Spooky Gulch Slot Canyons Utah
When it comes to great canyoneering, we sure are spoiled here in Utah. The Colorado Plateau holds virtually a lifetime of canyons waiting to be explored, and slot canyons here are plentiful. Peek-A-Boo, Spooky, and Brimstone Gulch are three of the best little cracks in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. If you are looking for a slot canyon adventure, or perhaps putting together a bucket list of “must-see” places, these should be near the top.
We spend a late fall day hiking through the Gulches of Escalante Canyons National Monument. Dry Fork Narrows, Peek-a-boo and Spooky Gulches. We also make a s. Spooky gulch definitely lives up to it's name! Sections are challenging and dark, requiring the ability to maneuver tight quarters. Not for those with fears of small spaces. 10/10 would recommend. Our trip through 2 amazing slot canyons of Southern Utah. Spooky Gulch & Reflection Canyon. Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument. March 16, 2017 - Duration: 5:11. Spooky Gulch is a short slot canyon hike in the Grand Staircase-Escalante area, located on the Hole-in-the-Rock Road, 26 miles south of the town of Escalante. Spooky is well-named and pretty famous for how dark it gets when deep in a slot, and for the panic-inspiring quality of its extremely narrow walls. Experience Southern Utah’s Zion National Park and Peekaboo Slot Canyon to view the beautiful canyons, and colorful picnic in brilliant colors. Observe a dramatic scenery change as your tour gains nearly 6,000 feet in elevation, from desert to towering Ponderosa pine forests!Travelers will stop at Zion National Park Visitor Center.
The best part about Peek-A-Boo, Spooky, and Brimstone slot canyons is that they can all be explored in a single day. Get yourself down to the town of Escalante, and point your vehicle south on Hole-in-the-Rock Road. The road is graded and passable for most vehicles, though it can become seriously muddy after a storm. Drive approximately 25 miles on Hole-in-the-Rock Road and make a left at the signed turnoff for the Dry Fork Coyote Gulch trailhead, about 1.5 miles further. A register and some signs mark the beginning of the trail.
Descend the slickrock shelf towards Dry Fork Coyote Gulch. Cairns (small piles of stacked rocks) help to keep hikers headed in the right direction. Soon you will arrive in Dry Fork, and a short hike will bring you to the mouth of Peek-A-Boo Gulch. My advice is to continue down Dry Fork, saving Peek-A-Boo for the end of the hike. There is no true trail in Dry Fork; instead, hikers simply make their way down the wash. Continuing down Dry Fork will eventually bring you to a short section of narrows with a chockstone blocking the path. Hikers can scramble past this problem, or bypass it by backtracking a short distance and finding a way around on the north side. Once you are back in Dry Wash, it’s just a short hike to the mouth of Brimstone Gulch. A cairn often marks the way. The first 1/4 mile is a tough trek through the sandy lower portion of Brimstone. Eventually, the walls begin to close in. Brimstone Gulch is the deepest and darkest of the three canyons in the area, and it often contains water that can be up to waist deep. Exploration of Brimstone ends when the canyon is simply too narrow to continue. Head back out and retrace your steps up Dry Fork wash- it’s time for Spooky and Peek-A-Boo.
Spooky Gulch can’t be seen from Dry Fork, but an obvious hiker trail through the sand will direct you where to go. Almost immediately upon entering Spooky, the walls close in and the light gets low. This is an aptly named slot canyon, with walls so close together that you will have to take off your pack and turn sideways to continue on. As you get further up canyon, some scrambling up small obstacles is required. Exiting Spooky demands hikers complete a Class 3 move to upclimb a cluster of chockstones. Many folks will decide to turn back at this point, but if you have the skills to proceed up the rocks, you’ll soon be at the end of Spooky. From here, simply head west on an obvious hiking trail (again, the trail is marked with cairns to keep you on the right path) until you arrive at the top of Peek-A-Boo.
Brimstone is the deepest, Spooky has the skinniest narrows, and Peek-A-Boo may have the best colors and features. Gorgeous hues of red and orange glow in morning and afternoon light. There are several places where Peek-A-Boo can collect water, but all of these can be scrambled around without getting your boots wet. There are many outstanding features in Peek-A-Boo, including a double natural bridge near the mouth. Leave Peek-A-Boo by sliding or climbing down the steep rock face that marks its beginning.
Hikers of any skill level can explore the majority of these three slot canyons. The most difficult obstacle is the exit climb out of Spooky Gulch. Plan to take anywhere from 3-6 hours to explore all three slots. The best seasons for hiking are spring and fall; summer is just too hot for most of us. The slots are all cool and dark, and sometimes contain water, so be prepared with extra gear. Never enter a slot canyon if rain is in the forecast for the surrounding areas. Free, overnight permits are needed for camping below the canyon rim (anywhere below the parking lot area) and can be obtained from the Escalante Visitor Center. There are also plenty of at-large camping spots along Hole-in-the-Rock Road. And don’t forget your camera…you don’t want to miss the awed expressions of fellow hikers in these incredible slot canyons!
Getting There: From the town of Escalante, drive southeast on Hole-in-the-Rock Road for approximately 25 miles. Turn left at signed road for Dry Fork Coyote Gulch. Drive 1.5 miles over rough road to the parking area.
