I would personally rather do The Grand Staircase Escalante then Antelope.. but I dunno if the OP wants to get his car that dirty, driving Hole in the Rock Road. It is my favorite part of Utah, hands down. You CAN access the trailhead where a few of the slots are located at.. ie; Spooky, Peek-A-Boo and Zebra, in a 2WD vehicle. A guy we ran into drove the road in a Civic Hybrid 4 door..
I am ditching antelope and heading to The Grand Staircase Escalante . I'm going to stay at bryce 2 days. I'll definitely go check out the slot canyons there.
The great thing about this area is that the trail to get to the slots is like an easy 20 minute walk - and IT IS fabulous!!!
This might be a bit hard to find - and the road was a bit rough to get to this location - HOWEVER we were in a 2WD Ford Escape. This is Sunset Arch at Sunset (duh )
You are going to have a blast! Oh and check out Zebra if you can. It takes a little research to find where to find the "trailhead", and the hike is about a 3 mile one way in. I was surprised that we ran into like 8 people and 3 dogs when we were in there shooting this beast! I guess Zebra gets flooded quite a bit with rain, so you can ask at the general store in Escalante or at the "sporting goods" shop what the conditions are (or if they know..)
My buddy got that book that suggested, and it was stated that the best time of day to shoot was before we got there. I can't remember what exact times it stated, but we got to the trailhead at 4pm - when by coincidence, everyone was leaving! So we had the whole place to ourselves. I am sure all times of the day are good (except when the sun is straight up), as the canyon walls change colors with the different lighting.
Also down that road is Devils Garden (I think that is what it is called). Cool spot to shoot as well!
Spooky is a real gut scraper. You literally have to scooch sideways...
(This is NOT close to being the narrowest section!)
Other H.I.T.R. area highlights include Zebra, Neon/ (A bit of a hike. Explore the lower section of Choprock or Ringtail if you need more excercise!), Egypt3 (hike down 'till you threaten to get stuck ), the classic Peek-a-Boo/Spooky Loop (throw in Tunnel if time/energy allow), Dinosaur footprints, Devil's Garden (pre-dawn and sunrise), several nice arches, as shown above, and about a zillion other places.
Closer to Bryce, a super easy and quite pretty hike is Willis Creek. Check that Skutumpah Rd is in decent shape (ask at the Canonville GSENM center). The creek is maybe 45 minutes from town. If you're feeling adventuresome, make it a Twofer and check out Bull Valley Gorge. (Semi-technical in places, depending on recent rainfall, etc. Some scrambling and crawling. In other words, LOTS of fun!)
Hole-in-the-Rock is usually quite passable in a standard family/rental car. Keep an eye out for sandy areas and try to slow BEFORE you hit the washboard! Distances are great and speeds will be modest, so allow time for driving. Do NOT head down any of the area's dirt roads if significant rain threatens. Once soaked, the road material transforms into greased owl poo that can scare off ever the 4x4 crowd. The northern sections of HITR get enough traffic that you won't have to wait long for help. Some of the side roads are pretty remote, and it wouldn't hurt to leave a trip plan with the motel or rangers at the Escalante center.
There are several decent motels in Escalante, and some $40 (last I looked) cabins at Escalante Outfitters. (They also have a GREAT supply of maps and books. Decent food too.)
I thought the subway requires permits 3 months in advance, which of course I just found out. So I don't thnk I can do the subway which is a shame because it looks really cool
NO! You can walk up to the back country desk at Zion and obtain a permit to the Subway the day before you want to visit if they have any left. I've done that a couple of times.
One more shout-out. You'll probably want to drive Hwy 12 at least as far as Boulder. The road is just amazing. If you've got the driving bug, a real pretty side trip from there is the Burr Trail Road. This is refreshingly paved, and takes you INTO a fantastic canyon. 2 hours will show you the highlights, including a short, pretty side canyon you need to hike into and explore. ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/19806236@N00/4563269851/ )
Of course, with only 4 days, you can't hope to see anywhere near all the "Must see" places in GSENM, so please don't try! Just getting to a place like this: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/36928014 is a multi-hour hike. (I SOOO want to see this feature!) Take your time and try to spend as much time looking through the viewfinder as possible, instead of running wildly from one destination to the next. And start making plans to return next Spring!
Dustin Gent wrote:
My buddy got that book that suggested, and it was stated that the best time of day to shoot was before we got there. I can't remember what exact times it stated, but we got to the trailhead at 4pm - when by coincidence, everyone was leaving! So we had the whole place to ourselves. I am sure all times of the day are good (except when the sun is straight up), as the canyon walls change colors with the different lighting.
Also down that road is Devils Garden (I think that is what it is called). Cool spot to shoot as well! ...Show more →
DonH wrote:
NO! You can walk up to the back country desk at Zion and obtain a permit to the Subway the day before you want to visit if they have any left. I've done that a couple of times.
Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out and see if can sneak in a subway.
Jason, this sort of poking about IS somewhat physical. Here's a 'spoiler' for Spooky and Peek-a-Boo.
If this looks like fun, you're set! These canyons are quite short, and you'll be past the difficult places in a few tens of minutes. It's not like you'll be climbing the Eigernordwand, but you do need to free from basic health issues. If you're significantly over 200#, have a bad hip or other mobility problem, some of the suggested canyons may not be much fun. Willis Creek is a dead-level stroll. Zebra is quite easy apart from a modest hike in and a few pools of variably (Inches to a few feet!) deep, potentially cold, water near the entrance. 'Flood' conditions depicted at . Every other 'interesting' canyon I've visited has required at least a minor bit of rock hopping.
When we were at Zebra in March, there was no signs on water - what so ever. I was told that it usually has water in there.. And yes, Spooky does get a bit tight in there! I was on my stomach quite a bit.
"Gateway to slots, goblins, and fun! Possibly the most washboarded road on the planet! Let some air out of the tires before you loose all your teeth. You can re-fill at the convenience store opposite the Escalante High School, on the east end of town.
), the classic Peek-a-Boo/Spooky Loop (throw in Tunnel if time/energy allow), Dinosaur footprints, Devil's Garden (pre-dawn and sunrise), several nice arches, as shown above, and about a zillion other places.