Four Days in the Underground: Paria Canyon
February/March by Bruce Grubbs
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Rising below the pink cliffs and hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park, the Paria River flows south through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, crosses from Utah into Arizona, and joins the Colorado River at Lees Ferry. The lower 38 miles of the Paria River flow through Paria Canyon, arguably one of the best slickrock canyon hikes in the world. Buckskin Gulch, a major tributary that joins the Paria at the Arizona/Utah border, is a world-famous slot canyon hike and at 12 miles one of the longest in the world. Both canyons lie within the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, and are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Because Paria Canyon is a major destination for canyoneers and hikers worldwide, the BLM requires a permit for all hikes within the canyons, and entry for overnight or longer is limited to 20 backpackers per day at all four trailheads combined. There's no limit on the number of day hikers.
Paria Canyon wasn't always so famous. On my first hike down Paria more than 30 years ago, there wasn't a single designated wilderness area on BLM lands anywhere, let alone a national monument. There were no contact stations or official trailheads, nobody cared how many people hiked the canyons, and it was up to the individual to decide if the weather was appropriate for a hike through a narrow, flood-prone canyon.
By the time of my second hike down Paria a few years later, the number of people hiking the canyon had increased dramatically, and the BLM was implementing a permit system to regulate the number of hikers and educate them so the canyons wouldn't be trashed by ignorant campers. As an old hand whose formative hiking experiences in the Southwest predated permits, and therefore had a natural resistance to permits and use fees, I approached a recent trip into Paria with some doubt. Bad experiences with permit systems apparently designed with little regard for on-the-ground reality made my doubts worse.
So I was pleasantly surprised to find that the BLM's permit system for Paria Canyon is eminently workable. A check of the BLM's Paria website revealed a calendar that shows the number of permits available any given day up to six months in advance. Since I was hoping to leave on my last-minute trip within a week, I was worried about the horror stories I'd heard about months of lead time needed to get a permit. That's probably true for large parties (there's a limit of 10 per group), but as a solo hiker I had lots of choices. I picked a day, but before committing to the permit, I picked up the phone and started calling the commercial shuttle services listed on the BLM website. The first one I called (Paria Outpost) was happy to do the shuttle for me on my given date. (Since the hike is one way, a shuttle is required.) So I completed the permit process online, which included paying the fee of $5 per person per day, a total of $25 for my four-day trip. I was able to print a couple of copies of the permit confirmation. I would need one to display in my windshield at the long term parking lot at Lees Ferry, and another to pick up my actual permit at White House Ranger Station near the start of the hike.
Unlike some backcountry permit systems, the Paria system just meters the number of backpackers starting each day. There's no requirement to list an itinerary with every campsite detailed, which most people aren't going to follow anyway once they're on the hike.
Most backpackers wanting to hike the length of Paria Canyon start at White House Trailhead, which is just south of U.S. 89 about 30 miles west of Page, and hike the 38 miles to Lees Ferry Trailhead (located five miles east of U.S. 89A, about 45 south of Page via U.S. 89 and 89A). Some backpackers start at Wire Pass Trailhead and hike Buckskin Gulch instead of upper Paria Canyon. Buckskin Gulch is also done as a day hike, starting from Wire Pass Trailhead, hiking up Paria Canyon from the confluence, and ending at White House Trailhead. Wire Pass Trailhead is the most popular way to hike down Buckskin Gulch because this route is shorter and enters Buckskin Gulch just above the start of the narrows. A much shorter day hike is to start at Buckskin Trailhead and hike to Wire Pass Trailhead, perhaps taking a side trip into the upper Buckskin Gulch narrows. Wire Pass Trailhead is reached from Page by driving 34 miles west on US 89, and then 8 miles south on House Rock Valley Road, a dirt road that is impassable in wet weather. Paria Canyon can be hiked in three days, but I recommend four to five days to allow time for exploration.
Buckskin Gulch requires some canyoneering skills. The narrows are less than 10 feet wide and extend for miles. Deep, cold pools must be waded and sometimes swum. Log jams are occasionally found after floods and can be difficult to negotiate. A rock jam about a mile and a half above the confluence must be down climbed, and some hikers will need a rope belay.
Paria Canyon, by contrast, is a straightforward hike down the sandy river bed. Although the walking is mostly cross-country and the shallow river must be crossed repeatedly, it's an easy backpack trip suitable for beginners. It's impossible to get lost, and there's plenty of water - unusual conditions for desert hiking. You'll will need to wear water shoes that are suitable for wading and constant immersion, while still protecting your feet. A pair of light camp shoes are great to have at the end of the day.
One thing you must have for hiking Paria Canyon is warm and stable weather. Because you'll have to hike about 6 miles through the Paria narrows, where there is no escape from a flood, and you'll be wading the river, trips must be planned for the spring or fall dry seasons. April and May are the most popular months, and mid-September through October are also excellent. Avoid the summer monsoon season, which runs from July through mid-September. A thunderstorm in the Paria watershed, which could easily occur miles from your location, could send a flood through the canyon with no warning. In the narrows of either Paria or Buckskin there's no escape. On my first hike, a log jam 40 feet up in the Paria narrows testified to the depth and force of the floods. By November, the river becomes too cold to wade, and little sunlight reaches the canyon depths. When winter storms begin in late November, the river rises and becomes icy - not fun conditions for a hike.
