Peek A Boo Slot Canyon Kanab Utah
One of the most spectacular slot canyon hikes in the entire world is in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This is actually two separate slots combined into one hike. The first is called Peek-a-Boo and the second is called Spooky. The trailhead for these slot canyons is found 26 bumpy miles out Hole-in-the-Rock Road.
- Peek-a-boo Gulch is located in the scenic Grand Staircase National Monument near Escalante, Utah and adjacent to Spooky Gulch. It is not to be confused with Red Slot Canyon AKA Peekaboo. These two slot canyon hikes are usually hiked together as a loop that totals in about 3.5 miles. The trail is not really long but it is a fun area to explore.
- Peek-a-boo Gulch is a short slot canyon in the Dry Fork area of the Grand Staircase- Escalante area, located on the Hole-in-the-Rock Road, 26 miles south of the town of Escalante. Peek-a-boo is not very long, or physically demanding, but it requires some navigational and rock-scrambling skill in order to get through its twists and chutes.
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Slot Canyons
Slot Canyons > Zion National Park > Red Canyon (Peek-a-Boo Canyon)
Difficulty: Easy. One blocking chokestone near the upper end
Management: BLM
Rocks: Navajo sandstone
Season: Spring and fall are best; summers are hot
Trailhead:Start of a sandy track on the north side of US 89. 4WD vehicles can drive all (2.8 miles) or part of this track, which leads to the drainage below the narrows
Rating (1-5):★★★★★
The canyon has about half a mile of enclosed, curving passages up to 100 feet deep, mostly without any obstructions, and quite easily reached from a main road (US 89); the canyon runs parallel to the highway about 2 miles from it, and may be accessed either by driving along a very sandy 4WD track or walking cross-country, hiking over a rolling, open landscape of dunes and occasional trees (the Sand Hills). Adventure tour companies from Kanab sometimes take visitors to the slot, which is known locally as Peek-a-Boo Canyon, though the place is in general little visited compared to the more famous narrows within the nearby national park.
Topographic Map of Red Canyon
Photographs
9 views of Red Canyon.
Location
A secondary road leaves US 89 a mile east of the turn-off for Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and runs eastwards alongside (to the north) for 4 miles, rejoining the highway shortly before it begins the descent into Three Lakes Canyon towards Kanab. The secondary road is partly paved, and it provides many good places to camp, close to the main road though mostly out of sight. The track to the canyon starts at the east end of this old road, by the junction with US 89, and is very sandy from the start, as it skirts around a large area of dunes, rises slightly to cross a low ridge then descends towards a dry wash (a tributary of Kanab Creek) where the surface becomes even softer. The remaining stretch is more level though still across deep sand, as the road curves east then back west just before the streamway, meeting it one mile downstream of the end of the slot. ATVs can drive along the streambed right up to the start of the narrows.
Colorful chamber in Red Canyon, not far below the dryfall
Note that the slot is quite separate to the more famous Red Canyon further north along US 89 - this is a partly wooded valley containing sandstone hoodoos, a few miles west of Bryce Canyon National Park. It is also not to be confused with Peekaboo Gulch, which is in the Escalante area.
Route Description
The wash is enclosed by low cliffs for a short distance below the slot, offering plenty of entry/exit routes before the walls become vertical and form the first section of narrows. The Navajo sandstone here is dark red in appearance, typical of this region, and is eroded into delicate curves bearing graceful surface patterns, from thin horizontal bands of lighter rock crossed by vertical strips of desert varnish. The first narrows are quite short, opening out to a sunlit section, but this doesn't last long as the drainage constricts again to a longer, deeper slot. Some parts are quite dark because of overhanging rocks above, and the smooth curving walls allow for pretty reflections and light effects, quite similar to canyons around Page in Arizona, such as Antelope. The floor is sandy and has no potholes to hold any water so the passages are largely unobstructed, until a 20 foot pour-off topped by protruding chokestones, a blockage not easily climbable. The nearest exit route to bypass this drop is quite far back. Above the dryfall, the canyon is not narrow for much further, soon becoming wider and less sheer-sided.
