Slot Canyon Dream Trip
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument’s hidden treasures
By Abby McAllister
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Since I was young I have dreamed of exploring slot canyons. At some point I saw photos of people winding their way through stunning red walled canyons no wider than your arm span. From that moment on I have dreampt of being the one in the photo. After an amazing week in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) in Southern Utah I can finally check that off the list…although I sense I will be back-once is not enough!
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Maybe I was just using the excuse of getting the kids outside or maybe I was projecting what I wanted onto them but whatever the reasons for planning this trip, it was so worth it! I actually worked hard to keep my kids from knowing anything about this part of our trip. I purposefully didn’t show them online photos of slot canyons because I wanted it to be a big surprise. I didn't want them to get a lot of preconceived ideas and maybe be disappointed. Although it was hard for me to keep it all to myself, it was worth it in the end. They were so surprised and excited when we finally arrived and began our explorations.
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We began with the GSENM classic slot canyons-Peek-a-Boo and Spooky. These are classic slot canyons that branch off the same “dry” gulch, Dry Fork Coyote Gulch (it was dry while we were there but shows signs of water at other times of year). Their proximity to one another allows you to easily navigate both of them in the same trip. Despite their nearness to each other, each has its own unique character.
Beginning the hike from the parking area.
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Heading down into Coyote Gulch
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Peek-a-boo is called a “hanging” slot canyon. Until we arrived at the mouth I wasn't sure exactly what that meant.
As the label loosely implies, the mouth of Pee-A-Boo is not at ground level but instead is “hanging” up in the air! You have to be willing to scramble up about 12 feet of sandstone to enter this slot canyon. I loved beginning with this one because the kids immediately had to resort to teamwork and helping each other. Our 13 year old could make it up on his own, but the rest of us needed help. Without any prompting from me they all began to problem solve the entrance. How would we get everyone up, including the 2 year old?
As the label loosely implies, the mouth of Pee-A-Boo is not at ground level but instead is “hanging” up in the air! You have to be willing to scramble up about 12 feet of sandstone to enter this slot canyon. I loved beginning with this one because the kids immediately had to resort to teamwork and helping each other. Our 13 year old could make it up on his own, but the rest of us needed help. Without any prompting from me they all began to problem solve the entrance. How would we get everyone up, including the 2 year old?
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Once we were up it was as if we had entered an enchanted wonderland. Immediately we were faced with winding red walls, swirling sandstone, and quickly narrowing slot walls. The boys started climbing deeper in. Each was shouting exclamations and urging us
on. Dad and I were a little slower since
we were totting baby along. The enchantment
only increased as we wound our way through this amazing natural wonder. Truly words can’t do it justice (actually my
photography can’t either, but it is better than my words…)
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When Peek-A-Boo started to open up and bring us towards the top of the mesa, we opted to turn around and head back down the way we came. Some other hikers chose to head up on the mesa and make their way to Spooky from above. Since we had left the baby backpack at the mouth, we needed to return the way we came. It was cool to see the same canyon from the other direction, and after a quick snack we did just that.
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Happy canyoneers!
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View from the top of the mesa at the end of Peek-a-Boo
Once we had exited Peek-A-Boo at the hanging entrance we strapped baby back on and continued down the dry wash towards Spooky. It took us about 25 minutes, at a leisurely pace, to reach the narrow entrance of Spooky.
Walking in the wash from Peek-a-Boo to Spooky
Entrance to Spooky
Exploring at all levels!
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This one starts off at ground level but is really narrow from the beginning
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Spooky starts out narrow and only gets narrower. There were times when the kids yelled back to us that it was getting pretty tight and I would comment to Harley, “I thought we just did the narrow part!” We had to leave not only the baby backpack but our hydration packs too (some people choose to side shimmy through holding their packs in front of or behind them, but since we would be coming back out the same way we just left ours at the entrance).
Once again, this slot did not disappoint! Although so different in character it was thrilling in its own way. The kids loved trying to stem up the walls at the beginning and dared each other not to be “spooked” by the narrow, claustrophobic walls at the end. Once again, words cannot describe…
Once again, this slot did not disappoint! Although so different in character it was thrilling in its own way. The kids loved trying to stem up the walls at the beginning and dared each other not to be “spooked” by the narrow, claustrophobic walls at the end. Once again, words cannot describe…
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And once again, we turned around and came back out the way we went in. Baby and I headed out when the slot began to angle upward towards the mesa above. That was the right choice since it became quite a scramble after that. Baby had to walk the whole way-either in front of or behind me since it was too narrow to even pick him up. He did so great!
