Slot Canyons Near Monument Valley
Posted By admin On 07/04/22
Slot Canyons Near Monument Valley Of Fire
Hiking Willis Creek Slot Canyon After following the trail for about 200 meters through brush and small trees, the trail dips down to Willis Creek. For the rest of the hike, you will be walking alongside or in Willis Creek. At first, the canyon walls are not very high, and the canyon is relatively wide. Willis Creek Slot Canyon begins at the Willis Creek Trailhead, located in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. The trail is very easy to find and follow. It begins winding through junipers for several hundred feet before dropping gradually into a wash, at which point it meets up with Willis Creek. The granddaddy of all slot canyons is The Narrows in Zion National Park. Walls rise nearly 2000 feet and are only 30 feet apart at the extremes. Other slot canyons have a different appeal and are unique in their own way. For more information about. The Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument's slot canyon trail in New Mexico is unique as it was carved into tuff (volcanic ash). In California, several slot canyons are located within Death Valley National Park. At 21 miles long, Buckskin Gulch holds the title as the longest navigated of the Utah slot canyons. Hikers can navigate the dark, winding narrows on a two-day backpacking trip, with a recommended 13.5 miles on day one, and 7.5 miles on day two.
Slot Canyons Near Monument Valley
You’ll encounter near-endless rock formations and swirls along the eight-mile course. Whether you have kids or are still a kid at heart, you will have a blast creatively shimmying and winding through the canyon’s narrow slots. Occasionally, the canyon will open up wider to offer a little extra breathing room.
About halfway through, you’ll get to the top of Little Wild Horse and must decide whether you want to return the way you came or form a loop by following a dirt road toward the top of Bell Canyon, a lovely, but much less complex canyon, than the one you came up.
If you’re ready to tackle Ding and Dang Canyons, it’s shorter mileage-wise at about five miles (if you make the full loop), but more difficult in its navigation. You’ll head about 1.3 miles past the Little Wild Horse trailhead and park in the small parking area.
While some obstacles in this slot canyon may seem difficult to overcome, you can generally problem solve by just stepping back for a moment and thinking carefully.
Occasionally you’ll find some water in these narrows, so you might want to wear shoes you can wade in. It’s rarely deep unless it’s very recently rained heavily, and if it has, you probably shouldn’t be out there anyway because of the chance of dangerous flash flooding.
Once you get to the top of Ding Canyon, follow a faint trail west over a small rise between the reef and Ding Dang Dome, then start dropping into Dang Canyon, heading downstream. Some downclimbing can be required, but none of it is too difficult, especially if you make good use of ledges and stemming opportunities. You’ll eventually emerge from Dang and simply follow the wash another 1.5 miles to return to your original parking area.
As a word of caution, only attempt these canyons if you have plenty of water, a topographic map, and good map reading skills. You also need to make sure there is no risk of flash flooding. Agile kids usually do just fine in Little Wild Horse (indeed, it’s a giant prehistoric playground), but Ding and Dang may be a bit too much for the pint-sized crowd. Serious adventurers may consider hiring a guide to explore these beautiful, remote areas even more thoroughly, and with confidence.
GPS Coordinates: 38.583856, -110.802598