This one is technically located in Arizona, but its very close to the southern border of Utah and you can visit it on a day trip from there. The trailhead is located six miles from Goblin Valley State Park. You dont need a permit for the bottom-up hike. Finally, we reached the Mary Jane slot canyon waterfall! Utah is filled with stunning desert landscapes and this rappelling tour takes visitors to the Medieval Chamber slot canyon just outside of Moab. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Earth Trekkers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. Ding & Dang Canyon requires some technical ability since theres climbing and occasionally deep water. Location: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on Hole-in-the-Rock Road Distance: 3.5 miles Difficulty: Moderate Read more: A Photojourney through Peek-A-Boo Gulch and Spooky Gulch. Winters are another excellent time to hike in a slot canyon, if you dont mind the cold! You also might encounter lots of water in the slots that may make it essential to turn back. PLACES TO GO IN ARIZONA: Go hiking in Sedona, visit Saguaro National Park and Petrified Forest National Park, explore Monument Valley, photograph Antelope Canyon, and visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. And feel free to bring your pooch but just remember that your canine friend needs to be on a leash. Best time to go: Spring and fall are ideal, but you can hike here year-round. Other than that, youll need 4wd with clearance to get to the trailhead and should bring tons of water/sunscreen since this hike is full exposure. This one is a pretty easy hike, and it has bright reddish-orange rock colors that can be really stunning with the right amount of sunlight. Reservations open three months in advance. You can find this canyon along BLM road 98 about 40 minutes east of Moab. Do not enter any slot canyon if rain is in the forecast, even if it's outside of your immediate area. Just know that climbing down is pretty difficult, so once youre in, youre in. Next Group, You dont have to be Spider-Man to explore some of the best slot canyons Utah has to offer. Once you're in, all you have to do is walk through a . Read More: Peekaboo And Spooky Slot Canyons. Spooky Gulch is another highly memorable slot canyon in Escalante, Utah. Let's stay updated! Whenever youre on an upward climb, ask yourself, can I get back down this? You should always be able to climb down what youre going up in case you need to retreat in a hurry or decide to turn around. Her mission is to get you out on your greatest adventure. Map. And then when youre done, just go back the way you came. In fact, Wire Pass is probably one of the easiest slot canyons Utah has to offer, and its also one of the most beautiful. Looking to venture beyond The Narrows and Angels Landing? At the end, of the canyon the hike to the top is a little challenging only because its steep and you might be tired already. As a professional writer for the outdoors and full-time adventure blogger, Ive traveled the American Southwest in search of amazing slot canyons. Located near Orderville, this short and sweet hike is perfect for families. Enjoy hand-curated trail maps, along with reviews and photos from nature lovers like you. Meet three National Ability Center staffers who live outdoor adventuring. In Utah, you can find far-flung places to reset, wellness resorts that promote digital detox, and destinations where you can swap screen time for much-needed adventure time. Everybody knows that the famous national parks near Moab, Arches National ParkandCanyonlands National Park, offer excellent hiking opportunities. Best of all, this slot dumps you right at the intersection in Buckskin Gulch where you can see some petroglyphs on the canyon wall. You can also learn more about the national parks and get a FREE printable checklist in our US National Parks Checklist. The best Utah state parks will entice you with ice fishing, white sand and snow-dusted scenery. I'm David, an American with a passion for adventure, the outdoors, and all things travel. Learn where to stay in our Sedona Hotel Guide. Generally, spring and fall are the best seasons for desert hiking, since the temps are mild and the weather is manageable. Our friend was in a Camry and made it just fine, but slowly. Be on the lookout for petroglyphs, blooming cacti, and more. As always, please remember to keep the trail clean, be considerate of other hikers, and leave no trace. A hat helps too. She'd rather be dirty than done up. Transform body, mind and spirit around the theme: Ignite the Flame Within. Follow along as she seeks her authentic self and learn how to find your own Tribe. Have you done these? Need a place to stay in Moab? Explore up to 20 miles of trails for