Paria Canyon Trail - 38 miles; difficult
Paria Canyon offers a challenging and enjoyable 38- mile hike for a well-prepared hiker. For ill-prepared hikers, it can become an exercise in survival. Four to five days are recommended to hike from White House Trailhead to Lees Ferry.
Please be aware of the Visitor Use Regulations for the area.
Hiking conditions change in the canyon with the seasons. During the popular spring season, plan on hiking in water ankle-to-knee deep. During May and June, the Paria River can be dry for the first seven miles, with the remainder below the Buckskin Gulch confluence flowing year round. This hike can be extremely strenuous and hazardous during months prone to flash flooding. For several days after a flood expect quicksand and mud to make hiking more difficult. Plan your trip using the Hiker's Guide to Paria Canyon, available through ASIA.
Generally, the route through Paria Canyon is the river bed itself; however, at Mile 28, large boulders clog the river, obstructing this way. Most hikers leave the river at this point and follow a route on the right (south) side of the stream where some scrambling through boulders is required. Choosing to follow the river through this section may not be possible during periods of higher water, and requires negotiating a route through many pools and over large boulders. Hiking in the lower canyon consists of traversing long silt terraces or benches with fewer stream crossings. The long-term or 14-day parking lot at Lees Ferry is reached by staying in the riverbed past the registration box at Mile 38.
Access to the White House Trailhead is via U.S. 89 in Utah between Kanab and Page. Visitors may obtain information about weather conditions at the BLM Contact Station, 30 miles west of Page, Arizona on Highway 89, or by calling 435-688-3230 for recorded information.
Buckskin Gulch Trail - 16 miles; most difficult
Buckskin Gulch, the primary tributary to Paria Canyon, is recommended for only very experienced and well-prepared hikers. Part of being prepared means knowing weather conditions and Visitor Use Regulations. No drinking water is available in Buckskin Gulch, so carry plenty of water (recommended four quarts of water in the summer for each person per day.) Check the statistical charts in BLM's Hiker's Guide to Paria Canyon, available through ASIA for the time of year best suited to individual or group expectations concerning temperature, flood danger, precipitation, and levels of solitude.
Once inside this narrow canyon, flood potential is high during any period of precipitation. There are few safe exits or camping areas. At Mile 10.5, safe terrain above may be reached by an extremely difficult climb up through cliff walls. If injured, there is little hope for a quick rescue.
Buckskin Gulch presents numerous hiking difficulties such as miles of streambed strewn with small cobble stones making footing difficult, threats of flash floods, large and deep stagnant pools of cold water that may require swimming, and log and rock jams, such as the one encountered at Mile 14.5. This boulder jam may require the use of ropes to assure a safe descent.
Hiking Buckskin Gulch can be challenging. Be prepared with extra clothes to wear for warmth after wading through cold, stagnant pools of water, rather than depending on campfires, which are prohibited in this confined environment.
Access to the Buckskin Gulch Trailhead is via U.S. 89 in Utah between Kanab and Page. Visitors may obtain information about weather conditions at the BLM Contact Station, 30 miles west of Page, Arizona on Highway 89, or by calling 435-688-3230 for recorded information.
Wire Pass Trail - 1.7 miles; easy
Most hikers planning to travel the length of Buckskin Gulch choose Wire Pass as a shortcut, saving a few miles of walking from the Buckskin Trailhead. While Wire Pass serves this purpose well, it also offers a short, pleasant, day-hiking opportunity. In fact, Wire Pass is a slot canyon narrower than either Paria Canyon or Buckskin Gulch. While not as deep as those canyons, it narrows to barely shoulder-width for short distances.
Wire Pass is a short, easy stroll from the trailhead parking area to the confluence with Buckskin Gulch. During hot summer months, its narrow slots provide cool relief from the soaring temperatures in the open sun above. Sometimes the temperature difference can be as much as 15 degrees.
The entire hike follows the usually dry wash bottom. Occasionally, logs can be seen high above, jammed between the slot canyon walls; solid evidence that this bone-dry wash is not dry all the time.
Access to the Wire Pass Trailhead is via U.S. 89 in Utah between Kanab and Page. Visitors may obtain information about weather conditions at the BLM Contact Station, 30 miles west of Page, Arizona on Highway 89, or by calling 435-688-3230 for recorded information.
Please be aware of the Visitor Use Regulations for the area.
Coyote Buttes
This colorful sandstone area is covered with small and fragile rock formations. Your cooperation will ensure that this unique region will continue to be available for visitor enjoyment. This area is recommended for experienced hikers only.
Please be aware of the Visitor Use Regulations for the area.
Arizona Trail - Buckskin Mountain Passage - 10 miles; moderate
The Arizona Trail is a system of connected trails that will eventually extend from the Arizona-Mexico border to the Arizona-Utah state line. The non-motorized trail will be 750 miles long, intended for use by hikers, equestrians, mountain bikers, and in some segments, cross-country skiers. Other non-motorized activities such as walking, jogging, bird watching, environmental education, packstock use, and llama trekking will also be accommodated when appropriate. The Arizona Trail is intended to be a primitive, long distance trail traversing a scenic and natural corridor that highlights the State's topographic, biologic, historic, and cultural diversity.
