Conditions Right Now
Use sunset as your turnaround alarm.
Permit Required
This hike requires a permit or fee. Check current rules before you go: recreation.gov or the managing agency.
Why Hike This
Wire Pass is the short way in, and it front-loads the good part. You walk a little over a mile of open wash, hit two short narrow stretches, and reach the Buckskin confluence at about 1.7 miles, where a petroglyph panel sits on the wall. Getting there depends on House Rock Valley Road, which is unpaved and minimally maintained and can turn impassable for every vehicle when it is wet. A quarter inch of rain anywhere upstream is enough to make these slots lethal.
The Trail
Day-permit entry into the longest slot canyon in the world. Check flash-flood forecast ALWAYS.
Heat note: desert country - in summer start at dawn and carry more water than feels reasonable.
Pack Loadout (Moderate)
2 liters water, trail shoes, sun layer, snacks, small first-aid kit.
Getting There
Make it a weekend: Sunset Campground (Bryce) (Camping, 43 mi) · North Campground (Bryce) (Camping, 44 mi) · Duck Creek Campground (Camping, 51 mi) · Sevier River (Upper) (Fishing, 52 mi)
More hikes nearby: Toadstool Hoodoos (Hike, 10 mi) · Kanab Sand Caves (Hike, 28 mi) · Angel's Palace (Hike, 35 mi) · Peekaboo Loop (Hike, 42 mi)
Quick Answers
- How long is the Buckskin Gulch (Wire Pass) hike?
- 3.7 miles round trip with 265 feet of elevation gain.
- How hard is Buckskin Gulch (Wire Pass)?
- Moderate. Kid rating: 3 out of 5.
- When should I hike Buckskin Gulch (Wire Pass)?
- Best season: Spring & Fall.
- Why hike Buckskin Gulch (Wire Pass)?
- Buckskin runs roughly 16 miles and is called one of the longest continuous slot canyons in the world; Wire Pass is the 1.7 mile door into it. Day-use permits are required and cover sunrise to sunset only, with no overnight. Carry all your water, because there is none out there.