Peekaboo Slot Canyon Trail

Peek A Boo Slot Canyon Trail Map

Overview

Southern Utah is amassed with unique slot canyon adventures, but its difficult to find ones with narrower passages than the Peek-a-boo and Spooky side canyons of the Dry Fork Coyote Gulch. These canyons can be explored independently, but given their relatively close proximity to one another, it is easy to link them into a loop adventure. The Dry Fork wash is accessed from a cairn-marked trail.

• From the parking lot, head down the slick rock. Follow the cairns until you end up at the mouth of Peek-A-Boo (you'll see a larger slot canyon before Peek-A-Boo). You can identify Peek-A-Boo by the stacked rocks and the hand and footholds carved into the sandstone in order to climb up into the canyon. Enjoy the journey through Peek-A-Boo.
• The Peek-a-Boo loop hike is a perfect addition to a Utah National Park Road Trip. What time of day to hike. The loop is best hiked in the early morning or late afternoon. Peek-a-Boo isn’t the most popular trail in the park. Access to the main part of the loop requires a 1-mile hike into the canyon and as one of the longer loop trails in the park.

Peekaboo and Spooky are the quintessential first slot canyon experience for many. Relatively easy access, incredible slots, and a short day make this a hike to bring the family on. These canyons are popular for good reason.

The story goes the canyons received their names by a school group visiting from the town of Escalante around Halloween one year. The names fit, and this is a place that will make you feel like a kid again working through the fun slots. For the more energetic, it is a short distance down canyon to Brimstone, the fiercest of the 3 canyons in the area, and well worth the time to visit.

Getting There

Peek A Boo Slot Canyon Trail Map

Head east out of the town of Escalante about 5 miles on highway 12 until the well signed Hole in the Rock road.

• Turn onto the Hole In The Rock Road and reset your odometer. ( 12S 453596mE 4175370mN / N37° 43' 28' W111° 31' 36' )
• Go down the Hole in the Rock road 26.5 miles to the signed Dry Fork Trailhead road on the left. ( 12S 480188mE 4146664mN / N37° 27' 60' W111° 13' 27' )
• Follow this road 0.7 miles to a junction where you go left (road #252) ( 12S 481239mE 4146571mN / N37° 27' 57' W111° 12' 44' )
• Another half mile to the end of the road is the trailhead. ( 12S 480523mE 4147775mN / N37° 28' 36' W111° 13' 13' )

Route

From the trailhead, follow the marked trail north down into Dry Fork. The trail is well-worn and easy to follow. At the bottom turn right, and find Peek-a-boo coming in 4 minutes down the canyon on the left. A 6 m ( 20 ft. ) up-climb guards the entrance to Peek-a-boo. The climb has carved steps but is still a little tricky. A short rope for a handline may be useful for beginners. This up climb is the biggest obstacle of the hike.

Once in Peek-a-boo, enjoy the many arches and narrows. What a gem! Continue up the canyon until the canyon opens into a wide open wash. Here a cairned trail takes off on the right. Follow this trail about 10 minutes over the open country to where it drops into Spooky, a large open wash at this point.

Head down Spooky! It gets deep and dark very quickly. Several spots are narrow enough you have to turn sideways. Spooky is an amazing canyon, and a lot of fun to descend. A couple of minor down climbs occur in the upper section, but if you look around, an easy path over or under the obstacle can be found. Once Spooky opens up, follow it down to its junction with Dry Fork in about 5 minutes.

Last on the list is Brimstone. From the junction of Spooky and Dry Fork, hike down Dry Fork about 30 minutes to the first major canyon coming in on the left. This section can change with each flood, but is usually an easy walk.

30 minutes down from Spooky a wide side canyon comes in on the left with impressive sand slides on the west side. This canyon is Brimstone. Hike up the wide wash 10-15 minutes to where it suddenly narrows to an incredibly deep and dark slot. Work your way up as far as you comfortably can, but be careful, at least one person has gotten stuck in Brimstone. Return up Dry Fork to Peek-a-boo and the trail you came in on.

Maps

Peek A Boo Slot Canyon Trailhead

Peek A Boo Slot Canyon Trailer