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A 14-mile non-technical slot canyon deep in the Utah Desert. This is the wildest run you'll ever do. But be careful!


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Map Key

16.9

Miles

27.2

KM

99%

Runnable

4,819' 1,469 m

High

4,381' 1,335 m

Low

567' 173 m

Up

977' 298 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

12%

Max Grade (7°)

Dogs Leashed

Features Cave · Commonly Backpacked · Geological Significance · Historical Significance · River/Creek · Views

Permit required for day and overnight use: recreation.gov/activitypass…
DO NOT ENTER the slot canyon if there is a chance for flash flooding!

Need to Know

Your GPS will not work in the canyon. In most spots, you'll have only minimal view of the sky at all.

Description

Buckskin Gulch is less well-known than the adjacent, world-famous, Coyote Gulch, but is still a life-list destination run. You'll wind along a sandy floor between 200-foot-tall sandstone walls, sometimes so close together you can touch both sides at the same time. In one spot, you'll need to climb down a short knotted rope (about 10 feet). You may need to wade through water or negotiate mud (or quicksand!) at various point as well.

Buckskin is not to be taken lightly! This is an experts-only trail and you should have some experience in deserts and slot canyons. Once you venture into Buckskin, it's hard to get lost. However, escape is difficult—make sure flash flood conditions are minimal because ... well, there are large logs wedged 40 feet or more overhead between the canyon walls from past floods.

The entire gulch is more than 16 miles from the Buckskin Gulch trailhead to the confluence with the Paria River, as mapped here. The upper part is not a slot canyon, but a wide wash that gradually narrows. Most people entering Buckskin opt for the shorter route in from Wire Pass Trail. See the Buckskin Gulch: Wire Pass to White House page for a complete description

Contacts

Shared By:

Charles Danforth with improvements by Chelsea C and 1 other

Trail Ratings

  5.0 from 14 votes

#232

Overall
  5.0 from 14 votes
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Trail Rankings

#30

in Utah

#232

Overall
18 Views Last Month
2,471 Since Jun 17, 2019
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult

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Photos

View from the trail.
Jan 20, 2022 near Kanab, UT
View from the trail.
Jan 20, 2022 near Kanab, UT
View from the trail
Jan 20, 2022 near Kanab, UT
Sublime canyon light.
Jun 22, 2019 near Kanab, UT
Deep in Buckskin Gulch. The trail is not hard to follow ... only because there aren't many other options.
Jun 22, 2019 near Kanab, UT
View from the trail
Jan 24, 2023 near Kanab, UT

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Weather


Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 85 days ago
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