There is another option further down the main wash but it was more than we thought we could do with baby along. On the way back up the wash towards our car the boys decided they wanted to do Peek-A-Boo again but fast this time. Harley and I let them go and we went and walked up the slot canyon that is immediately left when you reach the wash from the trail from the parking lot. It is called “Dry Fork Coyote Gulch” or just “Dry Fork” (the upstream end of the main dry wash).
There is another option further down the main wash but it was more than we thought we could do with baby along. On the way back up the wash towards our car the boys decided they wanted to do Peek-A-Boo again but fast this time. Harley and I let them go and we went and walked up the slot canyon that is immediately left when you reach the wash from the trail from the parking lot. It is called “Dry Fork Coyote Gulch” or just “Dry Fork” (the upstream end of the main dry wash).
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Although this canyon isn’t as exciting as Peek-A-Boo and Spooky it still has great character and beautiful walls. You can add to that the easy accessibility of this canyon and it is a must do. It is wider than the other two and unlike Peek-A-Boo, you can walk right in. We carried baby in the backpack and walked for about 15 minutes. Although it does narrow quite a bit, it never becomes the squeeze that Spooky is. I think it is a great option for anyone who feels they aren't up to the challenge of either of the other two canyons. 
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Baby can't resisit the urge to reach out and feel the walls
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Overall, we all give this trip 12 enthusiastic thumbs up - that’s two thumbs times 6 of us. With the easy accessibility of these slot canyons and the varied options off the main gulch, this could be a trip for almost anyone. Next time you are looking for an epic and unforgettable trip with your kids, consider a Southern Utah slot canyon dream trip.
When you go:
It is a good idea to stop in at one of the visitor’s centers before you head down Hole-in-the-Rock Road. There are visitor centers in Cannonville and in Escalante. Both are West of Hole-in-the-Rock Road with Escalante being much closer. We visited both and both were very helpful. They offer BLM printouts of many of the popular trips in GSENM with up to date information. We highly recommend stopping in for one of these printouts. Much of the information off the internet can easily become outdated as one big flash flood changes conditions dramatically. The rangers will be able to let you know what is advisable and what isn’t for your time frame specifically. Also, please carry more water than you think you might need. There are no water sources where you will be heading and it can get hot, even in late fall when we went. We filled all our water carrying accessories (camelbacks, Nalgene bottles) and had a 5 gallon backup in the car). There are very few restrooms in the monument also. There is one at Devil’s Garden but that will be over 10 miles away from where you are headed. The ranger station at Escalante had “wag bags” that they were giving out for free. These are bags you can poop in and then seal up. They work great, especially with a clean, empty 5 gallon bucket. They don’t smell and seal everything up really well.
Once you have your information you are ready to head off into GSENM. You will find Hole-In-The-Rock Road off of Highway 12 in Southern Utah, between the towns of Escalante and Boulder (closer to Escalante). The turn is marked but not obvious so keep a look out. There is a large gravel pull-out with some signage there. We printed various maps and directions off the internet but the most useful was the one we picked up at the ranger station. It shows the turn-off for Dry Fork of Coyote Gulch to be about 26 miles down the road. This road is gravel and often very rutted out so prepare yourself for a bit of a drive.
Once you reach the signed turn off for Dry Fork Rd you will turn left and go 1.7 miles to the trailhead, staying left at any junctions. This road was really bad when we went. Many people had parked early, before the trailhead, and hiked in. Our suburban had no trouble getting back to the trailhead though. You will need to decide how far you feel comfortable going based on the road conditions you encounter.
Once at the trailhead you will head down off the edge of the bluff you are parked on. You will need to be able to read a trail marked by cairns. The trail heads down off slick rock to the canyon bottom. Once at the bottom you will see the upstream side of Dry Fork called the Dry Fork Narrows. Although not a slot canyon technically, it is a beautiful and non-technical canyon that you can follow for miles. We checked it out toward the end of our foray and it was worth it.
