Hiking At Peekaboo And Spooky Slot Canyons
Put Spooky Gulch and Peek-A-Boo Gulch on your list of must-dos if you’re looking for an entertaining hike. Simply mentioning their names enhances the appeal of this walk.
The slot canyons in issue are located within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which is accessible via Hole-in-the-Rock Road. It is possible to have a small adventure by travelling over 25 miles on a rough gravel road through arid desert landscape. And once you’ve reached this point, two thrilling scrambles await you through some of the region’s most entertaining slot canyons.
Getting to the trailhead
Hole-in-the-Rock Road is the location where the trail begins in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
To recalibrate your odometer, you will need to turn onto Hole-in-the-Rock Road in the town of Escalante. Continue along the road for another 26 miles until you reach the Lower Dry Fork turnoff on the left side of the road. This access road may have ruts and be irregular in certain spots. Recently, one of our amazing readers informed us that this route is now a gravel road suitable for regular automobiles. Before this, the entire 1.7 mile stretch could only be traversed by vehicles with high ground clearance. There is parking halfway down the road for vehicles with limited ground clearance, but you would have to walk to the trailhead if you were driving one.
At mile 24 of Hole-in-the-Rock Road, there is an additional trailhead
The name of this trailhead is Upper Dry Fork trailhead. Starting from this trailhead, a lengthier journey is required to reach the peekaboo and spooky slot canyons slots. While following this trail, you will traverse the Dry Fork Narrows.
Using the Hole-in-the-Rock Road as an example. The Hole-in-the-Rock Road is a soil and gravel path with a high degree of compaction. You can drive a car here, but an SUV or four-wheel drive vehicle is ideal for the terrain and is recommended. We travelled in a Toyota Forerunner with four-wheel drive. Even with four-wheel drive, the Hole-in-the-Rock Road may be impassable after recent precipitation.
To reach the slot canyons is required
The trail commences on a platform with breathtaking views of the neighbouring landscape. In the outset of the journey, you will be traversing sandy and rocky terrain on trails.
The trail concludes at the sandy floor of the Dry Fork wash, where it began. Peek-A-Boo Gulch is directly in your line of sight. Dry Fork Narrows is located to the left. Spooky Gulch can also be reached by taking the Dry Fork wash to the right and proceeding in that direction.
Which type of walk do you prefer, an out-and-back or a loop?
When hiking these two slot canyons, you have a choice between two distinct routes. You can hike Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Gulches as part of a larger loop, or you can hike each slot canyon separately.
When hiking each slot canyon out and back, you get to do it twice, doubling the enjoyment. In addition, they are both relatively short (approximately a quarter mile in length), so retracing your steps will not consume a substantial quantity of time. If you are pressed for time or if you enjoy the concept of completing one large loop, you may want to consider tying them together.
