Royal Arch Soup

Beethoven: "Ode to Joy" from 9th Symphony


Follow the South Bass Trail down to the Esplanade. Cairns mark the junction of Bass and Esplanade trails. The Esplanade trail is indistinct in places. Seep Spring is located above the Esplanade, at the base of the Coconino, between Chemehuevi and Toltec Points. Some maps show a trail, starting East of Chemehuevi Point, leading up to Seep Spring. This trail is now overgrown and it is suggested that access to Seep Spring should be from directly below the Spring. From the Esplanade, go up the drainage located directly below the Spring. Sometimes water can be found in the center of this drainage, about 100 feet above the Esplanade. Note: this route is steep and the surface is unstable.



Royal Arch drainage is accessible through several of the forks. If the East arm of the creek is followed several pour-offs will be encountered along the way. These can be by-passed on one side or the other. Just before the junction with the West arm of Royal Arch Creek a large drop blocks the way. This can be passed on the left side via a trail with some exposed climbing. A belay may be desirable. The remainder of the route to the arch follows the drainage with much scrambling past waterfalls and dropoffs Lower in the drainage several deep pools can either be waded or bypassed high on the left side with a bit of climbing. Just below the arch the access to Elves Chasm is blocked by a 200 foot waterfall.




The Colorado can be reached by backtracking up the Royal Arch drainage about 1/2 mile to a point marked by large cairns.
A steep trail leads out of the drainage on the east side and contours out to the Tonto.
Once on top of the Tonto there are two trails, upper and lower, the upper trail is more easily traveled.
Follow this fairly distinct trail about two miles.
Before the trail reaches the next side canyon that runs NW of Toltec Point (Toltec Drainage) to the East, look for the cairns which lead toward the Colorado River.
The trail goes down through a cliff band and requires a short rappel (a 50 foot rope is needed) .
Beware of old rotted ropes and slings at the rappel point.
The remainder of the trail to the Colorado is steep.

The route to Elves Chasm is not far but time consuming.
Either hop boulders near the beach or follow the high trail above.
Elves Chasm is beautiful but requires some moderate and exposed climbing.
Elves Chasm is a day use area only and is closed to camping.

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route description by
Grand Canyon Explorer

videos by
Sirena

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At every moment
of our lives,
we all have one foot
in a fairy tale
and the other
in the abyss.
--Paulo Coelho