Canyon Exploration Trips

Explore amazing canyons in California and discover adventure within the beauty of God’s creation.

Move Beyond Trails

Canyoneering canyon hiking trips
The Explore-A-Canyon

Exploring a river canyon on a canyoneering tripDo you wonder what it might be like to explore without being required to stay on a trail? Do you find hiking boring? Our canyoneering adventure day might be for you!  This day of adventure comes with a significantly lower price tag than a day of whitewater rafting. Many Christian youth leaders initially add in a day of canyoneering to their summer camp to help keep their costs down the first year. However, it is such a memorable experience that their youth come back begging for more days of canyon exploration.

Our canyon trips are designed to accommodate canyoneers of all ages and skill levels. Our professional guides lead you and your group each step of the way. We offer a wide variety of beginner, intermediate, and advanced canyons to choose from.  Each canyon boasts of varying difficulty, but we can still promise an adventure to accommodate any skill level. Some canyons require technical canyoneering with narrow canyon walls and some sport basic wide canyoning routes that need little to no technical skills. Including a guided canyoneering day on your trip is a great way to challenge your group to grow closer together. As they share experiences, and work together to navigate and explore each canyon they will grown closer as a team and be challenged individually.  We hope you try out canyoneering on one of our spring retreats or summer camps.

Canyoneering Locations

We have 4 different canyons that you and your Church youth group can explore, giving you the ability to discover brand new locations year after year. You can also combine multiple days of Canyoneering in California for up to 4 different days of canyon hiking on a single Christian adventure camp. While you can always request a specific canyon, we are currently not always able to guarantee which canyon you will experience.

  • Ladybug Canyon – A great beginner level canyon hike that is a perfect introductory experience with an even easier option available to individuals that find it still a little more adventurous than they are ready for. Season: June-September. Class 1 B PG II
  • Evergreen Canyon – A wide meandering river canyon cutting through the middle of a beautiful evergreen forest. With only two swims, this canyon is excellent during cooler weather, as we’ll typically stay just knee deep. It also an amazing jumping rock, and limitless river features that make for an incredible time of exploration. Class 1 B PG II
  • Bear Canyon – An amazing day exploring great swimming hole after great swimming hole. This canyon is perfect for beginners and those wanting a more relaxing adventure than an exhausting one. Season: Typically Mid June through Mid August. Class 1 C1 PG II
  • Superman Canyon – A more adventurous canyon. We’ll spend almost the entire day in the water as we float, wade, and even swim down some small rapids. This canyon is perfect for for adventurous and active groups wanting a more unique and challenging experience. Season: Typically mid June through late July or early August. Limited to High School and older. Class 1 C2 PG III
  • Billy Goat Canyon – Explore a boulder strewn canyon. We’ll spend the day scrambling over and under house sized boulders that line a small river canyon. Water level permitting, we’ll go underground as we explore the river channels that meander under the rocks above. Season: Typically July through September. Limited to High School and older. Class 2 C1 R- III
  • Eagle Canyon – A very adventurous canyon. We’ll hide away in a foliage covered canyon as we follow a side stream down to a larger river below. We’ll even rappel down the sides of waterfalls along the way. This canyon is perfect for small adventurous groups wanting an experience you thought only existed in the movies. Season: Typically mid May through mid to late July. This canyoneering course requires the use of a rappel device. We limit it to High School and older and require a day of Rock Climbing or rappelling experience before participating. Class 3 B R III

Details & Possible Upgrades

  • By default, each of the above multi-day canyoneering camps have you arrive around 7 PM the night before (eating dinner before you arrive), and leaving around 6 PM (eating dinner on the road) at the end of your last adventure. If you would like to do the same on a one day trip, it’s just an extra $22/person.
  • One day canyoneering trips require a minimum of 10 people.
  • If you live more than 3 hours away, or you just want to finish your trip with even more awesomeness, we recommend you add dinner and another night of camping & campfire time to the end of your trip for just $22/person.
  • There is an extra $15 per person fee for doing adventures on a Saturday or Sunday.  Why weekends cost more?
  • For river rafting trips that take place October through June there is an extra $15 per person fee in these months. What's it cover?

More Information

In the United States we call these hikes Canyoneering, while in other parts of the world, they would be called Canyoning. We do not visit any slot canyons, which have a higher risk of flash flooding. Rock-N-Water is located in Northern California in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Again, please contact us if you have any questions, or are not finding exactly what you are looking for.

various outdoor adventures

Outdoor Adventures

campers dancing around a campfire at their youth summer camp

Summer Camps for Groups

Rock-N-Water Christian Camps Logo

About Rock-N-Water