Private Buckskin Gulch Tour

Overview

There are as many metaphors to describe what locals call 'down in the Buckskin' as there are people who have been there. I choose the word 'in' because you are literally inside the walls of the world's longest slot canyon.

According to the Bureau of Land Management ('BLM') website, Buckskin Gulch is 16 miles long (around 26 km) from the Buckskin Trailhead to the Paria Canyon and over 500 feet (around 150m) deep at its confluence with the Paria River. There are places in the Buckskin where you are able to touch both canyon walls at the same time.

Buckskin Gulch is a photographer's and hiker's Mecca. Every corner you turn is changing continuously; the cliffs are water-and-wind-sculpted patterns of colors, light and shadows. You may also marvel and puzzle at the meanings of the rock writings (petroglyphs) from the early Archaic period (some are as old as 9,000 years).

It was voted one the top 10 hikes in the world by National Geographic Adventure Magazine a few years back.

City: Page

Tue 24 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $389.62

Make a reservation

Tue 24 Dec

Starting at $389.62

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Bottled water

Air-conditioned vehicle

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
Face masks required for guides and travelers in vehicles.

What To Expect

Buckskin Gulch

- Incredible day of hiking into the world's longest slot canyon - Enchanting subterranean tour in swirling sculpted sandstone - Awesome photography opportunities - Great alternative to The Wave or South Coyote Buttes if you are unlucky in the draw for a permit. You won't be disappointed!

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (40)

randeepetes

May 2021

This hike was the best park of an amazing vacation! The hike definitely would not have been the same without the guide, and specifically our guide, Hunter! If you can request him, we recommend you do. He was super nice and extremely knowledgeable. He felt like he was part of the family early on and really made our 6 and 7 year old kids comfortable, and had inside knowledge about some of their favorite video games. The hike is long - the longer you go, the more you see! With drive time we spent about 7 hours with Hunter and he was full of info, tips, tricks, local insights and more. The canyons are incredible and go on for miles. We found a comfortable stopping point before turning around but were not disappointed at all.

JaxDoc

Apr 2021

Our family of 4, including 11 and 12 year old daughters, did the Buckskin Gulch tour with Yermo and Hunter. As we hiked to the more remote entrance to Buckskin Gulch, Yermo made the "executive decision" to hike back to the Hummer and take the easier hike/route in. The decision was the right one, but the way he handled it was a bit condescending and was not particularly tactful. The other hike in was scenic and relatively easy. He mentioned it would be very crowded compared to the "harder" route in, however we did not find it that crowded. Yermo is very knowledgeable. His care of the environment and concern for the overuse of the area is his passion. That was his overarching message of the day. His assistant guide, Hunter, was amazing and really made our day. He engaged our kids at every turn, helped them when they needed it, and was a genuinely nice guy. He even hiked up the painted cliffs with our 12 year old, kept going all the way to the top, then proceeded to run down!! Left us shaking our heads....Hunter was amazing!

nicolez370

Apr 2021

I sent a complaint against this tour company. The guide/ driver was smelling alcohol, hands shaking, told me she needed to keep her sunglasses on as she was very sensitive to light after LASIK surgery and it was a very cloudy morning. Well she was in No condition to drive us safely. She offers two options one of them the middle trail requires ropes and not be afraid of heights as you have to rappel to the bottom of the gulch and you better be able to pull yourself out as she is not strong enough to help you... great option to be left in the bottom of the gulch. The other option as her boss said that no one ever complained and he had taken people from 5-80 years old is the easy way by driving on house rock Valley road to Wire pas to the start of the trail. Anyone with a brain check out road condition here to avoid getting stuck. I stopped at BLM at Big water to inquire about this road condition as I was planning to go 4-5 miles down the road to find some beautiful colored hills and go to Maze rock art site. The person at the BLM assured me that the road was in excellent condition as she drove it the day before. So We would not have needed a guide. The access to the trail is excellent and the hike is pretty easy as much as it is beautiful. Anyone offered this two options will chose the easy trail. And end up paying a pretty penny for it. I feel I have been scammed as this was not the description you provided. This company takes advantage of people coming from various places who do not know the desert. I live in the Phoenix area for the last 28 years and I am an avid hiker. So I know the risks involved with the wilderness. So I hope you do not keep this company on your listing. I did not get proper information ( going into the gulch with ropes) to cancel in the required time (24 hrs).

Response from Host

Apr 2021

Dear Nicole, Thank you for your review. We take guest grievances very seriously. Unfortunately even before the start of the tour, you decided that you did not need a guide and therefore did not want to experience our tour. Your allegations over our tour guide are totally unfounded. We meet with our guides before each tour and check the vehicles with them to make sure they are fully sanitized and ready to go. The alcohol smell may have emanated from our sanitation products and in no way was related to the guide. Buckskin Gulch is accessible via 2 main routes and we explain both options to guests who can choose depending on their abilities and preferences. While WirePass Trailhead is easily accessible when the road is in good condition, many people still choose to hire a guide for safety issues and also educational content. Our tours are much more than just taking guests to the trailhead as we offer extensive knowledge on the geology, history and wildlife while safely guiding the guests through the canyon. This review is defamatory at different levels and does not reflect in any way the services we provide to our guests who did experience our tours, as all other reviews can confirm.