If Antelope Canyon's guided tours left you wanting to wander a slot at your own pace, Buckskin Gulch is the answer. Straddling the Utah-Arizona line in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Buckskin runs for many miles between sheer sandstone walls, often only a few feet apart and a hundred or more feet high, and the most popular way in is the short Wire Pass slot from the Wire Pass trailhead on House Rock Valley Road. Day hikers walk down the wash, squeeze through Wire Pass's own narrows, drop over a small chockstone, and arrive at the confluence, where an alcove holds a panel of petroglyphs — then turn into Buckskin and walk as far as they like before returning the same way. A day-use permit is required, at a modest per-person fee (dogs pay too), self-issued at the trailhead or arranged through Recreation.gov; overnight trips need a separate advance permit. There are no guides, rails or ticket windows — just you, the stone, and the obligation to check the weather. Buckskin is regularly described as one of the longest and deepest slot canyons in the Southwest; backpackers can follow it all the way to its confluence with the Paria River and on to Lees Ferry over several days. Flash floods are the defining hazard: never enter if storms threaten anywhere upstream. In return, Buckskin gives you the quiet, cathedral-like slot-canyon experience that Page's busiest tours cannot.
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.
What to expect
The experience
A self-guided out-and-back hike from the Wire Pass trailhead through the short Wire Pass slot to the confluence with Buckskin Gulch, then as far into the main slot as you choose. Per-person day-use permit at the trailhead.
Best time
Spring and fall with a clear regional forecast; mid-morning gives the best reflected light in the narrows. Avoid summer monsoon afternoons entirely.
How long
Three to six hours for most day hikers, plus the drive.
Tips
Check the weather for the whole drainage, not just the trailhead. Pay the day-use fee for each person and dog. The dirt road is impassable when wet. Wear shoes you do not mind getting muddy.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Independent hikers who want a slot canyon without a guide, a timetable or a crowd.
- Families
- Fit families with older kids do well on the Wire Pass section; small children may need help over the chockstone.
- Couples
- A quiet walk between towering walls, with the petroglyph confluence as the natural picnic stop.
- Pair with
- The Wave if you win a permit, or the Toadstool Hoodoos on the drive back.
- Time needed
- Half a day to a full day.
Good questions
Do we need a permit for a day hike?+
Yes. Buckskin Gulch requires a day-use permit with a modest per-person fee, and dogs require the same fee. Overnight trips need a separate advance permit, and the day pass does not cover the Wave.
How do we get to the trailhead?+
Drive west from Page on US 89 to House Rock Valley Road, then about eight miles of dirt to the Wire Pass trailhead. Ordinary cars manage it when dry; after rain the road becomes slick and dangerous.
How far should we hike?+
Most day hikers walk through Wire Pass to the confluence and then a mile or two into Buckskin before turning back, totaling four to eight miles round trip.
What about flash floods?+
They are the real danger. Storms far upstream can flood the slot quickly, and escape routes are few. Do not enter if rain is forecast anywhere in the region, especially during the summer monsoon.
How is it different from Antelope Canyon?+
Antelope Canyon is guided, timed and on Navajo land. Buckskin is self-guided public wilderness: longer, quieter and more physical, with no fixed tour schedule.
