Spooky Gulch Slot Canyons Utah

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Video: Hiking Utah’s Slot Canyons Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Gulch. May 10, 2020 May 10, 2020 by Michael Lanza. Hiking Utah’s Slot Canyons Peek-A-Boo and Spooky.

1. Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch slot canyons in the Dry Fork area of Escalante Utah offer backpacking hikers scenic views without special gear or know-how.
2. Spooky gulch definitely lives up to it's name! Sections are challenging and dark, requiring the ability to maneuver tight quarters. Not for those with fears of small spaces. 10/10 would recommend.

Spooky & Peekaboo are the most popular slot canyons in the Escalante area. The access is easy, you can easily do both as a loop in a few hours, and hikers without technical canyoneering equipment or skills can enjoy both. Spooky slot canyon is one of the narrowest canyons in the world that hikers can safely navigate. It’s much longer and slimmer than Peekaboo, forcing hikers to carry daypacks to the side as you shuffle through. Add in a few short obstacles and one 5 ft scramble to make it that much more fun. Claustrophobic people will have a hard time with this Spooky.

Peekaboo slot canyon is shorter and shallow compared to Spooky, but still offers views of amazing twisting and turning canyon walls. It’s best to do these canyons as a loop hike, rather than hike up and back, then up and back the other. The best route, in my opinion, is to hike up Spooky first, cross over, then drop down Peekaboo (clounterclockwise direction). The reason I say this is because it’s easier to drop down a 15 ft dryfall rather than hike up it. The obstacles in Spooky are much easier to manuever by hiking up as well.

If it’s rained recently, you will find pools of water in both canyons, but their floors are typically dry and sandy. If there’s even a slight chance of rain, stay away. Slot canyons can instantly become flashflood death zones. Both slots are brightest during mid-day, so if you are looking to do some photography start around 11am. The downside to this is that you may encounter many more hikers wanting to continue through. Start early to beat the heat and the other hikers.

Here is a driving map From Escalante, UT.

From Escalante, head East on HWY 12, then turn south for Hole in The Rock Rd (HITR). Reset your odometer and drive 26 miles down the well-graded dirt road. Turn left at the signed “Dry Fork TH” (also Co Rd 252), then drive 1.7 miles to the end of the road. This road can be very rutted out, so if needed, you can park at the first parking lot about 1/2 mile on that same turn off, then walk the rest of the way to the TH.

Distance: 4.5 RT (loop)

Elevation gain: 673 ft

Time: 2-4 hours

Dog friendly? Yes, off leash but read advisory below

Kid friendly? Yes, but read advisory below

Fees/Permits? None

Can I bring my dog here?

Though dogs are allowed off leash, and we brought ours along, I wouldn’t recommend taking dogs here. Spooky slot canyon is very narrow, only 12 inches at its widest. There are also several obstacles they need assistance with – the hardest being a 5 ft scramble up to another boulder hop. Then on the way down out from PeekaBoo slot canyon, they need help getting down a 15 ft dryfall. Dogs over 70-75 pounds will definitely not fit through the Spooky Slot Canyon.

If you still want to bring your dog, make sure they wear a dog harness to help pull them over obstacles and to lower them down the 15 ft drop. You don’t need ropes persay, but definitely 2-3 other people helping you and your dog out.

Is this a good hike for kids?

Kids who are comfortable with tight spaces and scrambling will have fun and do well. They will need help up the 5 ft scramble, and getting down the 15 ft dryfall.

Another option for both dogs and kids is to only hike into the canyon where you feel comfortable, then turn around. However, if you go during high tourist season (March-October), there will be few options for turning around where you won’t run into others trying to hike up the slot.

What should I bring?

Only bring one backpack per group of hikers – Spooky Canyon is too narrow to fit you and your backpack. There were 4 of us in our group plus the dogs, and we were able to share a pack with all of our snacks and 3 liters of water. The hike is only 4.5 miles RT so you don’t need a ton of gear. The simpler & lighter you go, the easier it will be getting through the canyon. Also don’t wear your “nice” hiking clothes – the canyon walls will scrape your clothes and they can get torn. Dress in layers – even in January we were down to tank tops when popped out of the canyon into the sun.

As you apporach the TH and parking area, you’ll see this nice new sign.

The trail starts in the NE corner of the lot.

Follow the large cairns to get to the base of Dry Fork Canyon.

You’ll hike through sand and slickrock, as you keep descending.

Once in the canyon, pass the entrance to Peekaboo on your left, then continuing following the trail to the entrance of Spooky.

Our “spooked” faces as we enter Spooky Slot Canyon!

Making our way into the canyon!

Charlie leads us into the darkness.

And now you can see how tight the canyon is! Charlie is 70 lbs and barely scrapes through.

Getting tighter! See all those little bumps on the canyon walls? They will tear your clothes easily.

Fun photo spot with the pups. From left to right:

Polly, Springer Spaniel

Mac, Springer Spaniel

Charlie, my Golden Lab

Copper, a Blue Tick Coonhound

Sometimes the canyon is even too narrow for feet to fit comfortably.

