Spooky Gulch and Peek A Boo Slot Canyons - Grand Staircase Escalante, Utah

Spooky Gulch and Peek A Boo Slot Canyons - Grand Staircase Escalante, Utah

Hole in the Rock Road outside of Escalante, Utah is one of the best places I've found when it comes to the sheer volume of things you can do. Zebra Slot Canyon, Devil's Garden, Coyote Gulch, Reflection Canyon, Willis Creek and many, many more.

One of the most fun trips off Hole in the Rock Road is the Spooky Gulch & Peek-A-Boo Canyon loop. It's a short hike that offers a lot of fun and diversity. Peek-A-Boo is a beautiful red rock slot canyon, complete with a double arch and other fun formations. After a short hike through Peek-A-Boo, you walk overland and drop into Spooky Gulch. Spooky Gulch, by contrast, is an extremely tight and sometimes dark canyon. Both are beautiful in their own right.

Overall, the hike is about 6 miles if you do the whole loop. A little bit (400~500ft) of elevation loss and gain, but that's about it. The main pointer I can give is to go in through Peek-A-Boo Canyon, and out through Spooky Gulch. The entrance to Peek-A-Boo can be intimidating depending on your experience with climbing, but it's not technical. If you are not comfortable with light scrambling, it's a good idea to go with someone who is. After the entrance, it's very straighforward with no real obstacles. You want to climb out after a short bit and follow the cairns across the open desert to Spooky Gulch. Spooky Gulch quickly slots up and you'll soon come to the main obstacle; a boulder fall. First time I was there, it didn't seem like much. This time, it was a little trickier. The two groups in front of me had a couple members who had a little difficulty. In all honesty, I had a moment where I was almost stuck with no footholds and still about 6' to the bottom. I managed to get down safely, but again, if you aren't comfortable with that type of thing, it's good to have a member in your party who is and can help the rest down. The boulder fall is why you want to go in Peek-A-Boo Canyon and out Spooky Gulch; I have no idea how you would climb up it. I'm sure some people could, but definitely not me.

Anyway, as far as the road goes, Hole in the Rock is bumpy to the trailhead, but any vehicle can make it (as long as it's not muddy). The turn off from Hole in the Rock has been redone since we were there last time; it's much smoother and well maintained. There is now a nicer trailhead parking (and overflow parking) area, as well as bathrooms. The trail in is very well marked and maintained also. Peek-A-Boo Canyon and Spooky Gulch are very popular, which I think had a hand in the recent improvements.....but also makes them crowded, so get their early.

Overall, the Peek-A-Boo Canyon & Spooky Gulch loop trail is a great introduction to slot canyons. Easy to get to and easy to get through, it's good for all levels of experience.