Kyle and I recently finished up our Spring Utah trip with a hike into Wire Pass slot canyon that into Buckskin Gulch - the longest and deepest slot canyon in the world. We were only able to spend a few hours inside these amazing corridors but the experience was absolutely incredible and worth the rough 9 mile ride down the “dirt” road to get there.
The hike begins at the Wire Pass trailhead on the House Rock Road. It is also the trailhead for the very popular, and hard to get, hike to the Wave in the Vermillion Cliffs - Paria Canyon wilderness. As with all slot canyons, care must be taken to make sure there won’t be any flash floods in the area, and that includes all of the upstream drainages that filter into it. Once you’re in the slot there is usually no way out.
A mile or so of travel through the sandy semi-open wash is required to get to the first slot - Wire Pass, which has some very cool narrows, a climb down a ten foot ladder and the twisty carved rock shapes. However, if you have the time and the wherewithal, taking the right turn down Buckskin gulch is definitely worth the extra effort. The walls are much higher, creating a feeling of awe and splendor well beyond any of the other slots we’ve been in.
You can read Kyle’s engaging post on the hike with photos of the amazing shapes here.
This video is a quick edit on a portion of the hike. I hope to add another with more detail.