A rare sighting of Charlie smiling! He loves slot canyons.

Yeah, it’s that narrow!

Towards the end of Spooky, you’ll reach the 5 ft scramble. You have to kind of chimney your feet up – the boulder where he is gripping has two really good hand holds to pull up.

Make your way over some really small boulders, and then you’ll exit Spooky.

As soon as you get out of Spooky, look for the trail to the left. This is your trail to loop over to Peekaboo.

Loving this tank top weather in January! PS I’m loving my new shades from Nectar – check them out on Amazon!

Keep following the cairns as it leads you to the East side of Peekaboo.

Follow the slot canyon to the west as you enter Peekaboo.

@Ihaveathingfordogs scopes out our route.

Watch out dogs, Mama is coming down!

Finally the canyon opens again, and you now have the iconic view of Peekaboo slot canyon.

Start to drop down, as you make your way to the exit.

The exit for Peekaboo (you should have passed this on your way to Spooky when you started the hike). This is about a 15 ft dryfall – the hardest part for helping the dogs get out of the canyon.

Same spot in Peekaboo, but my point of view!

Overall the dogs did great, but it was stressful at times. There’s no way I could have helped Charlie over the obstacles by myself. It really helped to have a harness and 3 other people to help me get him up and over tough spots. Copper was the hardest to help, since we weighs the most at about 80 lbs and has the largest girth. He also tore a nail and split his dew claw (poor guy!).

You can see my GPS went a little crazy in the slots, but it shows the general direction. You can also cut over to Spooky faster by skipping the rounded section, and following the brown post sign that has a “P” on it.

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Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Gulches are hidden wonders in my opinion. They are some of the most incredible slot canyons in Utah. If you like to take pictures, these slots will be some of the prettiest pictures you will ever capture. Peek-A-Boo has wave-like walls that are so much fun to scale through, while Spooky is one of the narrowest slot canyons, with some places being only 10″ wide. If you don’t like enclosed spaces or are prone to claustrophobia, you may want to skip Spooky. Hikers of all ages and experiences will enjoy this ~4 mile loop.

As you know, Matt and I enjoy having adventures with friends. For this trip, we invited my cute cousin, Brea, and her boyfriend, Tyler, to come along with us.

Getting there

In Escalante, Drive 26 miles down Hole in the Rock Road and you will see a turn-off on your left with a sign labeled “Dry Fork.” With how bad Hole in the Rock Road is, it will seem like much longer than 26 miles 😉 You will see two parking lots after the turn-off. If your car is capable, drive to the left towards the further parking lot. This will get you closer to the trailhead. If the road to the second parking lot is too rough for your car, park in the first one and hike .9 miles down to the second lot where the trailhead starts.

First, let me start off with a warning. While these hikes are incredible and fun, it is very easy to get lost and run out of water. When Matt and I last went to these slots three years ago, we got lost coming out of Peek-A-Boo while trying to find Spooky and scrambled around for about an hour until we found the opposite entrance to Spooky than we were looking for. We also were not prepared and didn’t have enough water with us. On top of that, we got started later in the day and the sun was starting to set as we were walking into Spooky – not the best idea to be hiking in an extremely narrow slot canyon with hardly any light coming through as it is getting dark.

We ended up just walking into Spooky for a few minutes, then turned around so that we could make our way back to our car before it got too dark, as we didn’t have a flashlight on us. It was much better this time around.

So here are my recommendations:

1. Download the free GPS app Maps.me. Download the Southern Utah map to the app so you can access it when you don’t have service. Next, locate the coordinates for the slots: (These might already be downloaded on your map, but if not, here are the coordinates)
   • Dry Fork Overlook parking lot: 37°28’35.5″N 111°13’12.84″W
   • Peek-A-Boo Lower Entrance: 37°28’54.28″N 111°12’59.91″W
   • Peek-A-Boo Upper Entrance: 37°29’07.31″N 111°12’59.78″W
   • Spooky Upper Entrance: 37°29’06.53″N 111°12’33.85″W
   • Spooky Lower Entrance: 37°28’54.01″N 111°12’31.98″W
     • My recommended route is to enter at Peek-A-Boo lower entrance → exit at Peek-A-Boo upper entrance, make your way almost directly east (you can see the trail on the Maps.me app) until you reach Spooky upper entrance → exit at Spooky lower entrance, then head west back up the wash to your car. By going up Peek-A-Boo and down Spooky, you defeat the most difficult obstacle first (the entrance to Peek-A-Boo).
       
       • Check out this map we found from Earth Trekkers. It is very helpful.

