Back in August Marco won the online lottery for a permit to “The Wave” (more about that in our separate Post), and because we didn’t want to drive to Page for just one day, we arrive a couple days early. 

After learning about Buckskin Gulch from some YouTube videos, we knew we wanted to go there and explore it, so on our first day we head out on the trail, leaving the Hotel after breakfast with Dennis and Diane. On the way south on House Rock Road we see a bunch of deer, maybe 10 to 15. We watch the buck as he herds his ewes over the hill.

The first mile of the hike is an “easy” walk in a sandy creek (after half a mile we pass the turn off to “The Wave” Trail which we will take on Friday). Then the cliffs around us are getting higher and higher quickly and we find ourselves in a narrow slot canyon. We have to crawl under a big log that at some point in time got stuck between the cliffs and climb down a ladder along the way. After Wire Pass we get to a more open section – Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch meet here. Buckskin Gulch is an over 13 miles long slot canyon (the longest and deepest in the United States and possibly the world) that leads all the way to Lees Ferry at the Colorado River. We walk the canyon for about a mile or more to the south before turning around to enjoy the fascinating shapes and colors from the other side.

We only met a few other hikers and compared to Antelope Canyon in Page, which is always packed with visitors, it is a welcome alternative – Buckskin Gulch is with its high walls even more impressive – glad we found this amazing place.