How to Hike Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch in Utah

Wire Pass Trail to Buckskin Gulch is a dream comes true for slot canyon lovers. This trail lets you access Buckskin Gulch, one of the longest slot canyons in the world, roughly about 16 miles through beautiful sandstone walls and unique formations. It is considered one of the best hikes in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and for good reasons. This hike transports you to a magical world of breathtaking, water sculpted sandstone walls, some at least 500 feet high. The red sandstone playing against the dark shadows of the deep canyons gives you an eerie, yet captivating feeling.

Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surround areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no carving in sandstone walls and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!

Stats

Where

Wire Pass Trailhead
House Rock Valley Rd, Kanab, UT 84741
Coords: 37°01’08.7″N 112°01’29.5″W

(Not to be confused with Buckskin Gulch Trailhead)

Parking

Decent size, dirt parking lot, across from the trailhead.

Restroom

There are vault toilet.

Fee

Day use permits are required. The fee is $6.00 per person and $6.00 per dog. Passes such as Interagency and Senior are not accepted.

If you want to stay overnight, it is a complete separate pass. These passes are is limited and requires an advance permit only available online.

Weather

Distance

About 2 miles each way to the fork (confluence with Buckskin Gulch). At this point, you can go as far as you want before turning back.

Elevation Gain

616ft

Level

Moderate

Time:

2-4 hours (depends on how far you want to explore)

Pet-friendly

You can bring your pet. Please note, there is a fee per pet ($6). Also, there is a ladder that you have to climb up and down toward the beginning. Therefore, you need to be able to carry your dog up and down.

Ideal Weather

The best months to go are April through June and September through October. These months have the best temperatures.

DO NOT ATTEMPT IF THERE IS RAIN IN THE FORECAST, EVEN MILES AWAY!

Ideal Time

This hike can get very busy, go early if you want some solitude.

Video

Need to Know Before Going

There are a few things you need to know before attempting this hike. The most important thing is to ALWAYS check the forecast up to the day you’re going. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS HIKE IF THERE IS RAIN IN THE FORECAST, EVEN IF IT’S A SMALL PERCENTAGE AND MILES AWAY. Rain falling as far as Bryce Canyon can end up gushing through Buckskin Gulch. Flash floods in slot canyons can happen very quickly and can be deadly. It is best to check with the Paria Ranger Station at (435) 644-1200 before going.

Another important thing to remember is that Wire Pass Trail to Buckskin Gulch requires a day-use permit. It’s really not a permit and more like a fee, since there is no limit. You used to be able to pay at the trailhead, however, as of 2021, you will need to pay online. Make sure to do it in advance because the internet there is either very spotty or nonexistence. Keep in mind, this is for day use only. If you want to stay overnight, you’ll need to apply for the overnight permit.

The Adventure

Getting There:

There are two ways to get to Buckskin Gulch. The first one is through Buckskin Gulch trailhead. This is a longer and less scenic route, which requires hiking through 3.5 miles of sandy wash before getting to the slot canyons. The more popular route is through Wire Pass trailhead. Wire Pass Trail to Buckskin Gulch is a much shorter trail, and you’ll get to see the slot canyons a lot sooner.

To get to Wire Pass trailhead, take highway 89 (east out of Kanab and west out of Page) for around 34 miles (Page) or 37 miles (Kanab) to House Rock Valley Road. Turn on to House Rock Valley Rd. This road is a dirt road, passable with a regular car when dry. However, 4WDs or at least high clearance is strongly recommended if there’s been heavy rain. Note, there is no reception here so make sure you map your route ahead of time. Stay on House Rock Valley Road for about 8.5 miles before reach the parking lot for Wire Pass Trailhead on the right. Make sure to not confuse Wire Pass trailhead for Buckskin Gulch Trailhead. They are both on House Rock Valley Road, about 4 miles from each other.

From Wire Pass Trailhead to Wire Pass Slot Canyon

Wire Pass trailhead is across from the parking lot. This hike shares the same trailhead with the famous Wave, a permit-only trail. From the trailhead, follows the obvious Wire Pass wash. This will lead you to the directional signs for South Coyotes Buttes (aka the Wave) and the Wire Pass trail. Follow to sign for Wire Pass trail to Buckskin Gulch. This hike is quite simple so you won’t get lost easily. After a short distance hiking through the sandy wash, you’ll reach a rocky cliff face with a slot entrance. This is the start of Wire Pass Slot Canyon.

Wire Pass Slot Canyon to Buckskin Gulch Junction

The trail gets more and more beautiful as you proceed further into the canyon. Not too far into the slot canyon, you’ll reach an 8-10 ft drop. Usually, there is a knobbed tree “ladder” there. However, depends on when you go, the ladder might get wash away because of flashflood. If this is the case, you can opt to climb up and down this drop if you have to skill. However, there is another option around. This route also works well if you have dogs and prefer not to have to carry them up and down the sketchy ladder. It begins at the start of Wire Pass Slot Canyon, right before the slot narrow. The route is faintly marked with rock cairns on the right side of the trail. It is about a 100ft climb with a steep descent on the other side.

Wire Pass Trail winds in and out of a few slot canyons before getting to a large, open area, where it meets up with Buckskin Gulch. Don’t forget to look right when you get out from the slot canyon for a big blind arch. It is pretty cool. This area is a perfect place for a break or a quick lunch. If you look carefully, you’ll even find petroglyphs scatter around on the canyon walls. From this point, if you go right (south), it is 12 miles through Buckskin Gulch to the confluence with Paria Canyon. If you go left (north), it is 5 miles to go back to the Buckskin Gulch trailhead. Unless you have time to explore both, we recommend going right toward Paria Canyon.

Exploring Buckskin Gulch

Many people turn back at this fork, however, they’re missing out. If you think the Wire Pass Slot Canyon is beautiful, and it is, Buckskin Gulch is much better. The canyon walls here get higher and narrower as you travel further, to a height of 500ft. The trail from this point gets a lot more uneven. There are big boulders that you either have to bypass or climb over. Because of the depth of the canyon walls, the sun is rarely able to reach the bottom. This means that there are always residual pools of water and mud. Depends on when and how far you’re going, the pools are either ankle-deep, waist-deep, or sometimes even required swimming.

We hike for another 2 miles from the junction before turning back. However, you can go as far or as little as you prefer. Just make sure to head back before it gets back.

Wire Pass Trailhead to Buckskin Gulch is on the list of our top 10 favorite trails. Not only that it is easy, but the paid-off is also out of this world! This is a must-do if you visiting Kanab and the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness.

These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.

adventure gear

Good hiking shoes are recommended on these adventures. Vy uses the Merrell Women’s Moab 2 hiking boots

Dustin’s shoes are Targhee III Waterproof

Make sure to use lots of sunscreens! We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30.

Face sunscreen is also important. We love these tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.

You should always bring plenty of water. Vy loves the Camelback L.U.X.E.

For shorter hikes, the Patagonia Women’s Nine Trails Pack 18L is perfect to hold water and your essentials.

Sedona can get very cold in the winters and springs. We love our packable Patagonia Puff Jackets! You can get Vy’s version here, and Dustin’s version here.