Looking for advice on slot canyons to hike for a 1/2 to full day. The trail starts in the SE corner of the parking lot do NOT follow the trail head sign for Professor/Sylvester Creek. Image courtesy of Jordan Wohlwend from The Homebody Tourist. In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. For more detailed information on how to find the exact trailheads for these Utah slot canyons, you can check out my individual travel guides for each hike. The canyon is fun and easy for all ages. I hope you enjoyed this guide for some of the most amazing slot canyons Utah has to offer. Antelope Canyon. In the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park, youll find a scenic wonderland with an adventure for everyone. Check often, including the day you hike. Follow a winding canyon stream out to the Colorado River. Photos (540) Directions. Moab Canyon Pathway is a bike/pedestrian byway in Moab, Utah, that is not to be missed. Answer 1 of 14: We will be visiting Moab mid June. As we set up camp near Arches National Park, the sun lit up the bluffs and the light melted into the western horizon. Mileage: 8 miles round-tripElevation gain: 787 feetDifficulty: ModerateEstimated Time: 4 hoursEntry Fee: NonePermits required? It leads to a pass along a mesa. A permit is necessary, even if you do it as a day hike. The result are winding, smooth canyon walls that are simply mesmerizing. . Everybody knows that the famous national parks near Moab, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, offer excellent hiking opportunities. If youre hiking in a slot canyon, youll want to carry WAG bags or special toilet in a bag kits that are designed to pack out human waste. 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. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you. Side note: Always be aware of the weather forecast before entering a slot canyon. I was deep in a slot canyon with walls like sheaves of shelf mushrooms, stretching my arms up toward geologic history. Excellent hike for those who want to enjoy arches far from the crowds in Arches National Park. Zebra Slot Canyon is definitely one of the more adventurous slot canyons in Utah. Sandstone walls wind and turn, taking you to another planet. Hiking within the narrow canyon, hopping and skipping over the creek, and watching as the canyon walls steadily grew higher and higher over us as we headed downstream was such a great experience. Have you done these? That is another nice trail, but has no shade nor water. The other good news is that the Dry Fork Narrows are wider and tamer than the slot canyons at Spooky and Peekaboo, so you can just relax and enjoy the scenery as you walk through. - . 800-715-HIKE (4453) (9-4:30 Every Day) Top Rated On ; Contact Us; Other Languages: . American Southwest Slot Canyons: On a Map, More Information about the American Southwest. Surprise Canyon, located about one mile away, is also a short, fun canyon to explore. Professor Creek is a small stream that joins the Colorado River 20 miles northeast of Moab. Overview: This excellent out-and-back trail leads up a canyon lined with towering sandstone cliffs. Willis Creek features a creek, waterfall, and plenty of water to play in. The first mile of the trail is very open, and you can see all of the surrounding mesas and buttes. You can do this if you plan to Loop the Fold, a one day road trip around a remote region of this park. If youre interested in exploring slot canyons in Utah, youll want to start with these easier, non-technical routes. Learn where to stay in our Sedona Hotel Guide. Over time, the eroded sandstone forms narrow channels, or canyons that cut deep into the cliffs and sandstone mountains found throughout Utah. The entire time the trail will go in and out of the creek. The creek trail leads to an incredible three-story waterfall. This is a great one for beginners. Brimstone GulchEastern Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Watch this video of a guided experience canyoneering in the remote Robbers Roost. Plan a winter Southeastern Utah trip. Check it out and plan your trip! Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 2 h 57 min to complete. Its a great little known place NW of Santa Fe. 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. Yes, but unlimited. Dont trash the canyon! Druid Arch. Some of the best hikes in Utah are these incredible canyons so be sure to add these destinations to your bucket list! A slot canyon is a narrow canyon passageway formed in rock (usually sandstone) that has been eroded by water over time, eventually creating a keyhole-like crack in the rock that is just wide enough for a person to fit through. In Utah, you should always bring more water than you think you need. The reason we are asking is that we completed your incredible 14 day Southwest Itinerary, and we liked it so much that we want to back again to Arizona and Utah for another hiking trip. More Information: Dead Horse Rim Loop Trail. 15. Mileage: 6.4 milesElevation Gain: 889 feetDifficulty: ModerateEstimated Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes. Getting stuck in a flash flood is deadly dangerous so never gamble with a rainy forecast even if the percentage is small. You dont need any special gear or technical skills to do Zebra, but good fitness and prior experience in slots will help a lot, and you cant be claustrophobic or afraid of wading through dirty water. Scratching your name on the walls and destroying ancient rock art with your own markings are actually federal felonies, so dont do it. It ends up a 234-foot natural rock with amazing views and a lot of quiet serenity along the way. Book a Trip Today! A maze of soaring sandstone towers surrounds you on this moderate hike to a high ridge above Onion Creek. The Narrows is the most famous Zion slot canyon, but there are also a bunch of other nice ones near the national park. Flash flooding can be very dangerous in a slot canyon. Note: This post contains affiliate links. Too bad you cant (legally) take the Apache Tears home with you anymore. Its also one of the quieter hikes on this list which is part of its appeal. The bad news is that the Narrows is getting extremely popular. Its located less than an hour from the popular Bryce and Escalante areas, so its definitely a good one to add to your Utah road trip! Secondly, Coyote Gulch is mentioned as a potential hike you are planning to do in the future. Not only are slot canyons unique in their beauty, but they offer memorable adventure's filled with rappelling, climbing and hiking through pristine areas. Antelope Canyon is a favorite with photographers, and for good reason. 