1. Bring lots of water! There is nowhere you can refill your water on this hike and, until you are in the slots, there is no shade.
2. If you are starting in the afternoon, bring a flashlight. Like I said, it is easy to get lost here, so having a flashlight might come in handy.
3. If you aren’t the best climber, bring a small rope to help scale the entrance of Peek-A-Boo.
4. This loop typically takes about 3-4 hours, so make sure you plan with plenty of time to explore.
5. If it has rained recently, there will be lots of mud and puddles of water, especially in Peek-A-Boo. Bring water shoes that you can hike in (like Chacos) to change into once you enter the slot, if this is the case. (This time the slots were bone-dry, but three years ago there were a lot of puddles of water, plus a big pile of mud at the entrance to Peek-A-Boo)
6. Make sure you check the weather, and DO NOT HIKE THESE CANYONS IF THERE IS ANY RAIN IN THE FORECAST. These slots are extremely prone to flash floods and you can die if you are not careful.

Climbing down into the wash

To get to Peek-A-Boo and Spooky, you will need to descend 200 feet to get into the wash. Follow a well-worn sandy trail until you reach a point where it disappears into the rocky, red mountainside. From here, follow the cairns as you scale your way to the bottom of the wash.

Dry Fork Narrows

As soon as you enter the wash, you will see the entrance to Dry Fork Narrows directly to your left. You may want to explore the Dry Fork Narrows for about 1/2 mile before returning to the wash and making your way to Peek-a-Boo.

Peek-A-Boo

Peek-A-Boo is in my top 3 favorite hikes. There really is no way to describe how incredible it is without seeing it first-hand.

It is good to know that at the lower entrance to Pee-A-Boo, you have to do a 20-foot Class 3 climb to enter the slot. When Matt and I went three years ago, the entrance to the slot was surrounded by thick mud. It took us over an hour just to get into the slot because our shoes were caked in slippery mud and we couldn’t get a good foot hold. Luckily, a lone hiker was coming the other direction and we helped her down and then she helped us up. I got about halfway up the climb, then Matt lowered a small rope to me to help me up the rest. If you are not the best climber, I would recommend bringing a small rope – you never know when it might come in handy. With at least 3 people though, you shouldn’t have any problems.

When it hasn’t rained for a while, the lower entrance should be nice and dry, as it was for us this time. It only took about 5 minutes for us to get into the canyon, versus an hour+. Once you are in, it is immediately breathtaking. You will get to climb, scoot, and slide through the wave-like walls.

Keep going until you come out of the slot at the upper entrance.
*Note: This is where Matt and I got lost the first time we went. We thought the slot ended a lot earlier than it actually did and missed at least the second half. The GPS app really helped this time as we knew for certain when the slot ended, and when to head to Spooky.

Spooky

Once you get out, head east and make your way for 1/2 mile to the upper entrance to Spooky. You will follow a sandy path and cairns. Be careful, Matt and I got lost here last time we went, and I know a lot of others do too. If you are using Maps.me you should have no problems.

Like I mentioned before, Spooky is a very narrow slot canyon. You cannot wear your backpack for most of the slot, and have to carry it in front of you. You will get scraped up, it is inevitable with how narrow the walls are. It is also a lot darker and cooler in this slot as there isn’t a lot of light that comes through.

It is easier to go down this slot rather than up, because within the upper half, you will come to a boulder choke with a seven foot drop. This required Matt and Tyler to jump down unassisted, and assist Brea and I down the rest of the way (I’m short, only 5′ so this made me a little nervous).

The rest of Spooky isn’t too hard to navigate through. Once you’ve exited the lower entrance, make your way back west up the wash until you see the Dry Narrows and hike back up the mountain.

Brimstone Slot

Matt and I have never hiked to Brimstone slot, as it is a good hour more to get to the entrance from Spooky. If you are a seasoned hiker and want to make a full day of hiking these slots, you may want to check out Brimstone slot as well. This slot is extremely narrow – only 6″ wide in some parts, so if you don’t like the feeling of being enclosed, this hike may not be for you.

Our experience

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We absolutely loved hiking the Peek-A-Boo and Spooky loop with Tyler and Brea. In our opinion, it was more fun to have another couple to share this experience with. Overall, for this hike my fitness app reads that we hiked 5.27 miles (this includes a short walk through Dry Fork [about 5 minutes], Peek-A-Boo, and Spooky, plus hiking down into the wash and back up again when we were done) and took 3 hours and 40 minutes. I really appreciated having the Maps.me app this time so that Matt and I didn’t get lost scrambling around trying to find the upper entrance to Spooky.

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We started our hike in the afternoon at 3pm and ended at 6:40pm. It seemed that most of the other hikers were on their way out as we were making our way down into the wash. We only saw one other group passing by in each of the other slots. I predict that this hike would be very busy in the morning, but a lot cooler temperature. I would avoid these slots at high noon when the sun will be directly overhead and shining right into the slots. It will be much hotter, and the sun won’t create the cool shadows that are iconic for Peek-A-Boo.

We hope that you enjoyed reading this post, and I surely hope that you will head down to my favorite State Park and explore these incredible slots. Comment below if you are planning a trip down to Escalante or if you have already hiked these slots and what you thought of them.

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