Maps: Big Hollow Wash 7.5″ topo map; Trails Illustrated Canyons of the Escalante Map #710
Dogs: Dogs are allowed on the hike, but a sign at the trailhead warns that it is not an appropriate hike for them. I have personally seen several dogs making their way up the canyons with their masters. Know your pooch’s limits and consider that sand and slickrock is very hard on their paw pads.
Special Gear: Good hiking boots or shoes and a pair of water shoes if it has rained recently; plenty of water
Spooky Gulch Slot Canyons Utah Resort
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One of our favorite adventures of all time. This one is quite out of the way, but the effort is rewarded with the COOLEST hike in one of the more remote areas of the country.
TAKING A DETOUR
After we left Valley of Fire State Park just outside of Las Vegas, we drove for a full day in order to get to Escalante. Since we only had a few days to explore, we wanted to be sure we had plenty of time in Escalante. We ended up driving through Zion National Park and past Bryce Canyon National Park, but not stopping in either place. Don’t worry, we’ve been to both places before and will go again! This time it was about getting to Escalante and having our next adventure.
GETTING THERE:
HOLE IN THE ROCK ROAD
Arriving in Escalante (the nearest town), we drove 26 miles down one of the most washboarded roads we’ve ever been on. It didn’t help that our shocks were in severe need of replacing (we replaced them here), so it was a bumpy ride. Pyros probably thought the van was shaking apart for 26 miles, but it was well worth it.
Tip: pressuring down your tires helps tremendously on rough roads like this. We aired down to 25psi. There is a tire shop in town that let us air back up. If they are closed or busy, the gas station out front has a coin op air compressor.
Aside from the long drive over rough road, Hole in the Rock Road is home to some amazing landscapes, filled with slot canyons and hikes galore. It cuts through part of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. There is some fantastic free camping right at the beginning of the road, too, which makes for a great base camp while you explore the area. Here’s where you can find that camping.
Hole in the Rock from Escalante Utah to Peek-a-boo Gulch Parking Area.
IS HOLE IN THE ROCK A 4X4 ROAD?
Eventually, yes… but the trailhead you are headed to isn’t.
BUT!!…
The road in is INCREDIBLY rough. It’s a VERY washboarded road. If you are looking for a nice, leisurely drive, this isn’t it. There’s no hazard, really, of getting stuck or anything, but it’s just simply rough.
AND…
The one mile stretch of road from the Peek-a-boo Gulch Parking Area to the Dry Fork Trailhead where the actual hiking trail starts is borderline 4×4 required.
Our Recommendation: Park at the Peek-a-boo gulch parking area and walk up the road to the Dry Fork Trailhead unless you are driving at LEAST:
- 4×4 Truck (stock height is likely fine)
- 2 wheel drive Truck (if it’s got a mild lift with, perhaps at least 31″ tires
High Top 4×4 Sprinter/Transit/Promaster? Probably park and walk. The trail is SUPER off-camber and the roll-over hazard isn’t particularly high, but will be unsettling for someone un-experienced-untrained with off road travel. Also, there is a pretty sizeable ledge that will give most vans issue when coming down in regards to departure angle.
HIKING PEEK-A-BOO & SPOOKY GULCH SLOT CANYONS
Hiking Peek-a-Boo and Spooky slot canyons is basically a loop between the two canyons. You come to Peek-a-Boo first, hike up that canyon, and then take a short trail that connects to the top of Spooky to hike down that canyon. Once you reach the bottom of Spooky, a trail then takes you back up to the entrance.
However, if you want to add a bit to your adventure, you can simply turn around and reverse the trail when you get to the bottom of Spooky. With plenty of daylight left, we opted to do this. We certainly weren’t ready to call it quits yet!
GPS BASED TRAIL MAPS: VIEW ON GAIA – VIEW ON ALLTRAILS
PEEK-A-BOOK OR SPOOKY FIRST?
Coming the reverse way (going up Spooky and then down Peek-a-boo) posed different challenges. There is a large chalkstone in the middle of Spooky Canyon which you downclimb if you are coming down from the top. Going reverse and coming up the canyon, you must scramble up the obstacle instead. It isn’t a tough scramble, but definitely a difference in the reverse direction!
While we both enjoyed going through Peek-a-Boo and Spooky slot canyons in both directions, it was interesting that Nate prefered going up both of them, while I prefered going up Peek-a-Book and down Spooky. Either way, we had a blast and still can’t wait to do it again.
PEEK-A-BOO AND SPOOKY GULCH PICTURES
The textures of the walls are our favorite part of the canyons. There is nowhere else we’ve been where you can find these kinds of lights and shadows.
Although this canyon doesn’t require any technical rope skills, there are a few spots where some mildly exposed scrambling is necessary. The canyons DO get pretty tight, but are passable.
The light in these canyons are a photographers dream. Unlike Antelope Canyon, this canyon is free to enter with no tour-guide necessary.
As you make the short hike from one canyon to the next, keep an eye out for lizards.
EXPERIENCING SLOT CANYONS
The first time we ever hiked slot canyons were in these two canyons. I had felt an awe that pushed me forward, almost unable to take in everything for want of seeing what was around the next corner.
I remembered that feeling as I climbed the first wall into Peek-a-Boo, and the sandstone felt familiar on my hands. The grippy sandstone made it simple to scale up that first wall, and I turned to grab packs from Nate while he climbed up behind me. From there, we took our time exploring and taking in the beauty surrounding us as we made our way through both canyons.