The Buckskin Mountain Passage comprises the last 12 miles of the Arizona Trail as it descends the Kaibab Plateau to the Utah-Arizona state line in Coyote Valley. Construction of both the single-track trail and trailhead facilities at the state line are underway with expected completion in 1999. In the interim, a combination single-track trail and two-track primitive roads serve as the trail.
Access to the state line trailhead is via U.S. Highway 89-A between Marble Canyon and Jacob Lake, via BLM Road 1065. No trail signing exists so request route information prior your trip.
Paiute Wilderness Trails - 2-15 miles; difficult
Hikes range from a day hike to the top of Mount Bangs to an overnight backpack trip down Sullivans Canyon to the Virgin River Gorge. The Sullivan Canyon route is 15 miles long one-way, mostly along wash bottoms with little developed trails and requires crossing the Virgin River. Others routes follow old roads that were in use before wilderness designation. BLM recommends hikers first contact the Information Center for directions to the trailhead, road conditions and maps of the area.
The Paiute Wilderness Trails are accessed either from the Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area or the Black Rock Mountain area at Cougar Spring Trailhead.
Mt. Trumbull Trail - 2.5 miles; moderate to difficult
The Mt. Trumbull trail quickly ascends the south slope of this high basalt-capped mesa. From the southern rim of the basalt cap, the trail ends and the final mile to the summit on the north edge of the mesa is trailless. Once atop the mesa the route to the summit passes through a beautiful forest of ponderosa pine. At the northern edge of the mesa, broad sweeping views of the heart of the Arizona Strip, as well as much of southern Utah, await the persistent hiker.
Mt. Trumbull is accessed by leaving St. George, Utah via Quail Hill road or from Arizona 389 near Pipe Springs via the Mt. Trumbull Road to reach Mt. Trumbull. Distance is 60-70 miles from St. George or 50 miles from Colorado City on Arizona State Highway 389.
Mt. Logan Trail - 0.5 mile; easy
The short hike to the summit of Mt. Logan is worth the brief effort. To the south and west are majestic views of portions of the western Grand Canyon and Arizona Strip. The Pine Valley Mountains, Virgin Mountains, and scenic portions of southern Utah are also visible in the far distance.
Mt. Logan is accessed by leaving St. George, Utah via Quail Hill road or from Arizona 389 near Pipe Springs via the Mt. Trumbull Road to reach the Mt. Trumbull area. Take BLM Road 1044 to 1064 and follow to the end (4WD or high clearance vehicles). Distance is 65-75 miles from St. George or 55 miles from Colorado City on Arizona State Highway 389.
Hack Canyon Trail - 6 ½ miles; difficult
Hack Canyon provides an important winter access to the Kanab Creek Wilderness. Descending the boulder-strewn dry wash from the plateau into the creek bottom is difficult but the natural scenery is spectacular.
Access to Hack Canyon Trail is from BLM Road #1023 off of Mohave County Road 109. Road 109 takes off from Highway 389 between Pipe Springs and Fredonia.
Grand Wash Bench Trail - 10 miles each way; moderate
The name of this rugged 36,300-acre wilderness in northwest Arizona refers to the two sets of steep cliffs separated by a bench. The lower cliffs rise 1,600' (488m) above the Mojave desert floor and are dissected by several deep, narrow canyons. When viewed from the west, the upper cliffs form a dramatic backdrop to the wilderness area by abruptly climbing another 1,800' (549m). As its name implies, the Grand Wash Bench Trail travels along the bench between the two sets of cliffs from the north boundary to the south end.
The trail can be reached from either the South or North end of the wilderness area. The north trailhead is most easily reached but a high clearance vehicle is recommended. For directions to the trailhead, please visit the Information Center or contact a BLM Recreation Planner at the Arizona Strip Field Office.
Soap Creek Trail - 4 miles; difficult
This primitive trail goes down Soap Creek to the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. It is a difficult but popular hike among day hikers and fishers because of its natural scenery and access to the Colorado River. The trailhead is located off Highway 89A, about 8 miles west of Marble Canyon.
Mokaac Trail - 2 miles; moderate
Scenic views, chance wildlife sightings and a sense of history await you on the Mokaac Trail. Mokaac Trail was once part of a main road onto the western Arizona Strip beginning in the early 1900's. The trail is no longer a part of the active road system but remains a symbol of earlier times and modes of transportation: horseback, wagon, and Model T.
Mokaac Trail is reached by traveling south from St. George or Bloomington Hills on Quail Hill Road (BLM Road #1069) for about 12 miles. The trailhead is on the right side of the road. This historic and scenic trail is open for hiking and horseback use. The Main Segment is a Moderate 2 miles each way and ends at Quail Spring. We plan to develop the challenging Upper Loop Segment in the future.
Information from
U.S. Bureau of Land Management,
Office of Public Affairs
