Slot
Canyons 4
The Escalante Canyons
Famous for its myriad narrow, remote, and
beautiful canyons, The Escalante River country of south-central Utah holds
many secret ways, arches, and slot canyons. Among the more accessible
slot canyons are the series in Dry Fork of Coyote Gulch.
Coyote Gulch drains into the lower Escalante
River Canyon and provides access for hikers into this popular region.
At the upper end of the Coyote Gulch drainage, Dry Fork cuts a narrow slot
through the Navajo Sandstone before widening slightly at the mouth of
Peek-a-Boo and Spooky slots.
Peek-a-Boo takes a bit to scramble up a high lip
into the entrance where 3 arches form round openings overhead. The
convoluted entrance has many twists and turns under the stone skylights
where light enters to play on the canyons walls with gentle glows and deep
shadows.
Spooky Slot slices narrowly into the Navajo
Sandstone a few hundred yards down stream from Peek-a-Boo. Very
quickly, Spooky becomes very deep, dark and narrow. Making way
requires slithering against the walls sideways most of the way.
Shoulders are far to wide and a fat belly likewise limits travel. This
is one of the most accessible narrow slots.
Further down stream, through the Lower Dry Fork
Slot, Brimstone Slot opens Eastward from a wide, open, sandy wash.
This is a longer slot with deep passages and sandy floor in the lower
reaches. Eventually the way becomes much deeper and challenging with
beautiful lighted glowing walls.
While water from winter storms or summer floods
may challenge passage in any of these slots at times, the dry desert quickly
drives the moisture into the air or sandy floors. Most of the year,
these delightful slot canyons offer a wonderful day hike from an accessible
parking area on the rim to the west.
