Southwest's Top Canyon Hikes
The Southwest is home to incredible landscapes that are unique the world over. I feel home in the Southwest. I love big craggy mountains and green forests. But my favorite place for adventure is in the desert.
Why? Because, canyons.
Carved and sculpted out of stone, canyons are magical places. The desert is an unforgiving place. But canyons hold the balance between life and death, literally. Canyons hold water, and therefore life. Canyons are the veins through which the lifeblood of the desert flows.
There's no place I'd rather explore than a good canyon. And if you are in the Southwest, there are some downright bucket-list worthy canyons to hike through. Since I call the Southwest my home, I thought I would offer my top five canyons for hiking, backpacking, or canyoneering.
RELATED: Read about the time I narrowly escaped a flash flood while canyoning in Behunin Canyon in Zion National Park.
1. Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon – Utah and Arizona
Buckskin Gulch is 15+ miles of perfect slot canyon magic. In some places it's cold, dark, and full of mud. In others, it's practically glowing with fire and light. It's a loooong day to explore all of it. But hot damn, it doesn't get any better than this place.
Buckskin will then spit you out in Paria Canyon for another 30 miles of spectacular canyon hiking. These two connected canyons offer a unique ability to backpack through the whole system. Every few miles the canyon takes on a different vibe. It's constantly changing and full of surprises. Eventually, hikers are deposited at Lee's Ferry at the Colorado River. This multi-day adventure is simply one of the best on earth.
This might just be my favorite hiking destination of all time, and I guess that's saying something. But be warned, it's challenging. Even when it's hot outside, it can get quite chilly in its dark interiors. The mud and chest deep water make this pretty spicy. And of course, don't go here when flash flooding is a risk.
The Wire Pass Trailhead is the main trailhead, although there are a few other hard to find entrances. To get here, take Highway 89 in between Kanab, UT and Page, AZ (it's roughly in the middle) and go south on House Rock Valley Road about 8 miles. This road can turn to peanut butter after a rain. Don't try to drive when the roads are wet, they are impassable.
2.) The Narrows – Zion National Park, Utah
This is another example of a practically perfect place. With soaring, sculpted walls, you'll feel instantly drawn in by the Narrows' beauty. Throw in the Virgin River flowing clean and clear, and there's no better place to hide from the sun on a hot day than a stroll through what locals refer to as "Wall Street" in the Narrows. Wall Street is a section of the hike that takes you through the narrowest section of the canyon, and it is simply a must do. It's totally worth getting in any way you can.
The vast majority of people hike here by taking the Zion National Park shuttle all the way to its terminus at Temple of Sinawava and hiking upstream from here. It's crowded for about the first mile but the crowds will consistently dwindle further upcanyon.
For the full experience, I suggest backpacking in from the top, starting at Chamberlain Ranch, and hiking the Narrows in its 16-mile entirety. It's possible to do it all in one day, but why would you? With a new jaw-dropping sight around every bend, going at a leisurely pace is the way to go. It can be done as a two-day, one-night adventure. Campsites are limited in the canyon and should be reserved in advance through the backcountry office.
3.) The Grand Canyon, duh.
This one is a little too obvious. But it's also too broad. The Grand Canyon is an immense place. So I've got to be more specific...
3a.) Deer Creek – Grand Canyon, Arizona
The easiest way to access this canyon is by boat via the Colorado River. The river will deposit you at the mouth of Deer Creek, at the heart of its most spectacular beauty. Big waterfalls, slots, and vegetation, this place is an amazing destination. And if you ever do a Grand Canyon river trip, this is one of highlights of the whole canyon.
Can't get there by boat? There's a burly hike in from the Rim via Thunder River. I don't recommend this route for the casual hiker. It is extremely strenuous. But for those with the flavor, you'll get to see one of the most beautiful and remote places on earth.
3b.) Havasupai
After miles of hot, dry hiking through the desert, you're suddenly engulfed in a lush, almost tropical environment. Havasupai is the closest thing on earth we've got to paradise. Think Eden, at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Blue green waters falling 200 feet down red rock, with perfect pools and swimming holes for miles until you hit the Colorado River.
This place is a bucket-list type place. But be warned, it's gotten very competitive to get the permits to camp here. And regulations have changed recently, such as a three night minimum stay. So you've got to plan ahead! Use the Havasupai Reservations system to make this dream trip happen.
4.) Coyote Gulch – Escalante, Utah
Utah is basically the world's biggest playground. And Coyote Gulch is among Utah's most fun places to hike and play. I seriously love this place. With towering canyon walls and year-round water flowing through the canyon, it's an amazing place to be when it's hot. The canyon constantly changes and surprises.
Hike through massive arches, camp under crazy alcoves, dunk yourself under waterfalls, and stargaze under the dark skies. This place will make you feel like a kid again.
To get here, take Highway 12 towards the town of Escalante, Utah. Take Hole in the Rock Road south until you hit 40 Mile Bench Road. There are several route options. I'm familiar with exploring through Crack in the Rock and hiking upcanyon to Hamblin Arch, where you can exit and return to your car at the water tanks. For all the route descriptions and details, check out Bear Foot Theory's extensive and very helpful guide.
Note: the exit out at Hamblin Arch, which I recommend, can scare people. It's a 45 degree slick rock slope. If you fall, you're going to roll for a while. You don't need any rope. But it's suited for people with a certain degree of comfort with scrambling. Go slow and steady.
5.) The Subway – Zion National Park, Utah
Zion National Park is home to many ridiculously beautiful canyons. Many of the canyons are cracks in the earth, carved deep and narrow by flowing water. Flowing water is what makes Zion National Park so incredible. Perennial water supplies mean year-round flowing water through it's network of canyons. And perhaps Zion's most beautiful and awe-inspiring feature is "the Subway". Here the canyon takes the shape of a perfect subway tunnel, full of gorgeous pools of water curving gently around the bend.
This masterpiece is a good day-hike upcanyon, and is how most people do it because permits are not mandatory for this route. But to get to "the Subway" feature, you spend most of the day hiking in a canyon that doesn't have the same drama. And you are forced to turn around at the Subway feature, due to an unclimbable waterfall. It ends up being a fairly long out-and-back.
By far the best way to explore this canyon is from the top down. The upper parts will take you through a wet canyon full of swims and offer insanely stunning beauty throughout. It requires much more effort and is borderline technical. Most fit hikers can do this with a thirty-foot piece of webbing to assist with a single 15-foot drop (although it's safer to bring a harness, belay device, and a short rope to rappel this drop.) To get here, drive up Kolob Terrace Road west of the main entrance to Zion National Park. Park at the Wildcat Trailhead. The route description can be found at Canyoneering USA or in Tom Jone's Zion: Canyoneering guidebook.
Canyoneering permits are necessary and are highly competitive for this route. There is a lottery for advance reservations, or show up day of (early!) at the Zion National Park backcountry office and obtain one of the limited daily walkup permits.
The Subway, like most of the canyons on this list, is an otherworldly, mind-bendingly beautiful place. It's an all day adventure through a downright magical slice of earth.
This blog is to be used as a starting point only. These hikes are wonderful but they aren't without risk - be prepared and make sure you do your research before you decide to hit the trail.