Slot canyon
Buckskin Gulch
A slot canyon that runs roughly 16 miles through the north end of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness to its meeting with the Paria River.
Plan your visit: access, parking and practical details
Check the operator’s current fees, reservations, parking, transit, restrooms and accessibility arrangements before leaving. Confirm specific mobility or sensory needs directly with the venue.
Official visitor information ↗
File photo, Oct. 31, 2020. Photo: BLM Utah (photographer Raven Chavez) · Public domain · Bureau of Land Management via Wikimedia Commons
The BLM calls Buckskin Gulch one of the longest continuous slot canyons in the world. It winds about 16 miles between sandstone walls in the north end of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, a 112,500-acre area Congress designated in 1984 that straddles the Utah-Arizona line.
You can enter at the Buckskin Gulch Trailhead, about 4.5 miles down House Rock Valley Road from US-89, or by way of Wire Pass, 8.3 miles down. Day hikers need a day-use permit for each person and each dog, paid at the trailhead or ahead on Recreation.gov. Overnight trips through Buckskin and Paria need a separate permit reserved in advance, and entries are limited to 20 people a day across all trailheads. The Buckskin permit does not cover The Wave or Coyote Buttes.
Human waste bags are required throughout Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon, and all trash and waste must be packed out. Fires are prohibited.
Safety
This is a long, narrow slot with few ways out. Check the forecast and BLM advisories before going in, and stay out when storms threaten the drainage.
Related canyons
River canyon