Wire Pass Trail to Buckskin Gulch

In southern Utah, about an hour from Kanab, lies a desert-like trail called Wire Pass at the end of a 4-wheel-drive-only dirt road. If you are fortunate enough, you can get a permit to continue from this trail to hike to The Wave. We were not the lucky ones, but we were stunned that the 3.4-mile Wire Pass Trail also leads to a photobook-worthy slot canyon called Buckskin Gulch.

I met one of my friends Ellen here, who lives in Arizona. I was so happy to have her as the leader of this hike since Buckskin Gulch can have serious flash floods if there is any rain in the forecast. We looked ahead and the weather was supposed to stay sunny all day long, so we felt (and ended up being) safe.

When in the Wire Pass slot canyon, there is a rock formation you will need to climb. Apparently a week or so before we got there, there was a flash flood which took the ladder; we ended up seeing it above us and down some of the way. This made climbing the rocks a little technically difficult but was so fun to navigate - some people left ropes which helped us.

Once we made it to the end of the Wire Pass Trail, Ellen showed us on the right side and corner of the rocks petroglyphs! What a treat to see this. Then, we turned right down the Buckskin Gulch slot canyon and continued on until we had to stop due to there still being too much water built up in the canyon from the last rain event.

Bring your sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat to cover you up - there is little to no shade on the way to the slot canyons. Also, bring a lot of water and some snacks - this area is so dry you don’t realize how thirsty you will be, and how much salt you will lose from your body. You will need a permit to park on this trail, and a reliable 4-wheel-drive car.