After we finished our last slot canyon in Zion, we headed to the Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness area (with a stop for a tasty meal at Nedra's in Kanab). We did an overnight trip of Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon starting at Wire Pass and finishing at the Whitehouse trailhead (~20 miles total). It was 1.7 miles in Wire Pass, which was as narrow as 2 feet in some places, and then 11.3 miles in Buckskin Gulch to the confluence with the Paria River. The hike out from the confluence to Whitehouse trailhead was seven miles and dry this time of year due to irrigation (there was water from the confluence to Lees Ferry).

Buckskin is the longest slot canyon in the world and it was incredible to spend ~6.5 hours hiking in a slot canyon. The time just flew by and it didn't feel like 6.5 hours at all. Buckskin had different characteristics in sections. Some places were really dark and narrow with deep, freezing pools to wade through (~waist deep in some places). Other sections were more wide open with sunlight reaching the canyon floor. And my favorite sections - where the red sandstone was smoothly carved into undulating, scallopped walls. I loved when we came to the end of a dark section and caught glimpses of the glowing red/orange sandstone ahead.

It was humbling to see boulders and logs jammed high up between the narrow canyon walls, evidence of previous flash floods. I read that the water can be as high as 50 feet. Wow! Fortunately we had a favorable forecast (i.e. no rain) and an uneventful hike. Buckskin Gulch was amazing and what we saw of Paria Canyon near the confluence, it was beautiful too. It looks like doing the whole Paria Canyon would be a fun backpack.