• Distance: 0.5 mile round-trip
• Duration: 1 hour or less
• Elevation gain: 200 feet
• Effort: Easy
• Trailhead: River left, mile 116

The charming grotto of Elves Chasm is less than a quarter mile from the river. A delicate waterfall trickles around huge boulders into a pool in this shady canyon of ferns and mosses.

It’s possible—but dangerous—to swim across the pool and climb the water-slick rocks to the cave behind the waterfall. It’s also possible to make the risky climb upcanyon, where another waterfall and Royal Arch await.

A few hardy backpackers have accessed Elves Chasm from rim trails that involve route finding, rock scrambling, and rappelling—it’s hard to believe that with only a short walk, river runners get the same reward.