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Hiking Willis Creek Slot Canyon, Utah

Hiking Willis Creek Slot Canyon

Willis Creek Slot Canyon is a fun, easy, and gorgeous slot canyon in Grand Staircase Escalante. It doesn’t have the striking red rock of some of the other nearby rock features (like Peak-a-book and spooky gulch), but the smooth orange rock walls seem to rise and fall and the canyon periodically widens and narrows during the hike.

Willis Creek Canyon is a long slot canyon and the main part of the canyon is in the first 2 miles (which makes this a great 4-mile hike. Willis creek narrows in several places but never gets so narrow that you need to squeeze through. When we hiked the trail in August there was a small stream of water running through the canyon.. The trail is easy, and with the water, you may want to hike in shoes that can get wet like hiking sandals.

We loved hiking Willis Creek Slot Canyon in Grand Staircase Escalante and highly recommend this hike.

Willis Creek Slot Canyon, Utah: The falls are right near the road at the start of the hike

Need to Know: Hiking Willis Creek Slot Canyon

Distance: 4 miles out and back (you can easily make this longer or shorter and still see a lot of the canyon)
Elevation: mostly flat trail
Difficulty: Easy

When to Hike: You can hike Willis Creek Slot Canyon year-round, but be prepared for cold temperatures in the winter and possibly extreme heat in the summer.

Need to Know: This is a beautiful and easy hike through a slot canyon with golden walls that rise and fall around you. There is a dirt road to get here that can be difficult to manage. We drove this in a mini-van with no problem but be prepared.

Getting to Willis Creek Trail

The most difficult part of the hike is getting to the trailhead. We hiked the trail in August of 2021 but the conditions of the dirt road to the trailhead change based on recent weather, so it is worth looking for recent comments through All Trails about the condition of the road. When we drove to the trailhead, the road was in good condition and we got there in our minivan with no problem. There was one area that we did have to carefully navigate. Ideally, you should take a 4 wheel drive vehicle with high clearance.

To get to the Willis Creek slot canyon trail, start in Cannonville and head south on Kodachrome Rd. Turn right on BLM 500 or Skutumpah Road. We stayed at Kodachrome State park at the campground and this was an easy drive from the campground.

Once you are on Skutumpah Rd you will drive around 5.8 miles and look for the parking lot on your right. Plan on driving on this road for about 20 minutes to get to the trailhead. The parking lot is large with plenty of parking but very little shade.

willis creek narrows trail
Willis Creek Narrows trail

Hiking Willis Creek Slot Canyon

From the parking lot, cross the street (you can see Willis Creek) to the Willis Creek slot canyon trailhead. Walk along the path for a few hundred yards until the trail descends into the canyon. You can take a quick right from here to see the falls at the start of Willis Canyon, but the main trail goes to the left down the canyon itself.

From here the trail is obvious as it winds through the canyon and for the next two miles, the canyon walls will narrow and widen several times. The Willis Creek slot never gets as narrow as some of the other favorite slot canyons, but there are several places where the walls are just a few feet apart.

When we were there there was a small stream that ran the entire length of the canyon making it impossible to keep our feet dry. We hiked in hiking sandals and are glad we did. This could make the hike cold in the spring or fall and possibly icy in the winter. Our kids chose to walk the entire hike in the water which was refreshing in the summer heat.

There is one point on the trail where you get to a small drop. The trail goes to the left of the drop and you can continue on from there. While the trail goes just around the small drop and waterfall, you can hike back up to the falls although this is the only place on the trail that the water gets deep.

Unlike some of the other slot canyons in Utah, Willis Creek slot canyon is not crowded. We only saw a few other hikers during our time on this hike and several were on horseback.

After about 1.5 miles on the trail, the canyon opens up into more of a wash. The trail does continue, but it’s up to you when you turn around.

If you’re looking for other activities near Willis Creek, Utah, check out Kodachrome State Park (about 30 minutes away) or Bryce Canyon (about 1 hour away). You could easily combine these activities into a several days (or even a long single day) trip.

Willis Creek Slot Canyon

Hiking Willis Creek Slot Canyon with Kids

Kids will love this hike and since there is barely any elevation change, it is an easy hike for everyone. While you spend most of your time in the canyon itself where it is often cooler, it can get hot during the summer, so make sure you pack snacks and lots of water. Also plan to bring sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses.

Flash floods are always a danger when hiking slot canyons. Do not hike any slot canyon if there is a chance of rain or thunderstorms.

We did not get cell phone coverage here, so plan accordingly and always keep extra supplies in your car.

Leave No Trace: Always practice leave no trace when you're hiking. This means leaving no trash behind, respecting local wildlife, staying on the trail, limiting wildfires, and being respectful of other hikers.  Help us all enjoy these special places.

You can see a video below of our experience hiking Willis Creek Slot Canyon. We hope you enjoy the hike as much as we did!

Looking for more hiking suggestions? Visit our hiking page, or you might also like:

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