To find Peak-a-Boo you will want to cross the sandy bottom and walk slightly downstream, to your right. You will see the “hanging” entrance across on the far side. It is called “hanging” because you have to climb up about 12 feet to get into it. Once up and in Peek-a-Boo you can follow the sculpted walls up about a quarter of a mile. At this point you can turn around and trace your way back down or climb up and out. Both will take you to trails to get to Spooky. As I said, we turned around since we had left our baby backpack at the entrance.
To find Spooky you will reenter the main canyon and continue downstream (it is easy to get turned around so be sure to carefully check that you know where you are and where you came from repeatedly). It will be about half a mile down the canyon to the entrance. As long as you are in the canyon and going the right way you will find the slot. The entrance is after a large sand dune on your left. You will enter Spooky in a large sandy wash on the left. It will funnel you into the slot after a short quarter mile. Go as far as you feel comfortable. It becomes very narrow and rises steeply up at the back end. Our big boys had no trouble but baby and I had to turn back at that point.
When you go:
It is a good idea to stop in at one of the visitor’s centers before you head down Hole-in-the-Rock Road. There are visitor centers in Cannonville and in Escalante. Both are West of Hole-in-the-Rock Road with Escalante being much closer. We visited both and both were very helpful. They offer BLM printouts of many of the popular trips in GSENM with up to date information. We highly recommend stopping in for one of these printouts. Much of the information off the internet can easily become outdated as one big flash flood changes conditions dramatically. The rangers will be able to let you know what is advisable and what isn’t for your time frame specifically. Also, please carry more water than you think you might need. There are no water sources where you will be heading and it can get hot, even in late fall when we went. We filled all our water carrying accessories (camelbacks, Nalgene bottles) and had a 5 gallon backup in the car). There are very few restrooms in the monument also. There is one at Devil’s Garden but that will be over 10 miles away from where you are headed. The ranger station at Escalante had “wag bags” that they were giving out for free. These are bags you can poop in and then seal up. They work great, especially with a clean, empty 5 gallon bucket. They don’t smell and seal everything up really well.
Once you have your information you are ready to head off into GSENM. You will find Hole-In-The-Rock Road off of Highway 12 in Southern Utah, between the towns of Escalante and Boulder (closer to Escalante). The turn is marked but not obvious so keep a look out. There is a large gravel pull-out with some signage there. We printed various maps and directions off the internet but the most useful was the one we picked up at the ranger station. It shows the turn-off for Dry Fork of Coyote Gulch to be about 26 miles down the road. This road is gravel and often very rutted out so prepare yourself for a bit of a drive.
Once you reach the signed turn off for Dry Fork Rd you will turn left and go 1.7 miles to the trailhead, staying left at any junctions. This road was really bad when we went. Many people had parked early, before the trailhead, and hiked in. Our suburban had no trouble getting back to the trailhead though. You will need to decide how far you feel comfortable going based on the road conditions you encounter.
Once at the trailhead you will head down off the edge of the bluff you are parked on. You will need to be able to read a trail marked by cairns. The trail heads down off slick rock to the canyon bottom. Once at the bottom you will see the upstream side of Dry Fork called the Dry Fork Narrows. Although not a slot canyon technically, it is a beautiful and non-technical canyon that you can follow for miles. We checked it out toward the end of our foray and it was worth it.
To find Peak-a-Boo you will want to cross the sandy bottom and walk slightly downstream, to your right. You will see the “hanging” entrance across on the far side. It is called “hanging” because you have to climb up about 12 feet to get into it. Once up and in Peek-a-Boo you can follow the sculpted walls up about a quarter of a mile. At this point you can turn around and trace your way back down or climb up and out. Both will take you to trails to get to Spooky. As I said, we turned around since we had left our baby backpack at the entrance.
To find Spooky you will reenter the main canyon and continue downstream (it is easy to get turned around so be sure to carefully check that you know where you are and where you came from repeatedly). It will be about half a mile down the canyon to the entrance. As long as you are in the canyon and going the right way you will find the slot. The entrance is after a large sand dune on your left. You will enter Spooky in a large sandy wash on the left. It will funnel you into the slot after a short quarter mile. Go as far as you feel comfortable. It becomes very narrow and rises steeply up at the back end. Our big boys had no trouble but baby and I had to turn back at that point.
