We were a group of college aged girls of moderate fitness from the Midwest (not acclimated). Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the date(s) you selected. Mile 3.0: The start of the “Dive of the Buckskin”. Wire Pass Trail follows a desert wash (AKA a dry creek bed) to a gorgeous slot canyon, called Buckskin Gulch. The only place to camp inside Buckskin Gulch is at the confluence with Paria Canyon (and by permit-only). There are only two safe areas in the event of bad weather. Better start from the early morning as the light will give you the best views. Awesome trail!! Saw some lizards & the rock formations are more of a white color where we were. This very nice guide told us about another entrance to the slots right before the slots narrow at Wire Pass. Latitude/Longitude: 37.0190944, -67.9748111 If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Buckskin Pass is a 13.2 kilometer moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Aspen, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. The final switchbacks seem daunting but 100% worth it. From there, down Buckskin and up Paria Canyon to White House makes the 20.8- or 23.6-mile route. Note: there are multiple trailheads that provide access to Buckskin Gulch. Wire Pass Trailhead offers the most direct access for a day hike. Then you come to a point where you have to go right or left…we went left and walked into Buckskin Gulch (more narrow shaded canyons which was easy enough, except the sandy floor is a loose, which make it a little more difficult to walk). Ignore the off trail notice. After rounding the west side of a high knob, begin climbing to a high point of 7300 feet before heading down to Buckskin Lake, 3.1 miles from Silver Pass. Drink more water and bring layers. We are going to go back and try to go farther. I imagine this canyon would look different every visit due to the way the sun shines on the rocks and in the canyon. Exercise caution along this section of trail. I missed the last shuttle therefore but it's absolutely worth it. From here, the trail becomes difficult for stock and is primitive as it continues to climb, traversing the west side of Buckskin Ridge. Don’t forget to look for Snowmass Lake in the distance from the top! Buckskin Pass - 9.2 Miles Round-Trip Buckskin Pass (12,462') is located 4.6 miles from Maroon Lake in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. Trail can be challenging, worth making it to the top. Our dogs preferred this way (the ladder is quicker and will save time). Other than that, it was mostly backpackers doing the entire traverse. We waited until our 60's and could only explore a couple of miles. It is a well-maintained dirt road. A shuttle will save half the distance. Took my friend from Texas 10 hours. We saw a bull moose chilling in the first lake. The view is stunning throughout the trail and every direction and corners in your sight is absolutely beautiful. Trail clear. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until September. You can. I anticipated a easier day as I knew the mileage was short but the final mile or two is like climbing steps up to the top. Wire Pass Trailhead and Buckskin Gulch Trailhead in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah us about a 1 hour drive from Page, AZ At first, this is an easy 1.7 mile walk to see a very cool slot canyon and other beautiful rock formations and petroglyphs. Overall it was definitely a high moderate, maybe a low hard depending on your ability. Starting at the Wire Pass Trailhead gives you a shorter, more scenic start to Buckskin Gulch. A longer option is to hike down Paria Canyon and finish at Lees Ferry, but this is a multi-day endeavor. 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. Once you turn onto House Valley Rock Road, take it south for about 8.5 miles. Wirepass to the Whitehouse Trailhead - Buckskin Gulch is an exceptionally long and spectacular slot canyon that lures hikers into the relatively new and adrenaline pumping pursuit of canyoneering.Touted as the "longest slot canyon in the world", Buckskin Gulch is … Buckskin Gulch Trailhead is 4.5 miles down the road; Wire Pass Trailhead, 8.4 miles. Thick layer or jacket is not necessary. Turning right here goes into the main and most impressive section of Buckskin Gulch. It can get to 36F in the early morning and was chilly at night. The way to Crater Lake is mostly through aspens, so amazing at peak foliage (hiked Sat 10/3). My wife and I did this hike back on Oct. 5th. more, Recommended experiences in and around Kanab. Buckskin Gulch is supposedly the longest slot canyon in the world. Panoramic views of maroon peak and surrounding mountains on the whole way up. is fine for