measured the shuttle at 22.6 miles.
From Stav is Lost and BluuGnome.com
6 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Englestead Hollow
No wetsuits, so Orderville was off the table
The 2018 writer skipped the down-Orderville option because the water was still very cold and nobody had brought wetsuits. They left the second car at the head of Orderville instead and climbed out.
From Stav is Lost
Skipping gloves on the big drop
The blogger says he dislikes gloves in canyons but makes an exception at 300 feet, and a reader later remarked on a blister on his hand in the photos.
From Backcountry Post
A steep, loose shortcut into the canyon
A guide author's party tried a different way in that crossed loose slopes and nasty brush. He concluded the normal route is better, because the loose slopes would wear out fast if more people used them.
From Canyoneering USA: Englestead Canyon and Natural Anchors, Zion National Park, UT
Gear questions for Englestead Hollow
Do I need a permit for Englestead Hollow?
Yes. The park requires a wilderness permit for any canyon that needs ropes. The Narrows and its tributaries need permits for through-hikes, so going down Orderville adds to the paperwork. Groups are limited to six.
From National Park Service, Zion National Park and Stav is Lost
How long is the first rappel in Englestead Hollow?
Writers measure it at 260 to 300 feet. The guide gives 260 feet to a ledge plus 50 feet more, while two other writers say 290 feet.
From Canyoneering USA: Englestead Canyon, BluuGnome.com and Stav is Lost
Do I need a wetsuit for Englestead Hollow?
Only if you continue down Orderville. A 3mm suit is recommended there except in the hottest weather. Climbing out up Orderville is drier and was done without wetsuits in a 2018 trip report.
From BluuGnome.com, Canyoneering USA: Englestead Canyon and Stav is Lost
Where do you park for Englestead Hollow?
The start is reached from North Fork Road by a small dirt road between two fenced ranches, where you park on the right. At the finish, the guide suggests a second car at the Temple of Sinawava or the Orderville corral. A 2018 hiker called the Orderville road sort of high clearance.
Sources
- Wilderness Regulations · National Park Service, Zion National Park · Agency
- Englestead Canyon · Canyoneering USA, Tom Jones · Blog
- Englestead Canyon and Natural Anchors, Zion National Park, UT · Canyoneering USA, Tom Jones · Trip report
- Englestead Canyon route description · BluuGnome.com · Trip report
- Englestead Hollow · Stav is Lost · Trip report
- Englestead Hollow - May 2014 · Backcountry Post, Howells Outdoors · Forum thread