Echo Canyon
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Keyhole Canyon
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Mineral Gulch
Misery Canyon
North Creek, Left Fork
Orderville Canyon
Parunuweap Canyon
Pine Creek
Poverty Wash
Red Hollow & Spring Hollow
Sand Wash (Red Cave)
Spring Creek
Taylor Creek, Middle Fork
Zion Canyon Narrows
Peek A Boo Slot Canyon Kanab Utah Videos
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Our most POPULAR tour.
Approximately three hours in length. Ability level EASY and appropriate for ALL ages and abilities. We have accommodated folks ranging in age from 6 months to 96 years. Maybe you can help us break our record! You will enjoy mild off-roading on red rocks and sand to an area accessible only by four-wheel drive. We will stop periodically to sample native plants and to observe wildlife and various points of interest. Make sure to ask your guide for local stories and legends – they are all experts and they delight in sharing information! Exploring and photographing Peekaboo Canyon is the highlight of your trip, although getting there is tons of fun too!
We will tour the slot canyon on foot which involves walking on mostly flat terrain. Peekaboo is a fine example of a slot canyon, or a narrow canyon worn into rock by rushing water over time. Significantly deeper than it is wide, Peekaboo Canyon is a delight for the senses in all seasons and at all times of day. It is nature’s perfection under sunny or cloudy skies and both are equally beautiful to behold. Come along with us on multiple tours as you will never see the same place twice! Peekaboo is cool on warm days and a wind block on cool days, so it offers a comfortable experience regardless of season. The light which bathes the canyon is ever-changing and offers endless opportunities for exquisite photographs. This is certainly the place where you will capture your trip’s most memorable image – Peekaboo is famous for this! Did we mention this is a tour favored by Professional Photographers?
FUN FACT: Average amount of photos taken on this tour… 300! So sign up and have your cameras and phones ready to go.
PEEKABOO SLOT CANYON ADVENTURE Price is $99 per Adult $49 per Child
If you anticipate having so much fun you cannot bear to see your PEEKABOO SLOT CANYON ADVENTURE come to an end… OR you would simply like to experience more amazing sights, we offer SEVERAL ADD-ON OPTIONS of approximately ONE-AND-A-HALF hours in length to COMBINE with our PEEKABOO SLOT CANYON ADVENTURE:
PEEKABOO ADD-ON OPTION #1:WHITE WAVE WITH ANCIENT PETROGLYPHS – Our most popular add-on option. Ability level MODERATE, involves walking on terrain with somewhat of an incline. You will view and if you so choose, spend time walking on a beautiful naturally occurring rock formation that is shaped like an undulating ocean wave. Here light and dark shadow alternate to create graphic linear patterns on the rock – an amazing visual treat for both the eyes and the camera lens! A short hike to a natural rock shelter reveals traces of ancient people in the form of petroglyphs or drawings and carvings on rock. You will delight in walking where the ancients walked and you will have the opportunity to look with wonder on their handiwork. Take pictures, enjoy the scenic vistas or simply sit and ponder… It is up to you!
PEEKABOO ADD-ON OPTION #2:RAINBOW ROCK – This add-on option is very popular with Professional Photographers and with the Professional Photographer in YOU that is just waiting to jump out! Inspire your creativity and vision with prominent rock cliffs showcasing formations of multiple patterns, undulations and colors. A short stretch of road traveled by Hummer will deliver you there. Spend time walking amongst the sweet-smelling sage and gazing upward at nature’s artwork. Bring a picnic if you desire. This is a great add-on tour for sheer relaxation. Various wildlife is known to reveal itself when you least expect. A camera at-the-ready is a must!
PEEKABOO ADD-ON OPTION #3:RED KNOLL – Expansive 360 degree scenic view! Ability level EASY. For those who wish to experience more fine off-road driving, you will be transported by Hummer up inclined roads which meander through piñons, sage and red rock. At the top of the elevation you will experience a beautiful scenic vista with Zion National Park visible to the west. Make this expansive view the backdrop for your own family photos. The perfect wrap-up for your PEEKABOO SLOT CANYON ADVENTURE, you may wish to have an impromptu picnic or toast, so feel free to bring along food and drink. RED KNOLL is an ideal spot for DESERT SUNSET viewing and we DO offer this as a stand-alone tour. For details and to make this fine experience your reality, please see RED KNOLL SUNSET SOJOURN.
PEEKABOO SLOT CANYON ADVENTURE COMBINED with ONE of the ADD-ON OPTIONS above Price is $149 per Adult $74.99 per Child