This Pair Of Connected Canyons In Utah Are A 'One-Two Punch' Of Scenic Cliffs, Red Rocks, And Adventure

The Grand Canyon, being "grand," gets all of the attention in the category of "amazing Southwestern canyon hikes." But the complex and rugged deserts of Arizona and Utah have plenty of otherworldly canyon alternatives to the world-famous behemoth in Grand Canyon National Park. And while large canyons are found across the country, the unique geology of the Southwestern United States creates canyons that look much different from what you'll find elsewhere. In particular, the fiery red sandstone of Arizona and Utah frequently forms narrow, yet mesmerizing, passageways known as slot canyons. Most famously, Arizona's colorful and dreamlike Antelope Canyon has long been a popular day trip from Las Vegas. But while Antelope Canyon can be difficult (and expensive) to access, Utah's lesser-known Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch Canyons offer equally impressive slot canyon scenery on a much more manageable hiking route. 

The "one-two punch" of the Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch canyon hikes offers visitors one of the most colorful, thrilling, and photogenic hikes in all of Utah. Not only do both of these canyons display the same kind of otherworldly geology as the more famous Antelope Canyon, but they're also much less challenging to visit. The total loop trail linking both canyons can usually be completed in around three to four hours. Altogether, the Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch Canyon trail is a convenient, manageable day hike that also provides one-of-a-kind immersion into one of the most remote and rugged regions of Utah. 

The Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch slot canyons are located in a much larger natural preserve in Southern Utah called the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Though it has some grandiose neighbors like the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante is no slouch when it comes to breathtaking scenery. For example, the park's underrated Zebra Canyon is a clear rival to Zion's famous Angel's Landing. 

Much of this out-of-this-world scenery is thanks to the hard work of the Escalante River, a tributary of the more famous Colorado River. Just as the Colorado carved the world-famous Grand Canyon, the Escalante River has made similar impressions on the colorful rocky landscape of Utah's Grand Staircase region. Among the many unmissable Canyons of the Escalante, Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch Canyons offer arguably the park's most immersive — and most manageable — canyon experience. 

Slot canyons like those of the Escalante River have two key characteristics that make them so unique: shape, and color. While massive gorges like the Grand Canyon provide monumental, awe-inspiring vistas, much smaller slot canyons like Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch are shaped more like narrow, natural grottos, where visitors can descend into the depths of the Earth itself and explore some of nature's greatest artwork. The Spooky Gulch Canyon is a pure slot canyon with tall, narrow walls marked by complex geometry. Peek-a-Boo Canyon is a combination of a slot canyon and a "corkscrew" canyon, with striking spiraling rocks ascending to the daylight above from the canyon's floor. In terms of color, both canyons are forged from the region's unparalleled red Navajo Sandstone, which decorates the canyon walls with scintillating shades of red and purple. 

Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch Canyons also have the distinction of being the park's most visitable canyons for hikers. Though the Peek-a-Boo and Spook Gulch loop has plenty of challenges, overall access to the canyons requires less technical skill and bouldering expertise than other Escalante canyons. Some parts of the trail have a handful of hand- and footholds to help hikers get through steeper and more challenging sections. The Bureau of Land Management has also installed warning signs at the trailheads indicating particularly difficult or hazardous sections. Some areas of the canyons, especially Spooky Gulch, are quite narrow, and may be tough to get through for some hikers. Still, if you can manage a bit of claustrophobia and some steep climbs, you can explore both the Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch Canyons on a single 6.3-mile loop in as little as three hours!

The two canyons are located in the Dry Fork area of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, where enterprising hikers can find several more wondrous canyons and sublime desert scenery to explore. Of course, while the two slot canyons are relatively less challenging to hike, getting to Dry Fork is a different story. One downside of Grand Staircase-Escalante's pristine natural grandeur is that the park is quite a ways away from civilization. If you're coming from Salt Lake City or Las Vegas, you're looking at a roughly five to six-hour drive. But Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch Canyons do make perfect additions to your itinerary for an unforgettable road trip to all of Utah's "Mighty Five" national parks. While both canyons can be seen in a few hours, you also have the option of staying overnight via Grand Staircase-Escalante's many camping options, ranging from primitive backcountry camping to full RV hookup sites.