Three Slot Canyons to Explore in Utah: Trail Stats, How to Get There, & More!
Slot canyons have quickly become one of my favorite things to find & explore in Utah & the Southwest. I visited the infamous Antelope Canyon in Arizona in the spring of 2019 and have been in love ever since!
They are really unlike anything else. I’m just obsessed walking through their narrow passageways, touching the smoothed out rock, watching the light hit the canyon creating different shadows, looking up at the top of the walls that I could never reach, and seeing the contrasting blue sky. They really are magical; and it’s no wonder there is always the biggest grin on my face when I’m in one!
If you are traveling through Utah and want to add some slot canyons to your itinerary, check these 3 out!
Bonus: Looking for more to do around Utah? Check out my posts on Delicate Arch, Observation Point in Zion, and Arches in Moab that aren’t in Arches National Park!
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Planning your trip? Use my favorite resources!
Accommodation – I recommend Booking.com to find the best deals on hotels.
Flights – I recommend Skyscanner to look for the best prices and deals on flights.
Rental cars – I recommend DiscoverCars to shop around at multiple car rental agencies.
Travel insurance – I recommend Safety Wing; keep your trips insured to protect yourself while traveling.
Tours/experiences – I recommend Viator!
Leave No Trace
You would think this should go without saying, but DO NOT write on the canyon walls! This is so disrespectful and no one wants to see your graffiti everywhere!
Utah Slot Canyons: Safety
Before you embark on your slot canyon adventure, there are some very important things to note regarding safety & flash floods.
- Check the weather & forecast before you leave. If there is any rain expected in the area do NOT go. Thunderstorms up to 100 miles away can cause a flash flood in a slot canyon.
- If you notice a build up of clouds, hear thunder, or find yourself in a flash flood situation, exit the canyon as quickly as you can and seek higher ground.
1. Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch
- Location: This slot canyon is halfway between Page, Arizona and Kanab, Utah. It makes a great stop if you’re going to Page or are around Zion National Park. The last 8 miles of the road to get to the trail is a dirt, rocky road. Very doable in my AWD Cr-V and have heard of sedans making the drive safely.
- Trail Stats: 3.7 miles & 215 ft. of elevation gain BUT you can keep walking down the slot canyon for miles if you wanted to and are capable. Check out this website for a map & recent trail info. There is a ladder to climb down/ up in the small slot canyon before it opens up to Buckskin Gulch. If you want to bypass it, follow the rock cairns before the canyon narrows.
- About the Trail: It starts near The Wave (permits needed) and there is a section of Wire Pass that resembles The Wave. You can also go further than the 3.7 miles if you’d like- some even backpack Buckskin Gulch as it is 21 miles one way. When we there, we saw not only a tarantula in Buckskin Gulch, but a rattlesnake too. The snake was small but this was within 25 minutes of us getting into Buckskin Gulch and we’d never seen this kind of wildlife before so needless to say, we were freaked out and ended up turning around. But it is still a hike I think about often and wish we had gone further!
- Why You’ll Love it: The canyon walls are VERY tall and is apparently one of the longest slot canyons in the world!
2. Little Wild Horse Canyon
- Location: This slot canyon is near Hanksville, Utah. It’s a great stop if you are traveling to Goblin Valley State Park as it is 20 mins down the road from it. We went to this canyon driving from Moab to Capitol Reef. It’s a great little side trip if you have an extra day or half day!
- Trail Stats: ~3 miles & ~ 200 ft. of elevation gain if you ONLY do Little Wild Horse Canyon, instead of this & the Bell Canyon loop. Check out this website for a map & recent trail info.
- About the Trail: You will follow a wide wash until you hit the junction for Bell Canyon and Little Wild Horse Canyon. I’m not sure what Bell Canyon looks like, but someone exiting Bell Canyon when we there said that Little Wild Horse was a lot cooler and very narrow! We hiked about 1.5 miles from the parking lot into the slot canyon. There were no obstacles and the trail was pretty flat.
- Why You’ll Love it: There were quite a few sections of the canyon that were very narrow and I just had a smile on my face the whole time! We also happened to be here on a weekday in December and only saw a handful of other people either on our way in or out, so we didn’t deal with crowds which was a huge plus.
3. Red Hollow Slot Canyon
- Location: Orderville, UT. Less than an hour from Zion National Park. We stopped here on our way to Zion from Bryce via Rt. 89. The trail starts near a water tower, and you will drive down a short portion of dirt/ sand road before you reach a gate. It looks like you’re not supposed to be there, but don’t worry! The trail is here. Follow the trail down a wash toward the red cliffs and it will end at the mouth of the canyon.
- Trail Stats: 1.5 miles & 315 ft. of elevation gain. Check out this website for a map & recent trail info.
- About the Trail: This is a very short and sweet slot canyon. We probably spent only 15 minutes in the actual slot canyon. Obviously due to its short length it won’t be as impressive as the other 2 slot canyons mentioned. There used to be a rope to climb up a 50 ft. drop in the canyon that someone cut. So unless you have canyoneering experience, the trail will stop here for you unless the rope is back up when you go!
- Why You’ll Love it: It’s a quick and fun stop if you’re driving from Bryce to Zion. It was a flat and short walk to the canyon and made for some nice pictures!
I hope enjoyed my content on Utah slot canyons and found it helpful for your next trip. Please like this post, subscribe to my blog, and follow me on Instagram for more travel inspiration. Thanks for reading! 🙂
