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The Paria River Canyon
Area generally east and southeast of Kanab, UT: Grand Canyon National Park, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Kaibab National Forest, Dixie National Forest, and several Wilderness Study Areas make up the bulk of this area.
I absolutely love this area, and when planning my coming trips for a few months out I always think of southern Utah and northern Arizona, especially the Vermilion Cliffs. The desert, rock formations, long slot canyons, hoodoos, waterways, wildlife, wildflowers, ancient petroglyphs, and crazy-rugged beauty, most of which is still undisturbed and can provide wonderful solitude, makes this area one of my favorite places – period.
It all started when my older son, Gary, and I decided to do the Wire Pass to Lee’s Ferry Backpack trip back in April of 2013. Gary had been searching for a trip that was out of the ordinary. Well, he found it and I was lucky enough that he asked me to go with him. You can read all about that 2013 trip here. I have barely scratched the surface when it comes to visiting the area, which is good, because I will definitely be going back again, and again.
The Bureau of Land Management manages much of the land, with tribal land, US Forest Service, National Park Service, and a smattering of private and city land. In BLM land, you can pretty much go anywhere you want (but you should verify that the area you want to go to doesn’t have restrictions). We have always camped when visiting the area. Frankly, I am not sure there are that many hotels in the area. I am sure there are a few, but they might not be near the best hiking. There are several places to camp, and you should plan on camping.
If you are looking for more trails in the area, then I recommend taking a look at The Outbound (Vermilion Cliffs) and here is a good starter search on Alltrails.
You are in the desert now. Before visiting this area, there are things you should consider to keep you and yours safe. A great article about staying safe in the desert can be found at this Gore-Tex site. To paraphrase:
Per Weather Spark: In Kanab, the summers are hot, dry, and mostly clear and the winters are very cold, snowy, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 22°F to 92°F and is rarely below 10°F or above 99°F.
I have found that the best time to visit the area is April, May and late September and October. It is not as hot then.
Great Site: Two Outliers: Sometimes while researching trails, I come across a site that is, well, awesome. Two Outliers is one of those sites. This couple seems like a younger version of ourselves. If they keep this website going until they reach my age (70ish ☹) then they will have an incredible collection of hiking and adventure trips to share with friends and, especially, family. I’m impressed. Per there website: We created Two Outliers as a resource for travel addicts, thrill seekers, and anyone else in search of the next adventure. The name is a reference to Sarah’s love of Statistics but more so, our determination to stray from the easy path, to do things that others might think are crazy, and live life outside the norm.
Great Site: The Wave Info. Per the About Info: The primary purpose of this website is to provide information about The Wave and the Coyote Buttes area of Northern Arizona / Southern Utah. Following my many visits to The Wave in the late 1990s and early 2000s I created this site in 2003. It is designed to serve the needs of hikers and photographers, and provides permit information, maps, travel directions, locations of particular photographic features etc. Thewave.info also provides advice about other photo worthy sites.
Great Site: Our Big Escape. This site gives a lot of good information about the Vermilion Cliffs, especially the history of the area. Also check out their boondocking information for possible places to camp.