Lost and Found Canyon
Yellow Cat Mesa dirt gets you to a fence line, and from there it is three bolted rappels, the longest 132 feet, through tight sections including one you crawl under. The technical part falls inside Arches, so it takes a park permit even though nothing about the approach feels like a national park.
Navigation on the approach is the part to get right: from the fence line parking, follow the old 4x4 track due north along the fence, and where the track fades take the first drainage northwest until it meets the main Lost and Found drainage running west. Every rappel is two glue in bolts. At the final anchor the chains are deliberately left unconnected so a log cannot hook them in a flood and rip the bolts out, so leave them that way. Pick your exit before you drop in. The Climbers Exit has roughly 80 feet of class 4 on slickrock protected by three bolts and is a poor choice wet or icy; the Hikers Exit needs a car shuttle set beforehand. The permit is $6 through Recreation.gov with a hard cap of six people, plus the Arches entrance fee and, in season, a timed entry reservation.
Logistics
| Manager | NPS Arches National Park |
|---|---|
| Permit | Canyoneering permit required for all routes within Arches National Park boundary. $6 per group at the park permit desk; no quota system at time of research. |
| Time | 4 hr-6 hr |
| Technical | 3 rappels, longest 132 ft |
| Season | Fall, Winter, Spring |
| Vehicle access | High Clearance |
| Coordinates | 38.7788, -109.4829 |