Always check the short-term forecast before actually starting your trip. Even though spring and fall are normally the dry seasons in the canyon country, storms can occur at any time. You must have a dry, stable forecast for the first two days of your trip. You'll also want to hike downstream from White House Trailhead to Lees Ferry Trailhead so that your weather forecast is fresh when you encounter the narrows on the first day of the hike. Below the narrows, there are plenty of places to escape rising water, although you could be stuck for a few days until the river level drops enough to wade.
Although the river can be drunk if it is purified, the silty, alkaline water is not very tasty. It's better to get water from the numerous springs that start to appear at river level starting with Wall Spring at mile 9.5. There are springs, some seasonal and some reliable, all the way to Last Spring at about mile 25. All of the springs are obvious, except for Shower Spring at mile 22, which is hidden behind a wall of vegetation on river left.
From White House Trailhead, the Paria River flows through an open valley for several miles, but then the massive Navajo sandstone appears and the canyon walls start to close in. After long dry spells, the Paria River may be dry in this section, but always starts to flow by the Buckskin confluence. At four miles, the narrows begin as the last of the flood-deposited alluvial terraces, and most of the vegetation, disappear. From here until about mile 10, there are no places to escape a flood. There is a campsite about a quarter-mile up Buckskin Canyon, but it is heavily used and may not be available.
The canyon walls steadily rise and the bottom becomes narrower as you approach the confluence with Buckskin Gulch. At mile 6.5, Slide Rock forms a natural arch where a huge block of sandstone slid into the canyon bottom. Shortly afterward, you'll arrive at the confluence of Buckskin and Paria. A side hike up Buckskin Gulch is certainly worth while if you have time. A pretty section about a quarter-mile up, where the canyon widens, has a couple of terraces and campsites above flood level, but above this point Buckskin rapidly narrows to less than 10 feet wide. A good goal for a short side hike from Paria is the rock jam about 1.5 miles from the confluence.
Back in Paria Canyon, the narrows grow gradually wider as you continue downstream, and the canyon walls steadily rise. After a couple of miles, you'll start to see small terraces where some permanent vegetation survives the floods, but the first good campsites start about mile 10. Big Spring at mile 12 is reliable and there are plenty of campsites both up and downstream. I prefer to avoid the heavily used campsites near the springs by picking up water for camp and then hiking on a bit. You can always use the river water for washing up (well away from the river, of course).
On the subject of sanitation, the BLM requires that all trash, including used toilet paper, be carried out. Because campers are confined to the narrow canyon bottom and wood is scarce, campfires are not allowed. Also, be considerate of your fellow hikers and campers, and keep your voices down. Sounds carry in this confined space.
From about mile 9.5 to 15, a series of four fault canyons cross Paria Canyon at right angles. Informally named First, Second, Third, and Fourth Crack by author Michael Kelsey, these formations make it easy to gauge your progress though this section. (Don't bother with a GPS receiver. I had to try one one just to see, and I couldn't get a good position fix until the canyon opens out at around mile 25.)
At about mile 16, the remains of Adams Pump on river left marks an ambitious, but failed, attempt to pump water to the canyon rim to provide water for cattle. A short slot canyon on the right at mile 16 is called The Hole after a topographic feature on the plateau above. There's usually a nice little spring flowing out of the mouth.
Just past the halfway point at mile 20, watch for Wrather Canyon, a major side canyon opening out on the right. The canyon is named for Wrather Arch, a massive, jug handle-shaped arch formed in the Navajo sandstone about half a mile up the canyon. Though an informal trail leads up the canyon, the actual entrance to Wrather Canyon is small and easy to miss. The final steep climb up to the base of the arch is worth while not only for the arch but for the wider view down Wrather Canyon.
Paria Canyon continues to open up downstream of Wrather Canyon, while the walls now tower over a thousand feet. Occasional straight sections give long views, interspersed with the usual meandering curves. Long terraces graced with shady cottonwood trees offer plenty of places for a lunch break or camp. At about mile 25, you pass Last Spring, so pick up enough water to last you to Lees Ferry at mile 38, especially if you plan to camp below this point.
When the Chinle formation, composed of deep layers of pastel-colored shale, appears at river level, Paria Canyon starts to widen dramatically as the upper cliffs of Navajo sandstone recede. By about mile 27, large boulders in the river bed begin to imped progress, so it is a relief to pick up the start of the Highwater Trail on the right bank. This informal trail is maintained only by hiker travel, but it is now distinct and easy to follow. The first mile of the trail stays just above the river on the right, and at mile 28 it briefly returns to the river bank. Here, a small stand of cottonwoods mark the mouth of an unnamed side canyon. The remaining nine miles of the hike is open and can be hot, so some people prefer to camp in this pleasant area and then make an early start.
After leaving the stand of cottonwoods, the Highwater Trail climbs high above the river on the right. When Paria Canyon turns from east to southeast, you'll catch a view of the Echo Peaks across the Colorado River from Lees Ferry, some eight miles distant. Around mile 30, the trail drops back into the Paria River bed to avoid the sand dunes now covering the talus on the west. From here to the end the trail crosses flat, brushy terraces as the river meanders its way down the floor of the canyon. The trail can be sandy in places so it is often easier to stay in the river bed. Near the lower end of Paria Canyon you'll pass some old cabins and ruins dating from the settlement days. The most famous settler was John D. Lee, who established a homestead and the Colorado River ferry at the site that still bears his name. After passing the well-preserved Lee homestead, follow the gravel road to the Lee's Ferry Road, turn left, cross the Paria River Bridge, and walk about a quarter-mile to the long-term parking lot and your vehicle.
Bruce Grubbs is an active outdoor writer and photographer with 20 books in print. His "day job" is flying air charters. His Web site is brucegrubbs.com