an unforgettable day hike in Buckskin Gulch in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. About 1/2 mile in, make sure you turn left, following the creek. It is dark and narrow with just enough obstacles to keep things interesting. Please practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace: plan ahead, stay on the trail, pack out what you bring to the hiking trail, properly dispose of waste, leave areas as you found them, minimize campfire impacts, be considerate of other hikers, and do not approach or feed wildlife. Extra socks arent a bad idea either especially if there are reports of water in the canyons. Our whole trip is about 11 days and we will be traveling down to Zion and Bryce as well so we really dont have a preference on location. If you have your head on a swivel, do your homework, and weigh your risks, you can have a safe adventure in a slot canyon. Some locals of Boulder, Utah, call this slot canyon on the Burr Trail, Singing Canyon. When you go, you know exactly why. LEARN MORE: How to Loop the Fold in Capitol Reef National Park. Book Now: Lower Antelope Canyon / Antelope Canyon X Tour. Join a small group to hike along drainages and canyons that lead to the rappels. Its one of the best slot canyons in Utah Ive ever seen, although the tight Zebra Canyon is a bit tricky to navigate compared to other slots. Youll need a 4WD high-clearance vehicle to reach the trailhead, which is really just a stop along a dry river bed. 7- 9 Hours. Avoid the mad scramble and consider slow travel as a better approach to your Utah trip. Moab is surrounded by a sea of buckled, twisted and worn sandstone sculpted by millennia of sun, wind and rain, Previous Group During the first part of the trail, you will find yourself walking next to a creek, but soon you will enter the slot canyon and the only choice will be to walk directly through the water. But if you only have time for one, how to you decide which one to visit? You just need to be ready for an adventure in tight spaces with huge photographic rewards. Yes, but unlimited. Established in 1997, Desert Highlights has pioneered many of Moab's best canyoneering tours. The Little Wild Horse Canyon is a nice and easy slot canyon by the Goblin Valley State Park, about 2 hours from Moab, Utah. Heres a Utah slot canyons map you can use to plan your own road trip. Brimstone GulchEastern Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Mileage: 15.5 milesElevation gain: 1,017 feetDifficulty: DifficultEstimated Time: About 8 hours for the bottom-up hike and two days for the top-down trail.Entry Fee: $35Permits required? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hey there! Trail contacts: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Moab Field Office, 82 E. Dogwood, Moab 84532; (435) 259-2100; website. Great hike for those seeking solitude. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 2 h 57 min to complete. Image courtesy of Jordan Wohlwend from The Homebody Tourist. The Peekaboo Slot Canyon is like an adult playground, with lots of fun obstacles to cross and wonderful red rock walls to admire. It's easy, it's great for all ability levels and ages, and . If youre new to hiking slot canyons in Utah (or anywhere for that matter) there are a few important safety tips to keep in mind. Duration: Approximately 5 hrs. ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. While Arches has no real "slot canyons," many of its sandstone walls are cross-hatched with narrow passages appropriate for this type of exploration. 2-3 people - $124/person. Couple of miles long and worth the effort. Republishing this article and/or any of its contents (text, photography, etc. Local Tip: Hole in the Rock Road gets very impassible (read: mud soup) when wet, so plan accordingly or have a 4WD vehicle). As always, be prepared for desert hiking conditions with extra water, sunscreen and sun hats, and a good map or GPS unit. Whether youre a newbie or a seasoned canyoneer, here are six expert tips for your next canyoneering adventure. 14+ people - call for pricing and availability. You simply hike up the river as far as you want to go and turn around when you start to get tired. The Kanarra Slot Canyon is unique on this list for also having two waterfalls inside, and its just a 1 hour drive from Zion National Park. By continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can click the icons to get directions and more info on each point of interest, but keep in mind some of the locations on this map may be approximate. We have not hiked all of these slot canyons, at least not yet. Hiking to Ribbon Falls, Grand Canyon National Park. There are a lot of pebbles and rocks in the creek, so its better if you have fully closed water shoes like these so you dont have to stop to get the rocks out of your shoes. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, go to Your Places, click Maps, and you will see this map on your list. Above-rapid scouts are always intense and foreboding, particularly when the rapid you're scouting is Lava Falls. As the longest-known slot canyon in the world, Buckskin Gulch is a true wonder. Even on a slot canyon hike, there are still plenty of parts on the trail where you'll be exposed to direct sun, so you might want sunscreen. The other 10 mile hike. Looking for advice on slot canyons to hike for a 1/2 to full day. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Its one of the most gorgeous slot canyons in Utah, featuring a heart shaped passage and arch ceilings. Lower Antelope Canyon is narrower at the bottom. The trail starts in the SE corner of the parking lot do NOT follow the trail head sign for Professor/Sylvester Creek. So happy exploring this canyon for my 4th time! This is actually a living organism (called cryptobiotic soil)! Some of the best hikes in Utah are these incredible canyons so be sure to add these destinations to your bucket list! When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you. Just be aware that this hike is a bit more technical by nature. Use a tool like weather.gov to check the weather for the specific canyon you plan to visit. Distance: 2.6 miles round-trip Difficulty: Easy Time: 1 to 1.5 hours, Distance: 2.2 miles Difficulty: Easy Time: 1 hour. The State Park sports a morbid name, but it's one of the most scenic stretches of landscape around Moab. Discover Which Colorado Mountain Town is right for you. Location: Page, Arizona Distance: Less than one mile Difficulty: Easy Read more: Lower Antelope Canyon: A Photographic Tour and Upper Antelope Canyon: A Journey in Photos. Yes, but some scrambling is required so you may need to lift your dog.Highlights: over a mile of narrow slots, amazing canyon views on the backside of the canyon. If youre looking for colorful sandstone walls that will blow your mind, then youve got to check out the Zebra Slot Canyon in Escalante. ADULT (13+) $129 . All rights reserved Earth Trekkers. You can hike the Zion Narrows as a quick day hike, hiking from the bottom-up. Theres even a little wooden ladder thats great for pictures. Lots of solitude. Although you dont need any technical gear, a helmet isnt a bad idea since youll be climbing up and down 10-foot sections of rock. With a bit of exploring, you may be able to find others as well! Its a fun and unique hiking challenge. Look closely at the canyon walls to see the ancient petroglyphs (no the handprints are not ancient some tourist made them in 2019). The entire time the trail will go in and out of the creek. It leads to a pass along a mesa. Some of the pages on my travel blog contain affiliate links. Want to avoid the Utah national park crowds? Season: April - November. This is a great one for beginners. Willis Creek is fun to explore. No. Your insight, as usual, is very much appreciated. So important I said it twice. As a bonus, Red Hollow Canyon is easy to reach and great for kids. Visit Utah for spelunking and cave exploration. It can be blazing hot in the desert, but slot canyons see little sun. The entire trip is around 12 miles, but the long distance is totally worth the effort. Click the star next to the title of the map to add this map to your Google Maps account. Looking for the best hiking trails in Moab? Its definitely one of the top Utah slot canyons! Take advantage of the variety of climbing available to enjoy this scenic winter climbing destination. Dont trash the canyon! Clutching my hat with both hands, the wind roared and whipped by as I stood atop a rugged red rock formation, gazing out into the vastness of The Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. It is possible to do this as one long day hike, going point to point, although some hikers do this in two days, camping overnight along the trail. Antelope Canyon is a favorite with photographers, and for good reason. The Pastel Canyon, also called the Pink Canyon, is photogenic slot canyon to explore in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. It's narrower, but . Follow a winding canyon stream out to the Colorado River. Secondly, Coyote Gulch is mentioned as a potential hike you are planning to do in the future. Thanks for looking! Some people do this as a loop hike with Bell Canyon, which takes quite a bit longer, but the best parts of Little Wild Horse slot canyon can be seen in only an hour roundtrip, which is perfect for people wanting to skip to the good stuff. At the end of the amazing Negro Bill Canyon is the Morning Glory bridge trail and it makes for a pretty amazing hike. This is another crazy slot canyon located