wire pass trail (buckskin gulch access)

KayakingFamily

After spending the whole day at The Wave, we decided to head down Wire Pass before it got dark. This is not a long trail, we were able to walk all the way to Buckskin Gulch and back in about two hours. We went in early March, and Buckskin Gulch was flowing heavily, so it was impossible to continue further either up or down Buckskin. But Wire Pass was totally worth it. It was an easy hike. The only real obstacle was a large boulder lodged in between the walls that created about a six foot drop. Jumping down was easy; getting everybody back up was a little tougher. This was absolutely beautiful and left us wanting to explore more slot canyons! BTW - Rock House Valley Road is a nightmare when wet. We rented a 4WD Jeep because it was impassable to the 2WD Tahoe we rented for the drive from Las Vegas.

Loup407

This is an incredible place. You can hike in amazing slot canyons, there are ancient petroglyphs nearby. If you are experienced in the desert, you can explore a lot.

stauf82

First, to get here, if you drive south from 89, there is 11 miles of dirt road. Do not attempt with a little car, especially if wet. I used a Kia sorrento with AWD, but went slow.Took this path on the way to bucksin gulch, glad I did because Bucksin gulch was impassable. This is a simple trail, walk down the was till you hit a slot in the wall. The canyon part is short, but the views are stunning. There are two 4-5 foot drops to get through, but you can scramble up them with either help, gear, or being in good shape.The confluence it leads to is very stunning. But just remember without waders and other gear, or not minding getting wet, you cannot get very far in either direction as of Dec 18, 2014. Don't know how long it takes the water to dry up.On the way back I did find a way to top of the wire pass canyon. The views up there are great & I easily spent an additional hour up there, just don't get lost.Well recommended, just remember to bring water & food.

Bandeau

Only a couple miles or so. Easy hike. Good example of So Utah slot canyon. Indian pictographs on Gulch walls. Pretty cool.

d10de

Did the Wire Pass to Buckskin to Whitehouse trek. 21 miles of awesome. We got a ride With Stephen from Paria Outpost. Super knowledgeable dude that gave us a few extra waters on our departure. Started out very easy, but the area had a deluge the week prior which left gnarly mud traps all along Buckskin. This took us longer than anticipated due to all the slipping around and joint stress. It started to dry up and our spirits were lifting right when we hit the confluence, and ran into knee deep water the rest of our trip. Nightfall hit and we still had 2 hours and the GPS had died. Luckily, we found a generic map from "the" book and printed that so we had an idea of where we were going. Even more lucky, the trail to the parking lot at Whitehouse actually had a reflector that our lamps hit so we knew where to get out of the river. Definitely a trip to remember. Beware, we did stumble on a baby rattler about 6 miles in and scorpions slightly after. So pay attention since there isn't a good route out if you get nailed.

Chante_m

If you've ever drooled over the awesome slot canyon photos you see posted, this is worth the bumpy drive. Access is only about 15-20 minutes walk from the parking lot. You don't need to go in that far to "get the idea" and take some cool shots. However, the odds are that you won't be venturing far. The first canyon drop was about 10 feet. I have no clue how people were getting in without breaking ankles, let alone climbing out. Also, beware of turning off at the first posted sign because both mention Wire Pass. We mistakenly veered off to the right and wandered about aimlessly for about 2 hours. The route to the right leads to The Wave, and you need a permit, a map, and lots of water. Fortunately, we eventually ran into one of the lucky hikers with a permit who set us straight.

colleenb202

My sister and I took this trip in Oct 2014 with Grand CircleTours out of Kanab. We took it with Ron and had a great time. He was very informative and fun. It was another spectacular area to visit. Ron totally took our interest in this hike and photo ops to heart and showed us the area . We didn't get to far down the canyon splits , but what we did see what GREAT!!! You see mother nature rules and you dont take chances. Give Grand Circle a call they havre lots of tours to take.

YolandaS309

Getting there is a bit off the beaten track I'd say. If we did not have clear instructions from the very helpful gentleman at Kanab's Tourist Information center, we would neither have known of it nor have found it. Our timing was also way off. We got there around 13h00 and hiked to the T-junction and took a left for a couple of miles up Buckskin Gulch before we turned back. To be honest, the only reason we did turn back was because we did not have enough WATER! Fortunately most of the hiking was in the shade. So take enough water! Also, although we paid the permit for the hike - yellow form you complete and then put in the "honesty box", we forgot to put the receipt in the window. Just a reminder to do that if you want to get back to civilization as you might find that you need to change a tyre on your return... Not cool :-( All and all an awesome experience - I would love to go back with proper canyoning gear and take a right turn :D

Dan1886

The Wire Pass trail leads approximately 1.5 miles from Wire Pass Trailhead along Coyote Wash to Wire Pass narrows. However, if you have time and are a strong hiker, you should really head deeper into Buckskin Gulch at the point where it meets Wire Pass narrows.Bring plenty of water for this hike - the first 30 mins or so are along a dry stream bed under full sun with no shade but once you reach Wire Pass narrows, the walls close in and it's much cooler. This is a nice little introduction to slot canyons and the light plays nicely on the walls to create some great photos.It will take you approx 20 mins to walk through the narrow section to reach the confluence with Buckskin Gulch where the canyon widens. Check out the large alcove on your right and the petroglyphs on the wall a little past this. A great hike of about 2 hours round trip, but travel further down Buckskin Gulch if you have the time!

Justinetravels11

if you don't win the lottery into the wave this is a good alternative if you are in that area. of course it is nothing like the wave as wire pass is a slot canyon but it's definitely a fun and beautiful hike. the bonus at the end are the petroglyphs. then you have to option of exploring the beginning of buckskin gulch. which i recommend

DebraE784

It took some effort to arrive at the trailhead but well worth the trip! Very hot the day we hiked! First part of hike is in a dry river bed...at first we thought we were on the wrong trail. But, then we reached the slots! Fantastic! A few difficult spots but, if we (58 years old) did it, you can, too! So, quiet! We were nearly alone for the entire hike. Just make sure to take enough water!

kylew987

Whether you book a tour with vermilion cliffs or go on your own this is a great place to see and best in the morning. It's a very narrow and skinny slot canyon with incredible photo ops and great color

TomD67

You start at the same place as going to the wave, but anybody can do this. It's a nice adventure. Because it's an out and back hike, you can go until you feel like you better turn around and then turn around. It is pretty amazing at times.

Tonto7

One of the guys in my group of 5 always wanted to go into a slot canyon. This year on our trip to Utah, we decided to check off things on our respective bucket lists, and Wire Pass filled the bill.We're all in our 60's and 70's, but have been hiking for years, so we decided to accept the Wire Pass challenge. All in all, the hike was easy, except for the two obstacles in the narrow part of Wire Pass. We're not as flexible as we used to be, but with a bit of assistance from each other, we made it through. We wouldn't have missed this for the world! It's unbelievable when you walk out of the far end of Wire Pass and into the junction of Buckskin Gulch....it's another world! If you're able, you have to do this hike!

szatanek

I was really impressed by this hike. I did it in the afternoon...which was a miscalculation on my part for the month of June. I got a whee bit exhausted. This is a morning hike in the months of June, July and August. The slots were awesome.