Lomatium & Krill Loop
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| | Difficulty:3A III (v3a1 III) Raps:5-6, max ↨120ft
Red Tape:Permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Sandstone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 28 Feb 2025
"Lomatium Krill Loop on Feb 28th with two friends with very little canyoneering experience but 5.13 climbers. Everything was bolted and canyon totally |
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| Best season: | Mar-Nov
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38.7433, -109.5659
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WaterflowIntroduction[edit]
Fiery Furnace Beta and Conservation Considerations[edit]
Contrary to popular belief, Arches National Park does not prohibit the publication of beta for the Fiery Furnace. However, published beta for canyoneering routes in this area remains scarce for two primary reasons:
1 Complexity of the Terrain The Fiery Furnace is a labyrinth of intricate fins and spires, making navigation challenging. The accuracy of GPS points is often insufficient to provide reliable guidance, making it difficult—if not impossible—to publish beta that is truly useful.
2 Sensitivity of the Environment The Fiery Furnace is the most protected and controlled area within Arches National Park. The National Park Service aims to balance public access with the preservation of this fragile ecosystem. Many canyoneers are understandably cautious about drawing attention to the area, as increased visitation by novices or unprepared individuals could lead to:
- Environmental degradation.
- Damage to the unique formations.
- A rise in rescue operations.
These impacts could prompt the Park Service to impose restrictions or even ban canyoneering in the Fiery Furnace altogether. This concern is a major reason why the canyoneering community tends to remain discreet about it.
Sharing Information Responsibly Although the Park Service does not explicitly prohibit the publication of beta, it is important to approach the sharing of information about the Fiery Furnace with care. By doing so, we help protect this special area and ensure its accessibility for future generations of canyoneers.
To encourage good practices, an attempt has been made to outline the canyoneering routes in this area. However, due to the labyrinthine nature of the terrain, many may still find it difficult to navigate solely based on published beta. As a result, a tradition has emerged in the canyoneering community: experienced individuals often guide others through the routes for their first time.
By adhering to these principles, we can help preserve the beauty and accessibility of the Fiery Furnace for years to come.
Highlighted POIs[edit]
Some of the not-to-be-missed highlights along the route are Abbey Arch, Skull Arch, Belly of the Whale, Kissing Turtle Arch, the "Toilet Bowl" rappel, and Surprise Arch. Lomatium & Krill is one of the most interesting and scenic canyoneering routes anywhere. As of 2017 both of the raps in Lomatium and the first one in Krill are bolted. After that Krill requires a retrievable anchor before Kissing Turtles Arch and a bush anchor at the Toilet Bowl rappel. An alternate exit encompassing Surprise Arch has been established and adds an additional 30 minutes.
Approach[edit]
The recommended approach is to hike east and down from the parking lot, following the main trail to an obvious crack at the easternmost cul-de-sac. The crack involves up-climbing about 30 feet and is not for everyone. The views form the top of this perch are stupendous, overlooking the Grand Central area. From the top of the crack the objective is to get on top of the eastern plateau. This requires making a slightly exposed Class III move in the opposite direction you think you should go. Once atop the eastern plateau it is a beautiful 15 minute cross-country hike through fields of crytobiotic soil to the drop in for Lomatium. Please try to stay in the little sandy washes or on sandstone to avoid damage to this precious resource. Like everything in FF, it is nearly impossible to describe how to find the drop-in. You could spend many hours, or even days, trying to find it, or go with someone who knows the route.
Alternatively, it is possible to access the Lomatium drop-in by going north out of the parking lot, gain the northern plateau, head east and then drop down in between the appropriate fins. This way misses much of the awe-inspiring scenery, but is quicker and does not involve any scrambling or exposure.
You can avoid Lomatium altogether and head straight to Krill by taking the main trail, the one the ranger-led hike uses, which is well-worn and marked with directional signs, for about 15 minutes. At one of the "dead end" signs, take the spur to Skull Arch. From Skull Arch, continue northerly and scramble up the boulder field.
Descent[edit]
Exit[edit]
Red tape[edit]
Permits for Self-Guided access to the Fiery Furnace are required to enter the Fiery Furnace and a reservation for a permit must be obtained through Recreation.gov. A physical permit will need to be picked up from the visitor center and each person in your group must be present for an 8-minute orientation and safety video followed by a 5-minute ranger talk before you can receive the actual permit. Permits can be picked up either the day before or the day of your trip at the visitor center. The visitor center hours change seasonally so check with the park's website for current hours of operation. There are no special allotments for canyoneers but the park will want to know if you are using ropes or not. Permits are $10 per person with a group-size limit of 6 people. Permit reservations can be obtained through Recrecation.gov up to 7 days in advance and often sell out.
In addition to these "self-guided" access the Park offers Ranger-led tours through the Fiery Furnace at 9:00 and 1:30 daily. These Ranger-led tours are offered seasonally so you'll need to check with the park to see if they are currently being offered or not. Group size for the ranger-led hikes was 14. There are small, unobtrusive arrows marking the direction that the ranger-led route travels. Anyone can follow these arrows--assuming they can find them--but if you are on a self-guided permit and encounter a ranger-led tour you are not allowed to follow the tour but are required to give them distance and not bug the ranger with questions. Signs marked "dead-end" indicate a spur to a special geological feature is that way, such as Skull Arch. These are not to be missed and worth the short hikes required. You can then return the way you came on the spur and rejoin the main well-worn path.
Beta sites[edit]
Super Amazing Map : Krill Canyon