Wire Pass Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Geological Significance · Historical Significance

Permits are required for this hike, but they don't need to be reserved in advance. Get your permit ($6 per person and $6 per dog) from the box at the trailhead, or pay and print in advance on Recreation.gov. Also be sure you know the flash flood danger before you go. You can check with the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) office in Kanab or online before embarking this hike to ask about current conditions and risk.

The trailhead starts at a parking lot about seven miles down a dirt road off Route 87 (that also services the Wave which requires a permit) and follows a pretty obvious sandy trail. The trail is pretty uneventful for about a mile, and then you'll start to see a canyon appear.

When you get to the canyon you'll know, as there is a dramatic entrance. Inside the slot canyon the experience is awe inspiring as the 100-200 foot walls narrow to about a foot in one short (3-5 foot) section of the canyon. The footing is fairly good and mostly sandy which makes for easy running, but there are some rocks.

At about the 1.3-mile point there is a section that you'll need to down climb about 7-8 feet on a pile of rock and driftwood, but recently a sturdy ladder was put in place to aid this section. A big flash flood could always take out the ladder, however, so don't necessarily count on it being there.

The same goes for any part of this trail: Conditions can change due to flash floods, leaving debris and affecting how easy or hard the hike becomes. If it has rained recently, you may even encounter pools of muddy water (and cold!) that you'll have to wade through. Don't let that deter you, because reaching the canyon confluence is a special experience.

Once there, you'll meet another huge slot canyon coming in from the left. This is the main Buckskin Gulch, and it continues from this point downstream for many more miles. At this junction, be sure to look to your right to see Native American petroglyphs on the cliff wall. Remember to only look but not touch this ancient rock art.

This junction makes the typical turnaround point for a casual day hike, but you could continue deeper in either direction of Buckskin Gulch from here.