Fossil Canyon – one of the few river escapes to Great Thumb

Way on the other side of Great Thumb Mesa is a stunning place called Fossil Canyon. Good rock climbers can escape up Fossil canyon from the river, but not without swimming, stemming, and hard climbing. While not completely ‘technical’ in the classic sense, it’s real gem to behold and hikers and canyoneers can use this slot to escape back to the rim of Great Thumb Mesa. An excellent loop is down Royal Arch Creek via the Pt. Huitzil Route with a walk/packraft combination to Fossil Canyon. From there you can escape to the rim of Great Thumb Mesa via the ‘Cave Route’ or walk the Esplanade to exit at the Apache Point route.

Click on the first photo to see the full scale images.
Fossil Canyon Photos