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Towering streaked sandstone walls converge into the dark entrance of the Leprechaun Canyon narrows, with a strip of blue sky above and a sandy wash floor in the foreground.
Canyoneering · North Wash · 3B II

Leprechaun Canyon

A North Wash classic — three technical forks that drop through short rappels and long stretches of sustained stemming before merging into one of the prettiest lower narrows in the desert. Mostly dry, flash-flood-prone, and famously tight in the Middle Fork.

Also known as: Leprechaun Canyon (North Wash)

Leprechaun is one of North Wash's beginner-to-intermediate technical slots, and one of its most photogenic. Three forks — East (Right), West (Left), and the very tight Middle — each drop through a handful of short rappels and sustained stemming, then converge into a spectacular shared lower gorge. There is also a non-technical bottom-up hike (2A) that walks into the lower narrows without ropes. It's dry most of the year, with the longest rappel around 50 feet, but the slots are narrow and flash-flood-prone: never enter with rain in the forecast.

Quick stats

ACA rating
3B II
Distance
4 mi
Time
3–6 hrs
Difficulty
Challenging
Rappels
to 50 ft
Rope
~132 ft
Permit
Required
Best months
March, April, May, October, November
The descent

The descent

Rappels. Longest rappel ~50 ft. East/Right Fork: first rappel ~50 ft off a natural anchor. West/Left Fork: an initial ~27 ft drop with no obvious anchor — the usual anchor is a wedged rock/chockstone in a pothole set back from the edge. Longest rappel across the system is ~50 ft in the East/Right Fork.

Water & swims. Generally little or no water unless right after rain — possibly wading, but likely no swimming.

Potholes. None flagged as mandatory/keeper in the sources.

Downclimbs. Multiple downclimbs and chockstone moves throughout.

Obstacles. Sustained stemming; silo squeeze (Middle Fork); chimneying (Belfast Boulevard side slot); chockstones.

Gear. Rope ~132 ft (Road Trip Ryan recommends a 40 m (~132 ft) rope to cover alternate rappels; a 30 m rope handles the standard drops.). Wetsuit: no. A wetsuit is generally not needed given little/no water; consider one only in cold conditions right after rain.

The Middle Fork's difficulty is sustained, very narrow stemming rather than rappelling — 'the tightest of all' near the end.

The forks

The forks

  • East Fork (Right Fork) · 3B · longest rappel ~50 ft — First rappel ~50 ft off a natural anchor; final rappel ~33 ft. Tends to hold water after rain.
  • West Fork (Left Fork) · 3B · longest rappel ~27 ft — Initial ~27 ft drop with no obvious anchor — usual anchor is a wedged rock/chockstone in a pothole set back from the edge.
  • Middle Fork · 3B R- (RopeWiki: 3A II PG) · longest rappel ~25 ft — A ~20 ft low-angle rappel plus a ~14 ft drop; the real difficulty is sustained, very narrow stemming. RopeWiki: 'the final stretch is the tightest of all.'
Permits & access

Permits & access

Reserve your permit →

Permit required. Garfield County Sheriff's Office. Fee: Free. A free Garfield County Sheriff's Office permit is required to enter Leprechaun Canyon, on foot or on rope (county ordinance, June 2025); it covers the hiking dates you enter on the application. Apply at brycecanyoncountry.com/permits before you go; groups with a permitted guide are covered. Entering without one can bring a Class B misdemeanor.

Shuttle. Optional — a car spot is generally unnecessary; the forks loop back on foot.

Approach. Off Highway 95 in North Wash, near Hanksville. Approaches to each fork are short.

Trailhead. North Wash / Highway 95 pullout — Park along Hwy 95 in North Wash; approaches to the Irish Canyons are short.

North Wash is remote — nearest services in Hanksville, and no cell coverage. Carry water; there is none reliable in the canyon.

When to go

When to go

Spring, fall, or winter are best; summers can be hot. Monsoon season (roughly July–September) is the highest flash-flood risk — do not enter with rain in the forecast.

Avoid: July, August, September.

Safety

Safety & hazards

Flash flooding (high). Narrow North Wash slots, flash-flood-prone. Monsoon (roughly July–September) is the highest risk; do not enter with rain in the forecast. You can see the sky from much of the route — use it.

Tight stemming (Middle Fork) (moderate). The Middle Fork is very narrow with sustained stemming; a fall or getting stuck in the squeeze is the main non-flood hazard.

Remote — no services (moderate). Remote North Wash with no cell service; the nearest help is in Hanksville. Carry water and self-rescue capability.

Sources

Sources & beta

Canyon conditions, permit rules, and flows change — verify against the current source and forecast before you commit.

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