Part 5. Slot Canyons

Upper part of Buckskin Gulch and its tributary, Wire Pass Canyon.

Buckskin Gulch, Utah.

The most impressive of them all is Buckskin Gulch, a tributary of Paria River. It is shared by Grand Staircase- Escalante and Vermilion Cliffs National Monuments in extreme southern Utah.

Buckskin Gulch, Utah.

Inside Buckskin Gulch.

Buckskin Gulch, Utah.

The slot part of Buckskin Gulch is more than 20 km long, and up to 300 m deep. In most places it is 1-2 meters wide at the floor level. It cuts through many types of rock,so its vertical walls have different colors and textures at every turn.

Buckskin Gulch, Utah.

Middle part of Buckskin Gulch.

The lower part of Buckskin Gulch.

Slot canyons usually have flat sandy bottoms, but walking there can be difficult. You often have to climb high steps of smooth slickstone, wade or swim through pools of cold water, squeeze through narrows, and run across quicksand.

Junction with a small tributary, Buckskin Gulch.

Patterns of quicksand, Buckskin Gulch.

Deathtrap, Buckskin Gulch.

However, the main danger is not the quicksand, but flash floods. They can be caused by rains a hundred miles upstream. People get killed in slot canyons every year. Floods leave tree trunks stuck up to 15 m above canyon floors. Places where you can climb out are usually rare and far between.

Log left by a flood, Buckskin Gulch.

Dry Fork Coyote Gulch canyons, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah.

Dry Fork Coyote Gulch.

Dry Fork Coyote Gulch, a small temporal stream near Hole-in- the-Wall Road in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (see previous pages), has 14 small slot canyons in its basin. Some are too narrow to go through, or have pits which are easy to climb into, but impossible to get out of without special equipment.

Dry Fork Coyote Gulch.

Inside Pick-A-Boo Canyon.

Entrance to Pick-A-Boo Canyon, Utah.

Bottom of Pick-A-Boo Canyon.

Pick-A-Boo Canyon.

The two most beautiful canyons in Dry Fork area are Pick-A-Boo and Spooky. Pick-A-Boo is a hanging canyon, and it has difficult steps and chockstones inside. You have to be somewhat good at rock climbing to get inside, and the pools along the bottom can be up to 1 meter deep, but the canyon is worth the effort.

Pick-A-Boo Canyon.

Spooky Canyon, Utah.

Spooky Canyon, Utah.

Except for one chockstone near the far end, Spooky Canyon is easy to explore if you are not overweight. However, people suffering from claustrophobia have been known to have lethal heart attacks in Spooky Canyon.

Spooky Canyon, Utah.

Bottom of Upper Dry Fork Canyon.

Natural light level in Spooky Canyon.

Water Holes Canyon.

Another area with lots of slot canyons is the northern part of the Navajo Reservation, across Lake Powell from Grand Staircase-Escalante. Here some of them are crossed by highway bridges and easily accessible, but the tribal administration often tries to ban access or charge entrance fees, not always reasonable. If you can't afford to pay, you can explore them early in the morning during off-season weekdays, but you'll be fined if caught.

Water Holes Canyon.

Water Holes Canyon, Arizona.

Water Holes Canyon from above.

The best two slot canyons on Navajo lands are Water Hole and Antelope Canyons near Page, Arizona. Like most slot canyons, they are not particularly interesting if seen from above - you have to get down to the bottom. Antelope Canyon is one of the most photographed places in the Southwest.

Water Holes Canyon from above.

Antelope Canyon, Arizona.

Antelope Canyon.

Antelope Canyon is very small, but it has beautiful pink color, and rich texture. The light is best on overcast days, but they are rare in the desert.

Antelope Canyon.

Noctuid moth, Buckskin Gulch.

Side-blotched lizard, Buckskin Gulch.

Rock lizard,Buckskin Gulch.

Whatever little wildlife inhabits slot canyons is well camouflaged. Owls and other birds nest in canyon walls; mice, lizards, scorpions, spiders, and insects live near the bottom. Canyon wren (Catherpes mexicanus), canyon mouse (Peromyscus crinitus), and ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) are particularly common.

Canyon mouse, Buckskin Gulch.

Unnamed canyon near Burr Trail, Utah.

Unnamed canyon near Burr Trail.

Altogether, there are probably a few hundred slot canyons on Colorado Plateau, plus a few more in Southern California and Nevada. Some are very little known. This short canyon cut in dark-red Navajo sandstone near Burr Trail probably doesn't even have a name. A good information resource is www.americansouthwest.net. It has access details, good descriptions, and some photos of many slot canyons and other interesting natural features and places in the region.

Unnamed canyon near Burr Trail.

Antelope Canyon, Arizona.

Part 6. Grand Canyon
Back to Part 4

Home