What face would be best for rappelling at Yonah Mountain?

Preparing for a trip to Yonah Mountain to hike to the summit and do some rappelling. I've got a copy of DCA and have read about the routes here in mountain project, but I'm still not settled about the best face/routes to go for some rappelling. We'll have a small group of mostly beginners, including some teenagers, so I'm hoping for an area with an easy approach from above and walk off.

I've been recommended the main face "two man party" lines but am hesitant because of the length (~130 ft based on comments, meaning a single line rappel), but even more for the walk off at the approach slab. How steep is the area at the bottom?

I've been to the Lowers but wasn't pleased with the scramble to the top that'd be required.

Are there other lines people would recommend?

All the routes on the main face will require a single line for rappelling. 2 man will be the easiest to set up a rap anchor but be mindful these are very popular climbing routes especially this time of year so make sure you’re cautious about who’s below you and what might be knocked loose while rapping. It’s also good idea not to camp out on a single line all day. The approach slab has a cable for access and can be sketchy for beginners especially if it’s been wet but it’s not difficult. 

Great spot for beginners to learn to rappel, very positive. You can rap off of a single line basically on any of the lines, but with the amount of rope drag over all the positive face it’s easy to get a rope stuck. I would find a route you can rap in two lengths. Once you summit, on the east side of the face there is a route just west of the second overhang that is a great rappel route. It’s no specific route that I know of, but it’s great for rappelling. You might be able to find it’s name on mp.

The approach slab isn’t that steep, it’s a walk up in approach shoes. There’s a cable if it’s wet and you can always slide down on your butt. Right side of two man party routes single strand. There is another series of rap anchors above Dihedral / Fat B*tches but they are also more than 100 ft. less than 100 ft you could use the anchor on The Seep at Upper Lowers but it requires maybe getting closer to the edge than you want since you said you thought the Lowers were sketchy. You could also use the higher anchor on The White Wall but it has the same problem with being near the edge at the top. 

Frankly if you’re looking for safe access top and bottom then I’d go to Currahee and use the anchors that are set well back from the cliff edge above Smooth as Silk. You can park on Hwy 184 and still hike up. Great view too

The boulder at Yonah is the traditional "let's go rappelling" spot. 

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Helpful to hear about the cable on the approach slabs and just scooting down as possibilities. 

Jody, the Boulder looks like a possibility too. DCA says there is a trail to the top around the side (not mentioned in mountain project) but doesn't say anything about anchor building. What kind of anchor setup is there at the top (bolts/trees)?

AJ, there should be bolts, although it's been a few years since I've been to that spot. Relatively easy scramble back to the top. The rap is partially free hanging and the view over the valley is surprisingly good from the top of the boulder. Also I think it's an easier place to manage the inexperienced members of your party than the main wall.

I just wanted to circle back around and report on our trip to Yonah. Thanks to the advice here we hiked to the summit, then came back down and rappelled at the boulder like Jody recommended. I've submitted a few details to the page, but until they are approved or for searchability, here's a bit of info about the protection on site and how we managed it. We all had a good and safe time.

Before we even did the larger rappels here, we set up on a 10-15 ft rock to the left with some trees as natural anchors. The slope on top was more gradual and the height wasn't as intimidating, so some of the younger members of our group had an easier time here.

Access to the top of the boulder was fairly easy, as described in the Dixie Craggers Atlas. You can hike up either side of the bolder (if you go around the left, just keep going most of the way around). Access to the top ledge is by hugging close to a wall and moving up a slightly sloping face. Then scoot/slide down onto the ledge that goes right to the edge. As of Oct 2023 there are three sets of bolts with three bolts each, set about 7-10 ft back from the edge on the ground. There were some rappel rings visible near the top of the routes described, but these were over the edge. The area up top was comfortable for us to manage at least two rappels, we were fairly close for communication, but not tripping over each other. I wouldn't want to bring a big group out to that point, but a few people at a time to setup on the ropes was comfortable.