Buckskin Gulch (also known as Buckskin Creek, Buckskin Wash, and Kaibab Gulch) is a gulch and slot canyon in southern Kane County, Utah, United States, near the Arizona border.[1] It is one of the main tributaries of the Paria River (a minor tributary of the Colorado River). At over 13 miles (21 km) long, Buckskin Gulch is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the Southwestern United States[2][3][4][5][citation needed].
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Often visited in conjunction with the longer Paria Canyon, due to their close proximity of 20 miles (32 km), hiking both canyons in one day is possible. Wire Pass,[6] a short tributary to Buckskin, is a popular day-hike alternative that still takes hikers through the narrow, curving features that are the hallmarks of slot canyons.[7]
Buckskin Gulch is reached via U.S. Route 89 (US‑89) in Utah or U.S. Route 89A (US 89A) in Arizona, and is roughly halfway between the towns of Kanab, Utah and Page, Arizona. There are four access routes to the canyon.[8] There is a $6 per person access fee, which can be paid online ahead of time or on-site through a cash/check drop box.
The Buckskin Trailhead is about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south along House Rock Valley Road. The US‑89 turnoff for House Rock Valley Road is about 38 miles (61 km) east of Kanab and about 36 miles (58 km) west–northwest of Page. It can also be reached via House Rock Road (as House Rock Valley Road is known in Arizona) by heading north along the road for about 26 miles (42 km). The US 89A turnoff for House Rock Road is at House Rock in Arizona and is about 51 miles (82 km) southeast of Kanab and about 67 miles (108 km) southwest of Page. No restrooms are available at this trailhead.
The Wire Pass Trailhead accessed along the same road, but is about 8 miles (13 km) south of US‑89 or about 21 miles (34 km) north of House Rock. This entrance is more popular than the other three as it provides the quickest access to the best parts of Buckskin Gulch and because it is the same trailhead used to access the Coyote Buttes, home to The Wave, a famous sandstone rock formation. (Access to The Wave requires a special, separate permit.)
The White House Trailhead is about 2 miles (3.2 km) south along White House Trailhead Road, which can only be accessed from US‑89. The US‑89 turnoff for White House Trailhead Road is about 43 miles (69 km) east of Kanab and about 36 miles (58 km) northwest of Page. Restrooms are available at this trailhead.
In addition to the more direct routes to Buckskin Gulch, it can also be reached through Paria Canyon/Paria River at the Lee's Ferry. Lees Ferry, which can only be reached from US 89A, is about 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast along Lee's Ferry Road in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The US 89A turnoff for Lee's Ferry Road is just west of the Navajo Bridge and about 78 miles (126 km) east–southeast of Kanab and about 39 miles (63 km) southwest of Page. Restrooms and water are available at this trailhead.
Permits are required for overnight backpacking as well as day hiking in Buckskin Gulch and the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. Permits can be obtained from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) online. Only twenty overnight permits per day are allowed, and group sizes are limited to ten persons. The overnight fee is $5.00 per person per day, while day-use permits are $6.00 per person per day. There is also a $6.00 fee per dog per day. Due to the canyon's popularity, permits typically sell out several months in advance. Campfires are prohibited, and human waste cannot be buried and must be packed out in order to preserve the pristine condition of the area.[9][10]
Hiking Buckskin Gulch is extremely challenging. While generally one does not need rappelling equipment in Wire Pass or Buckskin Gulch, there may be a few pour-offs, the necessity to wade in ankle-to chest-high water, and/or mud. The lack of sunlight in the canyon can make it much colder than the surrounding exposed desert. At one point along the route, there is a 15-foot (4.6 m) drop-off that usually has rope. Small areas of quicksand can also be found along the route.
Slot canyons are particularly dangerous due to the risk of flash floods. Storms more than 50 miles (80 km) away can send 100-foot-high (30 m) walls of water down the narrow canyons, and hikers have been killed in such events.
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