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Exploring Slot Canyons - Exploring Slot Canyons - Utah has the densest population of slot canyons in the world due to the eroding soft sandstone and arid conditions found in the state. Although most people have heard of two or three slot canyons, there are actually over one-thousand slot canyons south of I-70. Singing Canyon In Utah Is So Hidden Most Locals Don’t Even Know About It. Hiking through Utah’s slot canyons is a unique experience every Utahn should try. The sheer sandstone walls on both sides of you create a quiet sanctuary, and you’ll feel as though you’re immersed in nature. Spooky Gulch is a short slot canyon hike in the Grand Staircase-Escalante area, located on the Hole-in-the-Rock Road, 26 miles south of the town of Escalante. Spooky is well-named and pretty famous for how dark it gets when deep in a slot, and for the panic-inspiring quality of its extremely narrow walls.

Red Hollow is located in Orderville near Zion National Park. This slot canyon begins at the end of a dirt road. The hike is only 1.0 mile round trip and is a great place to start slot canyon adventures. Little Wild Horse. This hike is probably the most famous slot canyon for families in Utah.

Like the similarly named Red Cave and Red Hollow, Red Canyon forms a colorful series of narrows through the deep red sandstone rock of the Glendale Bench, a few miles east of Zion National Park, although the drainage is a tributary of Kanab Creek rather than the Virgin River.
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.

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.

Similar Canyons

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What Makes it Great

First and foremost, Singing Canyon offers incredible acoustics probably unlike any place you’ve been before (the shower doesn’t count). And, of course, it’s also quite a beautiful spot. While it's truly wonderful for anyone who enjoys making music, it's also an easy accessible icon of Utah's Colorado Plateau, perfect for anyone who enjoys high-walled, red-rock slot canyons with an approach requiring little effort. The approach to Singing Canyon is a flat, 10-minute walk, which makes it accessible to all. Burr Trail Road is dog friendly, so bring your pup along — so long as it doesn’t mind your singing.
Inside the canyon, you’ll be surrounded by walls that soar up to 80 feet into the sky — with just specs of blue remaining visible. Unlike other slot canyons in the area, you’ll won’t feel claustrophobic because there’s plenty of room, which could possibly add to the acoustics of the place. The walls are red, purple, and pink, and there’s even foliage, which makes a nice contrast to what’s otherwise barren desert beauty.

Directions, Parking and Regulations

The Burr Trail is paved for the first 18 miles, so access to this spot is quick and won’t jossle you around on washboard-laden dirt roads. This section is easily accessible to passenger cars during both dry and wet weather.
Drive about 11 miles east on the Burr Trail Road from Boulder to a small, unmarked paved pullout on the north (left) side of the road. Parking is free, but space is limited. The narrow slot is visible across the wash, where a lovely, tall, and shady cottonwood tree resides; you could even perch here for a picnic, if you desire. It's a good idea to carry water and food provisions regardless. There are no fees to enter Burr Trail Road or Singing Canyon.
Getting into the canyon from the parking lot is an easy 15-minute round-trip hike. The area is available year-round. Because of the high walls, it’s shady all day and makes a nice respite when the midday summer heat of the desert swelters.

Slot Canyon Utah Zion

The turnoff for the slot canyon on the Burr Trail is on the north side of the road at GPS coordinates 37.864849, -111.30048. It is unmarked and more than 11 miles from the main highway, so ensure your vehicle is in good working condition.