Paria Canyon Wilderness Area, Arizona / Utah - Overview

Paria Canyon Wilderness Area (formerly Scenic Area) has offered adventure to generations of backpackers. It offers challenging hiking, pleasing campsites, and remarkable scenery from highway 89 in Utah to Lee's Ferry in northern Arizona where the Paria flows into the Colorado River. The river is enclosed in towering sandstone walls for much of that distance providing breathtaking beauty. There are many terraces (shown left) which provide ideal campsites. Numerous springs provide potable water allowing trips from several days to a week. The best time of year to do the trip is spring or fall.

The Buckskin Gulch is an amazing tributary of the Paria River. Known as a "slot" canyon the Buckskin averages 15 to 20 feet wide and perhaps 500 feet deep for a distance of almost 15 miles. In some places you can spread your arms and touch both walls! The gulch offers some extremely exotic scenery (photo right). There are many spectacular photographic opportunities if you are skilled enough to work in deep shadows! Sun penetrates only around mid-day.

This side canyon provides exciting challenges for the more advanced backpacker. There are many obstructions to overcome such as rock jams, rock falls, quicksand, and deep pools of icy cold water. In the event of a thunderstorm and subsequent flash flood there are few areas of escape. One can see tree trunks jammed between the canyon walls fifty or more feet above the canyon floor!

NOTE: - Now available, our Paria Canyon Map and Trail Guide. Also, the narrative of our experiences, The Dive of the Buckskin. Find out how it felt swimming a 42°F (5.56°C) pool! And also, info from the BLM on Coyote Buttes, including "the Wave". For information on services and facilities at Lee's Ferry and Page, refer to our Lake Powell Travel Guide.