Dome Canyon

ACA Canyon Rating – 3A II

 Experienced Canyoneers Only

requires a full range of technical canyoneering equipment as well as multiple ropes…!!!

NEVER ENTER ANY SLOT CANYON WHEN HEAVY RAIN IS IN THE FORECAST…!!!

 

A short narrow section of Dome Slot Canyon is solid alabaster

Then the canyon opens up to a 100 foot high, multi step rappel

Photo below is the top of the 100’ rappel

*note the use of the small branch for our anchor, which allows our ropes to easily pull away & take with us.   All 3 above photos are by: Steven Anderson

Ghosting anchor allows those who follow to see no trace of anyone having ever been here before.

 

 

beta facts:

name- Dome Canyon Slot

length of slot canyon- maybe a quarter mile

elevation- 7250’at the top down to about 7000’at the bottom

GPS coordinates- ±36°17.690’N 106°36.407’W

flow- intermittent

season to visit- most anytime except winter may have ice &  NEVER ENTER ANY SLOT CANYON WHEN HEAVY RAIN IS IN THE FORECAST…!!!

accommodations- nearby campground & restrooms

ownership- Carson National Forest

access- is from Hwy 84 and Forest Road 151… see the map below

nearest town- Abiquiu is about 20 miles east of here

fun fact- a fine slot canyon

 

 

A scenic dome looking rock formation on the south side of the Chama River, marks your destination.  We canyoneers refer to this prominence as “The Dome” ...and, thus Dome Canyon.  We care NOTHING about naming anything... these names serve us as a reference for avoiding confusion and understanding an exact specific place.

 

We paddled our canoes across the Rio Chama.  Then hid them in the brush and hiked up Dome Canyon.  As we neared the slot, we scrambled up the steep canyon slope to our right (west).  See the yellow “route” marked on the map below.  Then followed the rim of Dome Canyon Slot up to about 7300’ elevation, where we descended a steep slope down into the start of the sheer-walled, alabaster, (gypsum) slot canyon.  This upper slot portion of this slot gets quite narrow, but does not require ropes until where the Todilto Formation (gypsum) turns into.  Entrada Formation - Sandstone.  Here- is the 100-foot-high multi-stepped rappel.  A very beautiful and fun series of butt-sides and rope-less down scrambles leads to a sweet 30’ rappel near the mouth of Dome Canyon Slot.  Your anchor is a good ways upstream from the rappel.

 

If you do not have watercraft to cross the river in, and/or if the river is flowing too high to wade... The hike into Dome Canyon from Scull Bridge, upstream a short ways, is quite do-able and pleasant.

 

Right-click-save-as on our map below, to print your own “hand-held” copy for your hike

 

Enhanced USGS topo map

The Red Lines depict sections of “slot canyons”

 

 

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Send questions and comments to dscott@themarblesculptor.com