near Peekaboo, and most people do these two slots as a loop hike since theyre located so close together. Slot canyons form when soft rock like sandstone, erode slowly from rain and wind. Spooky Canyon is extremely tight. Flash flooding is a real threat and I really cant stress this enough DO NOT ENTER A SLOT CANYON WITH A RAINY FORECAST. You can stop and turn around whenever you want. From here youll see the Dry Fork Narrows to the left (save that for last) and a slot canyon that starts about 10-feet up a rock wall. The creek flows year-round, along a canyon (known as Mary Jane Canyon) which is shallow for most of its length but one mile of the central section becomes fairly narrow and up to 100 feet deep.The walls have interesting rock textures and colors, different to most true slot canyons as the rock is darker . Cheers, Julie. In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. This slot canyon may not be as narrow as the others on this list, but its colorful walls make it very unique and well worth the visit. Slot canyons are narrow gorges in soft rocks like Utahs layered sedimentary deposits. Not only are slot canyons unique in their beauty, but they offer memorable adventure's filled with rappelling, climbing and hiking through pristine areas. Connect with your inner spirit. A select number of permits are available for overnight trips. Allow 3-4 hours and you will get an amazing experience. Utah is home to several great dog-friendly national parks and other fun destinations. Adventure, Responsible Travel, Climbing and Canyoneering. A permit is necessary if you want to hike the Narrows top-down. Headquarters Canyon is short, sweet, and super easy to hike, and in my opinion, the more thrilling of these two slot canyons. The canyon is beautiful, similar to the more famous Negro Bill Canyon east of Moab. My track via Gaia GPS the best tracking app! Women entrepreneurs in Utah have been particularly successful at honing their expertise. Flash flooding can be very dangerous in a slot canyon. You can hike the narrowest (and most fun) section of Little Wild Horse as a fast out-and-back hike, or do this as a loop, adding on a second slot canyon named Bell Canyon. Many people compare the experience of hiking here to that of Antelope Canyon (a famous slot canyon in Arizona). Julie Last updated: January 26, 2023 United States 50 Comments. This destroys the natural feel of the canyon and can disrupt the homes of animals. Before hiking through any of these slot canyons, it is important to check the weather. These slot canyons are tucked away in a remote region of Capitol Reef National Park. Spring can see wet days, so check the forecast. Mileage: 1.5 to 5 miles round-trip, up to 23 miles one wayElevation gain: 616 feetDifficulty: easy to difficult depending on how long you goEstimated Time: 2 hours to 2 days. Zebra Slot Canyon is definitely one of the more adventurous slot canyons in Utah. Additionally, this trek is pretty popular, So, try and arrive early if you want the place all to yourself. How to Use This Map: Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest. Its time to pull the plugliterally. Canyonlands is home to many different types of travel experiences, from sublime solitude in the more remote stretches of the park to moderate hikes through the Needles district to the opportunity to create your own version of one of the West's most photographed landforms, Mesa Arch. If you are planning a road trip through the USA, visit our United States Travel Guide for more inspiration and travel planning tips. Let us know about your experience in our comment section below. Among the exceptionally beautiful slot canyon hikes in the southern San Rafael area, Little Wild Horse Canyon is a classic, as well as the perfect introduction both to non-technical canyoneering for just about anyone in decent shape. 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A heart shaped passage and arch ceilings top Utah slot canyons Utah has to offer more inspiration travel! Have to be Spider-Man to explore some of the variety of climbing available to this... A free printable checklist in our Sedona travel Guide Utah slot canyons in Utah have particularly! Outside of Moab, etc hike along drainages and canyons that lead to the Medieval Chamber slot canyon the... Blogger, Ive traveled the American Southwest in search of amazing slot canyons Utah to. And I really cant stress this enough do not follow the trail go. Our use of cookies time I comment technical by nature be ready an... The canyon is the Morning Glory bridge trail and it makes for a 1/2 to full day to., Grand canyon National Park, mind and spirit around the theme: Ignite Flame! Feel of the best slot canyons to full day before hiking through any of its contents text.