Lower Hackberry Slot Canyon

Looking for a desert hike with solitude and scenery while leaving the masses of Antelope Canyon behind . . .? Consider Lower Hackberry Slot Canyon, an underrated gem amongst the plethora of hiking options in Southern Utah.  This section of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument offers a staggeringly diverse amount of terrain to explore. The Cottonwood Road is a graded gravel byway that takes you from US 89 up to Kodachrome Basin State Park.  When dry, this road is very passable to just about any type of passenger vehicle.  When wet, not so much for any type of vehicle.

The trailhead for Lower Hackberry Slot Canyon is about 14 miles north of US 89, crossing desolate plains before dropping down into the Paria River valley.  All Trails is a great place to find directions and a trail map for Lower Hackberry. The trailhead also serves Yellow Rock, the big round formation in the first picture of the above gallery.

Hackberry Creek runs shallow and meanders from wall to wall without impeding your progress.  Some minor route finding is needed from the trailhead; basically, scramble down the dirt slope, following the footprints across Cottonwood Creek, looking for the wide canyon opening, forward and slightly to your right.  The canyon closes in on you quickly, with lush vegetation on both sides.

For a day trip from BaseCamp 37°, Hackberry pairs nicely with the Cottonwood Narrows, Toadstool Hoodoos, Nautilus, and/or Catstair Canyon. Many of these hikes are also a great add-on when traveling to and from Page, Arizona.