Choosing a Moab canyoneering outing
Moab canyoneering is a technical canyon activity rather than simply a walk between sandstone walls. Choose the canyon and the supplied equipment together, then consider the physical demands, weather and meeting arrangements. Bow and Arrow, Chamisa and Medieval Chamber are separate outings. Their names should stay attached to their own reservations, rather than becoming interchangeable descriptions of a single desert route.
The Bow and Arrow and Chamisa excursions include technical equipment and transportation to and from the route. Medieval Chamber includes a licensed guide, rappelling equipment and canyon transport, plus water for your own bottle. If your priority is walking without a technical canyon activity, start with the Moab hiking guide. The wider tour comparison also covers driving, river and park outings.
Canyon descents
Choose the rappelling outing for a licensed guide and equipment. The other canyon routes include technical gear and route transport.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Bow and Arrow Canyon descent
- Technical gear for canyoneering
- Backpacks
- Transportation to and from the route
This is a technical canyon outing.
Check availability →
Chamisa Canyon descent
- Technical gear for canyoneering
- Backpacks and dry bags
- Transportation to and from the route
Technical equipment is provided for the canyon route.
Check availability →
Guided canyon rappelling
- Professional Licensed Guide
- Equipment needed for rappelling
- Transportation to and from Canyon
Water is provided; bring a personal bottle.
Check availability →Choose a canyon and its equipment package
Bow and Arrow supplies technical gear and backpacks; Chamisa adds dry bags. Medieval Chamber includes a licensed guide, rappelling equipment and water for your bottle.
Bow and Arrow, Chamisa and Medieval Chamber
Bow and Arrow Canyon
The Bow and Arrow excursion lasts 5 hours and starts at 253 North Main Street in Moab. All necessary technical canyoneering gear, backpacks and transport to and from the route are included. That makes the route transport a concrete part of the booking, separate from your journey to the meeting point. Guide gratuity is extra.
Chamisa Canyon
Chamisa is another 5-hour excursion from 253 North Main Street. It includes technical canyoneering equipment, backpacks, dry bags and transportation to and from the route. Dry bags are a useful difference in the equipment list, but they do not establish a fixed water depth or promise dry conditions. Select this canyon on its own participation requirements, not merely because its duration matches Bow and Arrow.
Medieval Chamber
The Medieval Chamber outing lasts 4 hours. A professional licensed guide, the equipment needed for rappelling and transport to and from the canyon are included. Water is supplied, and you need to bring a personal water bottle. Follow the reservation’s meeting instructions in Moab and keep that arrival separate from the canyon transfer. This is the option to compare when a named rappelling outing and its explicit guide service matter most.
Fitness, water and weather before booking
Think about the whole outing, including moving through the canyon, carrying what you need and completing the route, rather than focusing only on the rope work. Discuss your fitness, mobility and comfort with heights against the selected excursion’s requirements. Use that product’s age and participation conditions; an age limit from a different canyon is not a general rule for Moab.
Summer heat, late-summer thunderstorms and winter ice all affect technical canyon planning. A canyon can receive a flash flood even when the sky above you is blue. Rising or discoloured water, floating debris or the sound of a flood call for higher ground. Do not cross flooded washes. At thunder, seek shelter in a vehicle or building. Follow route-specific safety instructions and do not treat a scheduled departure as proof of suitable conditions.
Plan drinking water deliberately. The National Park Service’s guidance dated 4 August 2026 recommends at least 2 to 3 litres per person for frontcountry hikes and 4 litres or more in the backcountry, with a reserve in the car. These are planning references, not a fixed ration for every canyon or temperature. See Moab weather for the seasonal context and leave room in the day for changing outdoor conditions.
Arches permits are a separate form of canyon access
Commercial guided canyoneering services are prohibited inside Arches National Park under the National Park Service rules dated 15 September 2026. The Moab excursions compared here should therefore be planned as their named canyon outings, rather than as commercially guided Arches rappelling tours. Read the Arches visitor guide for the park visit itself.
For independent technical routes in Arches, a canyoneering permit is required. The same dated rules describe free self-registration at the visitor centre kiosk or an online permit costing 6 USD, available from the preceding morning. Fiery Furnace has its own additional access requirements. A general park visit and a technical canyon permit are separate arrangements, so select the relevant form of access before building the rest of the day around it.
Questions about canyon outings
Which excursions include transport to the canyon?
Bow and Arrow, Chamisa and Medieval Chamber all include transport to and from their route or canyon. Arrange your arrival at the Moab meeting point separately.
Do I need my own rappelling equipment?
Bow and Arrow and Chamisa include the necessary technical canyoneering equipment. Medieval Chamber includes the equipment needed for rappelling. Bring personal items according to the selected excursion’s instructions.
Are these guided canyoneering trips inside Arches?
Book the named Moab canyon outing. Arches has a separate permit system for independent technical routes and prohibits commercial guided canyoneering services under its September 2026 rules.