2.5 Miles Roundtrip Hike

The Best & Most Accessible (Driest) Slot Canyon in the Area

26.8 Miles down the Hole-in-the-Rock Road at the Dry Fork Slot Canyon Parking Lot.

I’ve been through Peek-a-boo slot canyon from both directions (please read the Dry Fork page) and both are jaw dropping and smile inducing. The hike starts after the hike to Coyote Gulch which I’ll talk about after the pictures and is a convenient loop through both Peek-a-boo and Spooky and runs you about 2 and a half miles. To start Peek-a-boo you’ve got to do some slick rock scrambling but after that you’re good. Unless of course, you’re claustrophobic.

Spooky though, requires some tougher scrambling and a section with a drop off that requires use of a rope and some chimney climbing. If you’re larger, not quite strong enough to hold your own weight, or have problems with your knees or shoulders, you probably shouldn’t do Spooky. I watched a young woman in her 20s falls and hit her head on the way down and bang up her knee once she landed on her friend waiting to catch her (he didn’t). And always be mindful of those around you which means no music playing, letting quicker people go in front of you, and generally being reverent and peaceful in such a magnificent place. You’re not the only one enjoying the area. And for the love of goodness, please don’t bring your freakin’ dog on this hike. I don’t care how awesome (he or she probably IS awesome) or strong or young they are, it’s NOT a place for little four legged friends. Anyways, here’s some inspirational and beautiful pictures of the slot canyons before I rail against the Bureau of Land Management afterwards.

Now it’s rant time… This rant will sound familiar if you’ve explored this website like I’ve explored the southwest. That first time I came here was awesome and an adventure and I had to walk extra cause the road was restricted to 4WD vehicles and tough drivers. The hike down to Coyote Canyon is tough and I passed a woman crying because it was too vertical and she was scared to go down the 3 feet she needed to to reach the sand and safety. The path was virtually nonexistent. There was no pit toilets or gravel or signs or anything! It was glorious. So in 2021 when my future wife and I visited I was talking up the 4WD I finally had and how we were going to cut off some hiking and I was reassuring her that the hike, while steep and sandy sometimes, was totally doable and fun. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that road was closed and they’d put up a barrier, built a new road, a new gravel parking lot with TONS of spots, and pit toilets, and they’d put in a new trail and signage and… the place was crowded and full. There was trash and loud music and I was so dismayed. What had they done to this amazing little hidden gem? The west is being destroyed by the very people we pay with our tax dollars to protect. Keep the west wild is a popular mantra among social media people and photographers who also openly shill for the government and the park system that are doing everything but keeping it wild. Our wild and woolly public lands are becoming revenue streams for the corrupt people in the Imperial Court of Washington DC who have never even visited or ever plan on visiting this glorious place. I implore you to stop giving money to the NPS and truly keep the west wild.