We don’t like to sound so dramatic, but we can’t emphasize this enough - the Southwest desert is unforgiving and you really do not want to find yourself in a slot canyon in Utah during a storm or flood!Īlways check with a local ranger station (a quick Google search will help you find one close to your hike) to ensure that conditions are safe before heading out. Since water from storms and flash flooding naturally rushes into the slot canyons, it is extremely important to never go into one if there has been, or might be, any rain in the area.Įven storms several miles away can flood a Utah slot canyon! The high walls and narrow openings mean that flooding can quickly reach depths taller than you and there is often no quick way out. Occasionally, you’ll find a slot canyon with a ratio of more than 100:1! These numbers mean that slot canyons are anywhere from 10 to 100 times as deep as they are wide. It has a narrow gorge at the bottom with steep walls on both sides, usually at least a 10:1 height-to-width ratio. Starting out as a small crack in the bedrock, slot canyons are created when rainwater and flash floods pass through the fissure and slooooowly erode the opening over time, gradually making it larger and larger.Īfter millions of years of this erosion, the result is a “slot” canyon. Slot canyons are geological marvels that take several million years to form.

First, we’re going to answer a question some of you may be wondering… What is a slot canyon? With so many to choose from, it can be tricky just deciding where to start! To help you narrow it down, we’ve put together a list of stunning Utah slot canyons that you can hike.īut let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You can actually hike right through many of the slot canyons in Utah, offering a unique opportunity to get up-close and personal with these fascinating (and photogenic!) geological wonders. The spectacular Southwestern state has the highest density of slot canyons anywhere in the world, with more than 1,000 to explore! If you’ve been on any type of social media in the last few years, you’ve probably seen at least a handful of pictures of Utah slot canyons.

With more than 1,000 hidden throughout the state, there’s no shortage of slot canyons to explore in Utah! From fairly open and easily accessible trails to some so narrow they require rappelling gear, here is our round up of the coolest Utah slot canyons.

How much water when hiking slot canyons