Buckskin Gulch via Wire Pass

The slot canyon you can walk alone

⏱ 3-6 hours👤 All ages$

Wire Pass is the friendly overture. From the trailhead the route follows a sandy wash for well over a mile before the walls close in; the narrows are short, with a few scrambles and sometimes a drop that requires a careful step down (conditions change after every flood). At the confluence the canyon widens into an amphitheater, and on the wall are petroglyphs left by ancestral peoples — look but do not touch. Turning downstream into Buckskin, the walls grow taller and the light dims into reflected orange glow; upstream, the slot is shorter and leads toward the Buckskin trailhead. Most day hikers go downstream for a mile or two, find a spot that feels perfect, and turn back.

The safety story is not optional. Buckskin drains a large area, and storms miles away can send water through with little warning; once inside, there are few escape routes. Check the forecast for the whole region, avoid the summer monsoon afternoons, and turn back if the sky changes. After floods, stretches can hold cold, muddy pools, and the occasional logjam or chokestone can stop progress. The canyon floor is cool even in summer, but the approach wash is exposed, so carry water for the whole day.

Practicals: from Page, drive west on US 89 to House Rock Valley Road, then about eight miles of graded dirt to the Wire Pass trailhead — fine for ordinary cars when dry, dangerous when wet. Pay the per-person day-use fee at the trailhead. A day trip of four to eight miles round trip suits most hikers. The same trailhead serves the Wave, and the BLM Kanab office can confirm road and weather conditions. Pair with an easy afternoon at Lone Rock Beach or the Toadstool Hoodoos on the way back to Page.