humans but our dogs wouldn't get close, they put on the brakes. Start: Wire Pass Trailhead. It’s based off of the honor system but c’mon, $6 is hardly anything. Sunscreen as you are exposed at least 50% of the time. Last half mile feel the burn. Great hike! For backpackers hiking through Paria Canyon to Lees Ferry, or out to White House Trailhead, this route shaves about one hiking day off the trip, yet still leaves 5.5 miles of Buckskin … Altitude definitely had an effect on the way up. The peak color is coming. It's the most popular starting point for Buckskin Gulch. This is a great trail to gain a fairly high elevation pass, without having to hike a lot of miles. Trekking poles recommended. Very well marked, spent 30m on the pass and was down by 4pm (last shuttle was 5). A MUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Started from Maroon Lake at around 10am and got to Crater “Lake” (it was dried up, knew this from other reviews though) around 11am. Trail Map | Photo Gallery. Wire Pass Trailhead (37.020083, -112.022352) The recommended route begins at the Wire Pass Trailhead, goes down Buckskin Gulch, and then goes up the Paria Canyon slot to the White House Trailhead and your waiting shuttle vehicle. The trailhead is about 46 miles from Kanab, with the last 8 miles down a graded dirt road. Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch. Apps estimated around 10 miles. But once you make it to the pass the views are stunning of Snowmass mtn and pyramid peak! Hard trail, full of rocks, spree, and steep inclines but it was awesome. The ladder. turn around and go back at that point. Wire Pass Trail is located in the Kanab area of Southern Utah. The highlight of my first year of hiking in CO. While we began at the Wire Pass Trailhead, this out-and-back may be done in either direction. TRAILHEAD: Horse Rock Valley Road, Utah • DIFFICULTY: EASY (with some challenging water & scrambles further into Buckskin Gulch) • DISTANCE: Wire pass 1.7 miles each way. Buckskin spans a divisive ridge between Minnehaha Gulch (east) and the Snowmass Creek drainage (west). Buckskin Gulch 11.8 miles each way – from wire pass to its Southernmost point • APPROX. I only have one word to describe the slot at Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Buckskin Pass - 9.2 Miles Round-Trip Buckskin Pass (12,462') is located 4.6 miles from Maroon Lake in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. White House Trailhead to Wire Pass Trailhead Shuttle. It's one of nine passes over 12,000' in the wilderness, and arguably easiest to reach. Trail Map | Photo Gallery. It shaves off 2.8-miles of what is inevitably a very long day. Hotels with Complimentary Breakfast in Kanab, Hotels near Wire Pass Trail (Buckskin Gulch Access), Hotels near Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Hotels near Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Hotels near Little Hollywood Movie Museum, Zipline & Aerial Adventure Parks in Kanab, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary: Tickets & Tours‎, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park: Tickets & Tours‎, Wire Pass Trail (Buckskin Gulch Access): Tickets & Tours‎, Kanab Heritage House Museum: Tickets & Tours‎, Little Hollywood Movie Museum: Tickets & Tours‎. Wire Pass Trailhead to Lee’s Ferry Trailhead (3-5 days) This options is the longest and most challenging of our suggested itineraries, but also quite rewarding. The large boulder blocking the trail is slightly awkward to get around to access the ladder. Saw a couple of Blue Grouse and that was about it for wildlife. Fun hike for families! However, if you want to explore further, you either have to navigate through an 8 foot drop (good luck!) Amazing scenery at every turn. This trip should take 3-5 days one way. Views are great though all the way through with world class lakes on the way. The hike was rugged- lots of rocky terrain throughout, but not muddy and definitely doable, with no snow yet this time of year (sept 19th). That’s what we did and I will tell you it was a little bit treacherous for an out of shape 57-year-old woman who has lousy balance and footing. recommend it if you have trouble going up and down. Between Maroon Lake and Crater Lake was a different story in the afternoon, a lot of hikers headed up to Crater. The slot canyon had really great colors and interesting. Mile 4.2 – Confluence of Wire Pass and main Buckskin Gulch. We were told it was only a six foot drop but it was more like 8 to 10 foot drop. Buckskin Gulch is a permited area that requires a payment of $6 per person. Definitely worth our trip!!! A testament to how dry it was this summer. 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