Overview

Hype:

Arscenic Canyon is a fun canyon in the Poison Springs area of North Wash. Note the the correct canyon name is Arscenic, not Arsenic. This is a portmanteau of Arsenic and Scenic. The canyon has a couple of easy rappels and downclimbs and is generally dry. This makes it very popular for beginner and intermediate canyoneers, but it belongs on everyone's bucket list. The canyon is not especially scenic, but it is a lot of fun for your effort. The hike out has a nice arch.

Canyon Rating: 3A/B

Time: 4-6 hours

Length: 3 miles round trip

Longest Rappel: 200 ft

Gear: Standard

Fees: None

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Getting There

Navigate to 38.092515, -110.526023.

Route

Approach

From the car, hike north about 0.4 miles to the top of Arscenic Canyon.

Canyon

Rappel 1: 200 ft. Many groups will choose to leave their rope here and pick it up on the hike out. 

There are a couple downclimbs in the canyon but nothing that requires a rope.

Exit

From the bottom of the canyon, turn southwest and hike up the wash about 250 yards. Then turn south and hike up the slickrock on your left. About half way up you'll pass a large and very delicate arch. Continue southeast to the top of the canyon, then follow the approach route back to the car.

Maps

Closest City or Region: North Wash, Utah

Coordinates: 38.098745, -110.527217

Interactive Guide Map

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May 4, 2019 Trip Report

By Ondylyn Wagner

Trip Members

Tara Dye, Ondylyn Wagner, Michelle Christensen, Heather Jensen, Vickie Ashby, Rebecca Haacke, Melanie _,

Logistics

Start: 9:10 a.m.

End: 2:10 p.m.

Story

Tara, Michelle, and I were going to do Slidanide, but we joined up with the Canyoneering Chicks around camp. Rebecca invited us to do Arscenic with them, so we jumped on board. We drove to the trailhead and hiked to the top of the canyon. We left our long rope at the first rappel and picked it up on the hike out. It was a really fun canyon. We ended up splitting into two groups with the faster people at the front and the slower ones in the back. It was fun to see Michelle catch the canyon bug. There may have been some singing and dancing on this trip, but the videos will never be posted.

Pictures