Peek-a-boo Canyon and Spooky Glutch Loop

The Trail

This slightly technical (in that it involves some small climbs/rock scrambles) moderate loop trail is about 5 miles round trip with a roughly 250 ft elevation change. There is a fair amount of up and down however within the loop, so keep this in mind when considering the elevation change. Be aware that Spook Gulch is quite narrow with long sections that are only about a foot wide, making exploration of this slot canyon inaccessible and/or prohibitive for some people. There are a couple places that require some small rock climbs/descents/scrambles as well. As you should with any slot canyon, be sure to check weather forecasts before you go and don't attempt the canyons if there is a chance of rain or flash flooding.

Topographical Map

Graph of Elevation

Trail in Google Earth

The trail from the dirt parking lot heads out for a mile along an easy trail before meeting a sign marking the turn-off to descend to the slot canyons (marked by the green circle in the topographical map above). During this section you can enjoy some nice views of the area and see Peek-a-boo Canyon and Spooky Gulch below if you know where to look. Please be especially mindful in this area to stay on the trail to avoid trodding through crytobiotic soil. This is something to be careful about throughout the entire trail and while traveling anywhere in this area.

Note that this starting point is new as of February this year; hikers used to be able to park closer to this turn off point, as can actually be seen in the Google Earth image above. (This image doesn't even show the parking area where you actually start from now.)

Look out for the sign and rock cairns on your right after the first mile of the trail or else you will miss them and continue following the Rim Trail.

Trailhead

Map at trailhead

Looking south along the Rim Trail

Turn-off from Rim Trail down to
slot canyons

Looking up at turn-off point from below

After descending steeply, the trail flats out after turning east as it continues down into the wash below. At the bottom of this section a sign points different directions for the various slot canyons.

Continue along this rock wall
to the large wash

Going around the loop clockwise is recommended in order to avoid a more difficult climb up in Spooky Gulch. This is also the more common way to approach the trail, making navigating the squeeze through Spooky easier in order to avoid running into others going the opposite direction where there is no room for passing. However, some people go up one, back down, and then up and down the other as well or do the loop counterclockwise.

The entrance to Peek-a-boo is large and obvious. There is about a 15 ft climb here to get up and into the canyon, but some footholds carved into the rock help with the ascent. Those good at rock scrambling will not find this difficult, but it can be a bit daunting for some. Having a small group to help boost and pull people up can help. Almost immediately after the climb up you will start seeing the incredible arches this canyon is known for. Be ready to twist and weave your way through and around the various formations within the canyon.

Entrance to Peek-a-boo Canyon

Person in front of the climb for scale

Alternatively, there is a bypass into Peek-a-boo if you know where to find it. This path is marked in blue on the maps above. To get there, head west from the entrance along the wash toward the Dry Fork Narrows. After a short distance you will see a path to your right heading up out of the wash. Take this path, follow it around to a rock hill, and follow the rock cairns up this steep rock hill to a place where you can easily get into the canyon. Note that there are some confusing paths that go in the wrong direction in this area. If you don't follow the cairns and go up, you will probably find yourself along the more obvious green dirt path shown above that leads to an overlook of the slot canyon but does not present a good way into it.

Trail bypassing the climbing ascent

Entrance to Dry Fork Narrows from the bypass trail

If you do take the bypass, be sure to climb back toward the main entrance of Peek-a-boo before continuing further north up the canyon in order to enjoy the unique arches and twists this canyon is well known for! Just be prepared to wind, twist, and crawl through the snake-like turns of the canyon and the unique archways found there.

As the canyon opens up, you can actually continue up the wash to explore the north part if desired. However, to complete the loop commonly done, there is a path heading east that is well used and easy to find that will take hikers over to Spooky Gulch.

Wash continuing further up Peek-a-boo Canyon

Path heading to Spooky Gulch

 About 0.4 mile after the turn-off, hikers will arrive at Spooky Gulch. This first part of the canyon is easy to get down into and relatively wide. There is also an arch along this section.

Entering Spooking Gulch

Arch in Spooky Gulch

Soon enough, hikers will come to a rock jam blocking easy progress down the canyon. There is a hole to one side of this group of choke stones that can be descended in a 10-15 foot drop. This section is more difficult to ascend/descend than the climb going up into Peek-a-boo. We found a rope left there to assist other hikers, but as is always best practice, test any rope left there to make sure it is trustworthy before using it to bear your weight during a climb or descent.

Rock Jam

Climb down from rock jam

Looking up at the top part of the rock jam

Rock jam from below

After descending the rock jam, the canyon narrows significantly. Adventurers will find themselves twisting and turning through much tighter spaces than those found in Peek-a-boo. You will have to travel sideways to get through many places, and it is also possible to get your feet jammed in some tight spots. If you are planning on doing this section of Spooky, be advised that it will be difficult to impossible if you are a very large person or if you have a large pack.

After exiting the canyon, the trail turns out into the wash. From there a trail can be taken back toward Peek-a-boo and up to the trailhead by following the path and the rock cairns. For those with additional time, a turn left to head further down the wash will take you to explore Brimstone slot canyon.

Trail heading back

This trail allows dogs, but unless your furry companion is a great climber, this is probably not the best trail for him/her. There are vault toilets available at the trailhead.

Directions

This trail is located in Garfield County near Escalante, Utah. To get there take UT-12 to Hole in the Rock Rd. Travel down Hole in the Rock Rd. for for just over 26 miles and turn left. Note that Hole in the Rock Rd. is a rough washboard dirt road, so it will take some time to get down it to the trailhead in most vehicles. While it is doable in regular passenger cars with high enough clearance, a four wheel drive vehicle may make it easier and faster. Weather conditions may also potentially make travel along this road inadvisable. A sign does mark the turn off from Hole in the Rock Rd to the trailhead, but it is helpful to pay attention to mileage to make sure you don't miss it. From here just continue to follow the dirt road to the parking area and trailhead. GPS Coordinates: N37° 28.251' W111° 12.767'