Overview

Hype:

Horse Play Canyon is great because it's short and dry. It's close to other canyons, so you can do this canyon on an arrival or departure day or together with another canyon. There is a section of very skinny narrows, so if you're more than about 180 pounds, you will likely have to stem high. There are only two major drops, and both can be downclimbed, however many canyoneers will likely prefer a meat anchor or partner capture at the first drop. There are a couple sections that require stemming, but the stemming is not overly exposed or difficult, so this is a great canyon to introduce new canyoneers to more physical techniques.

Canyon Rating: 2A

Time: 2-4 hours

Length: 3.8 miles round trip

Longest Rappel: N/A

Gear: Water, navigation.

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

Links: www.roadtripryan.com/go/t/utah/north-wash/horseplay

Getting There

Navigate to 38.071287, -110.462937.

Route

Approach

From the trailhead, walk less than a mile to the top of Horse Play Canyon.

Canyon

Scramble down from the rim to the canyon bottom. For about a half mile, the canyon is open and is just wash walking.

Drop #1: 15 ft down-climb. Can be slid and jumped or partner-assisted. Just around the corner, the canyon starts to slot up, and you'll have a few easy down climbs.

Continue down canyon. The canyon is not very deep, but there are a couple of short stemming sections. The canyon opens up, and there are a couple of potholes that can be easily walked around. 

After a few minutes, the canyon narrows again.

Drop #2: 20 ft down-climb. Can be elevatored down. Some canyoneers may appreciate a handline, but most should be able to climb down unassisted.

The next sections of narrows is fantastic. The walls have very distinct stripes and swirls, and this section of canyon is very scenic. 

Near the bottom of the canyon is a section of very tight squeezing. We had to get down on our hands and knees to crawl through because it was too tight at chest level. Larger canyoneers may need to stem high to avoid the tightest narrows.

Exit

The exit is a little over 1.5 miles. Once at the bottom of Horse Play Canyon, head northwest up the slickrock to the canyon rim, then proceed north and northeast to the dirt road. Follow the dirt road back to your vehicle.

Location

Closest City or Region: North Wash

Coordinates: 38.065919, -110.454798

View larger map

May 17, 2019 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye,

Logistics

Start: 3:20

End: 6:00

Story

Tara and I headed down to North Wash early and did Horse Play Canyon on Thursday evening before everyone else showed up. It was quick and fun and was Tara's first introduction to stemming. She did great!

Video of Trip

Pictures