Lost Canyon

BETA PHOTO: This is a photo of the approach from the pullout o...

Description 

Lost Canyon (and Damfino Canyon) is home to some of the best hard routes that Sedona has to offer. Shangri-La, most notably, but also a few shorter sport/mixed routes.

Getting There 

From the intersection of 89 and 179, head south on 179 a quarter mile to Schnebly Hill Road. Follow this road east for just over 1.5 miles and park at a small pullout on the right. This pullout comes immediately after a very large switchback that heads due north, then curves around back south again, and then finally resumes east. The pullout is right after the road turns east again.

Hike up a wide, rocky drainage. This can be followed all the way into Lost Canyon, which is the second of two parallel canyons (the first being Damfino Canyon). When in doubt, keep right. It will be tricky to locate things the first time, but on the way out it all becomes clear. The approach is just over a mile and takes about 1.5 hours; the drainages are very choked with man-eating plants. Wear long pants and bring a chainsaw. The drainage dead-ends at Shangri-La and several other bolted climbs.

The Classics

Featured Route For Lost Canyon

Shangri-La 5.12+  AZ : Sedona : Lost Canyon

This is the only route in David Bloom's Sedona guidebook to get four stars, and it is worthy. The climb is unlike most of the other choss in Sedona and offers Zion-quality crack climbing that is very, very good. Well worth the laborious approach. Shangri-La takes a corner system that starts out right-facing and ends up left facing on a Rostrum-like pillar of rock at the terminus of Lost Canyon.P1: Begin up low angle rock and then head up the ...[more]   Browse More Classics in AZ