10 Amazing Slot Canyons to Explore. The Spring Creek Canyon is another nice slot canyon by the little town of Kanarra, located less than 1 hour from Zion National Park. Yes, but it may be too long for younger kids. Youll need a 4WD high-clearance vehicle to reach the trailhead, which is really just a stop along a dry river bed. Hikers have died because they were caught by a flash flood while in some of these canyons. To help you choose a hike outside the parks, we've selected a few of the best. You may have to do a little bit of driving, but its worth it! Mileage: 4 miles from Butler Flat Road or around 12 miles round-trip from the Elephant Hill TrailheadElevation gain: 567 to 1,200 ftDifficulty: moderate to difficultEstimated Time: 2 hours or 6 hoursEntry Fee: $30Permits required? Nowadays you have to pay for a permit to do the Kanarra Creek hike because of its popularity, and there are a limited number of permits available per day. This is not an all-inclusive list, because there are tons of slot canyons in this area, but listed below are some of the most popular and the most scenic slot canyons to explore.From short, easy, scenic walks to all day technical hikes, take your pick of the slot canyons you want to explore. With these narrow passageways and ladders to climb, this canyon is more fun to visit. With Moab Cliffs & Canyons, you can relax and enjoy the adventure, . A select number of permits are available for overnight trips. The canyon isnt really a slot canyon. The hike is dog-friendly and doable for school-age kids. Generally, spring and fall are the best seasons for desert hiking, since the temps are mild and the weather is manageable. A good one for beginners is Little Wild Horse Canyon near Goblin Valley. Never hike in a slot canyon with a rainy forecast. Peekaboo Canyon may be our favorite slot canyon Utah has to offer. You can turn around from here, or continue to the road. The landscape is more grand - so think big towering cliffs, wide canyons, and arches galore! Another great area in a nearby state of NM is the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Headquarters Canyon & Surprise Canyon. This is actually a living organism (called cryptobiotic soil)! Before hiking through any of these slot canyons, it is important to check the weather. These sell out often, so youll want to plan ahead. Distance: 8.1 miles for the full Little Wild Horse Bell Canyon Loop Difficulty: Moderate Time: 4 to 6 hours Getting Here: This hike is located in the San Rafael Swell of Utah. It is a 4.65 mile trail that starts at the banks of the Colorado River. NoPet Friendly? On most Southern Utah bucket lists, you'll find the local favorite one-two punch of Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons. Wilson Arch is an elegant sandstone feature that sits along Highway 191 south of Moab on BLM land. For many hikers, this is a hike that makes the bucket list. Some of the pages on my travel blog contain affiliate links. The best way to visit this slot canyon is by entering from Wire Pass, that way you get to see two slot canyons for the price of one! This is Peek a Boo Canyon. Pack out your poop. You actually need to hike in the river that runs through the narrow slot canyon! Flash flooding is a real threat and I really cant stress this enough DO NOT ENTER A SLOT CANYON WITH A RAINY FORECAST. One last look before we turn around! (Phi Phi Leh), Santorini Greece Travel Guide: Things To Do In Santorini Island, Navagio Beach Greece: Shipwreck Bay In Zakynthos Island, Zakynthos Greece Travel Guide: How To Visit Zakynthos Island, Phi Phi Island Thailand Travel Guide (Koh Phi Phi Islands), Huayna Picchu Hike: The Machu Picchu Stairs Of Death, Utah Hiking Guide: 17 Best Utah Hikes & Trails, 35 Best Things To Do In Oahu Hawaii (Fun, Couples, Free), 25 Best Hikes In Indonesia: Volcanoes, Waterfalls, & Jungles, Koko Head Hike: Koko Crater Trail & Stairs In Oahu Hawaii, Angels Landing Hike: Epic Chain Trail In Zion National Park Utah, Komodo Island Indonesia: National Park & Dragon Tour. Will you be brave enough to stand under the falls?! More information at go.nps.gov/archesticket. Hike Details. Republishing this article and/or any of its contents (text, photography, etc. For much of this hike, you will be walking in the Kanarra Creek, so water shoes are recommended. Two different slot canyons make up Antelope Canyon and both offer very different experiences. To help you plan your visit, we also have guides to the best things to do in Sedona, the best hikes in Sedona, and how to plan the perfect Sedona itinerary. You can see the LaSals peaking out from behind the mesas, and you should be able to see the famous Priest & Nuns rock formation to the SW. We had a Tacoma, but small cars can make it. . This hike offers lots of solitude away from the national parks. Headquarters Canyon is short, sweet, and super easy to hike, and in my opinion, the more thrilling of these two slot canyons. There is so much to do in this region, and hence wondering if you have plans to do another alternate itinerary for this region, with a list of other hikes that you plan to do. Canyoneering is an adventure sport using climbing equipment for rappels and other technical descents through canyons. Hiking within the narrow canyon, hopping and skipping over the creek, and watching as the canyon walls steadily grow higher and higher as you head downstream is such a great experience. When you venture out to these two slot canyons, you are really going off-the-beaten-path. The natural forces that carved slot canyons are still at work, and even light, distant rainfall can render slot canyons extremely dangerous including flash floods. Moab is surrounded by a sea of buckled, twisted and worn sandstone sculpted by millennia of sun, wind and rain, Previous Group Easily accessible. Moreover, make sure you bring enough water for the hike. So happy exploring this canyon for my 4th time! Distance: 3.5 miles. Next Group, You dont have to be Spider-Man to explore some of the best slot canyons Utah has to offer. 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