Located roughly 10 minutes from Kanab, Utah, Peekaboo Slot Canyon (also known as Red Canyon) is a non-technical slot canyon known for its photogenic red walls. While it’s a popular location, getting there requires careful planning and preparation due to how remote it is.
My husband and I went out to Peekaboo Slot Canyon at the end of December 2024. We debated hiking out on past trips to Kanab, but opted to wait until we had the right vehicle to make the drive out and I’m SO glad we did. Inside this guide you’ll find everything you need to know about getting to Peekaboo Slot Canyon, what to expect when hiking through the canyon, and my honest thoughts about whether or not it’s worth the trek out.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Peekaboo Slot Canyon outside of Kanab in this guide should not be confused with Peek-a-Boo Slot Canyon and Spooky Slot Canyon outside of Escalante. That is a completely different hike that is much more challenging than this Peekaboo Slot Canyon (although I personally consider it one of the best hikes in Southern Utah!).
Watch: Are Peekaboo Slot Canyon + The Great Chamber Worth Visiting?
Recreating Responsibly in Peekaboo Slot Canyon
Anytime you recreate outdoors, it’s important to do so responsibly to help minimize your impact on the environment. On a hike like Peekaboo Slot Canyon it’s also important to practice slot canyon safety.
Always check the weather before heading out, whether you’re hiking or driving to the canyon. If rain is in the forecast anywhere in the vicinity, reconsider your plans. Flash floods can be triggered from rain miles away. Slot canyons are created by flash floods and they can be incredibly dangerous, so you don’t want to be caught in one unexpectedly!
Leave No Trace
When it comes to making more responsible and sustainable decisions while hiking, you can look to the Leave No Trace principles for guidance. The 7 principles include:
- Plan ahead & prepare. Hiking in the desert comes with unique considerations, so make sure you research hikes ahead of time and pack appropriately. Always carry the 10 essentials!
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces. Stay on trails or other durable surfaces like slickrock and washes. Don’t bust the cryptobiotic soil in the area!
- Dispose of waste properly. Pack out all waste and trash, including food scraps, human waste, and pet waste.
- Leave what you find. Don’t carve into, take, or stack rocks.
- Minimize campfire impacts. Check for fire bans and practice campfire safety. This means creating your campfire in an existing fire ring; making sure the fire is attended and doesn’t get out of control; and making sure the fire is out completely (stir the ashes until they are cool to the touch).
- Respect wildlife. Never feed wildlife. Make sure to maintain a safe distance from wildlife.
- Be considerate of others. Wear headphones instead of playing music over a bluetooth speaker. Remember uphill hikers have the right of way.
The member-driven Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics teaches people how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. This copyrighted information has been reprinted with permission from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org.
How to Get to Peekaboo Slot Canyon
You have two options for accessing Peekaboo Slot Canyon. You can either drive an extremely sandy road, which requires a high-clearance vehicle with 4WD capabilities and proper driving experience OR you can walk the road, which is a roughly 8-mile hike out-and-back.
I cannot stress this enough: If you don’t have a high-clearance vehicle with 4WD capabilities AND experience driving sandy roads DO NOT attempt to drive out to Peekaboo Slot Canyon!
Vehicles regularly get stuck on the drive out and unless you’re lucky enough to run into someone who can pull you out, you’re going to have to walk back to the staging area and calling in an expensive tow truck. There are a number of different guiding companies around the Kanab area that offer tours to Peekaboo Slot Canyon who can safely drive you if you don’t have the right vehicle or experience.
The road to Peekaboo Slot Canyon begins at a staging area located along Highway 89 north of Kanab. The staging area is huge, so you shouldn’t have any issues finding parking if you’re hiking the road or taking a side-by-side out. There’s also plenty of room to air down your tires before the drive. The staging area has pit toilets, as well as picnic tables.
The Road Out
The road out to Peekaboo Slot Canyon is sandy right from the start. You really need to be comfortable driving in deep sand! The road is roughly 4 miles long and includes bumpy terrain with pockets of deep sand, as well as some wash crossings. Do not attempt the drive out if rain is in the forecast because you don’t want to encounter flash floods or get stuck.
My husband and I drove the road in his stock Chevy Colorado and we had no issues getting to the trailhead. He has a lot of experience driving backroads in the desert, so he was very confident, but I wouldn’t have felt comfortable in such sandy terrain. We encountered a Jeep (a Compass, I think) that was stuck in the sand on our way out. Fortunately, there was a tour guide with a winch who was in the process of pulling him out!
Is the drive to Peekaboo Slot Canyon scary?
I wouldn’t say that the drive out to Peekaboo Slot Canyon is scary. It’s rough and sandy (I literally cannot stress this enough!), but there aren’t any drop-offs and the terrain isn’t steep or rocky. As long as you have the right vehicle and a capable driver, you should be fine!
Hire a Guide or Take a Self-Driving Tour:
Hiking Peekaboo Slot Canyon (aka Red Canyon)
The hike through Peekaboo Slot Canyon is pretty short and easy as far as slot canyon hikes go. The hardest part of visiting is the trek to get there! The non-technical portion of Peekaboo Slot Canyon is roughly 0.4 miles long with less than 100 ft. of elevation gain. It’s not very narrow, so you can easily walk through it, but the red sandstone walls are gorgeous, especially if you’re there when the light is right.
When I hiked Peekaboo Slot Canyon there was a small ladder up a 3-4 ft. drop, but that was the only obstacle. You’ll know when you’ve reached the end of the slot canyon because there’s a tall pour over that you would have to stem up and climb around to navigate (of course, my husband stemmed his way up to prove he could!).
Now to answer the million dollar question – is hiking Peekaboo Slot Canyon worth the trek to get there? It depends (typical lawyer answer lol)! I honestly don’t recommend hiking the road to access Peekaboo Slot Canyon. The thought of hiking all that way in such sandy conditions with Jeeps and side-by-sides flying by just for a short slot canyon hike makes me shudder. There are plenty of other non-technical slot canyons in the area that are much easier to access and are arguably more photogenic. Red Hollow Slot Canyon is located nearby and is one of the best hikes in Southern Utah, in my opinion.
Trail Stats for Peekaboo Slot Canyon
*These are just the stats for the slot canyon, along with information about the main trailhead. If you’re hiking along the road it will add ~8 miles miles of sandy hiking round-trip.*
Trailhead Location: Google Maps (This is the staging area for the road out to Peekaboo Slot Canyon.)
Road to the Trailhead: Extremely difficult. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS DRIVE UNLESS YOU HAVE A HIGH-CLEARANCE 4WD VEHICLE AND EXPERIENCE DRIVING IN DEEP SAND.
Bathrooms?: There are no bathrooms at the slot canyon, but there are pit toilets at the staging area before you start the drive out.
Trailhead Parking Difficulty: Easy-moderate. Parking for Peekaboo Slot Canyon is located in a wash. There’s room for a good number of vehicles
Distance: ~0.8 miles out-and-back
Elevation Gain: 85 ft.
Difficulty: Very easy (1.5-2.5/10)
Estimated Hike Time: 30-45 minutes
Fee: None
Dog-Friendly?: Yes. There is a short ladder in the middle of the canyon, but if you’re able to pick up your dog it’s not difficult to lift them up or down.
Best Seasons to Hike: Fall, winter, early spring.
AllTrails Link NOTE: This route includes the road out to Peekaboo Slot Canyon. There are a number of backroads in the area, so it’s important to have a map whether you’re hiking or driving!
Peekaboo Slot Canyon (aka Red Canyon) Trail Map Including Road
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