Canyons & deserts

Peek-a-boo and Spooky Gulch

Escalante, UT · Grand Staircase-Escalante, Southern UtahFreeFree; day use only at the parking area

About

Two famously tight slots sit side by side in the Dry Fork of Coyote Gulch, and the usual loop climbs up one and squeezes down the other. Peek-a-boo starts with a 12 foot dryfall gained on moki steps chipped into the sandstone, then opens into stacked arches and potholes. Spooky pinches to roughly 10 inches, tight enough that most people turn sideways and carry the pack by hand. BLM and Kane County search and rescue installed sizing posts at the trailheads so you can check you fit before you commit. No permit or fee for day hiking. The trailhead sits 26 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock Road, graded dirt that passenger cars usually handle when dry and clay that traps vehicles when wet; low clearance drivers should park at the upper lot and walk the last mile. Both slots flood and the open approach bakes in summer, so check the forecast, carry extra water, and turn back if storms sit upstream.

Highlights

No permit or fee for day hiking (BLM land)26 mi graded dirt on Hole-in-the-Rock RoadClay road impassable when wet or snowyLast 1.7 mi spur wants high clearanceSpooky pinches to about 10 inchesSizing posts at both trailheadsFlash flood and summer heat risk

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