Peek-a-boo Gulch - Escalante, Utah - Geological Formation, Slot Canyon Hike

A short slot canyon in the Dry Fork area of the Grand Staircase-Escalante area, the Peek-a-boo Gulch area is famous for its last one hundred meters. Before the junction with Dry Fork of Coyote Gulch - the ravine cuts deeper into the sandstone. Here you'll find a series of interlinked potholes, extravagant swirls and fins of rock, and several arches. The different openings, together with the many corners and crevices throughout the canyon, account for the name.

The hike through this slot canyon isn't long or physically demanding, but requires some navigational and rock-scrambling skill to get through its twists and chutes. The hike is two miles roundtrip, and has a moderate difficulty rating.

In order to reach Peek-a-boo Gulch, take Highway 12 and drive twenty-six miles south of the town of Escalante. Turn down the Hole-in-the-Rock Road until you reach Dry Fork Road and head northeast into the desert. The Dry Fork turnoff branches after only a few hundred yards, and visitors need to stay on the left in order to reach the Dry Fork overlook.

If you hike to the end of the gulch, the Peek-a-boo route eventually climbs out of the slot canyon and onto higher ground. At this point hikers can turn around and head back the way they came, or they can extend the hike to the south and Spooky Gulch.

The Peek-a-boo hike can be combined with hiking Spooky Gulch and turn the hike into a longer loop. The recommended route is to take Peek-a-boo Gulch first, going north up through its depths. After exiting, hiking east for half a mile until you reach the wide streambed above Spooky Gulch. Then follow Spooky back down to Dry Fork, and hike back to the overlook. The total loop route is about three and a half miles long.

Peek-a-boo Gulch tips:

Dry Fork Turnoff - The entire route from Highway 12 is a rugged washboard road with sand traps and ruts. A four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended.

Dry Fork Overlook - There is a parking lot at the end of Dry Fork road. It is located next to an overlook that sits three hundred feet above the canyon. From this vantage point, you can see the rock formations that hide Peek-a-boo and Spooky Gulches.

Finding Peek-a-boo - A short climb from the overlook takes hikers down a winding path along the slopes and boulders of the cliff, and into the sandy bottom of Dry Fork. Immediately ahead is Peek-a-boo Gulch, heading north. Spooky Gulch is farther down the dry creek bed to the east, and the Dry Fork itself continues west.

May 2008 review, "After seeing photographs at art shows of Antelope Canyon (with rays of sun creeping through rock walls to the sandy bottom), I wanted to visit a slot canyon. My husband and I were driving on a road trip to Moab, UT and decided to go south into the Escalante National Forest (or wilderness area). We researched a few slot canyons, and found this one called Peek-a-boo Gulch. To reach it, we had to drive about 10 miles (maybe 20) off-road on a moderately maintained dirt road. The area wasn't that easy to find, but it's easily off the main road (we went in June 2007). Then we had to hike down on a trail that was minimally marked (which was fun for exploring). But it's all out in the open so it's hard to get completely lost. Then, we found it! I needed a serious boost from my husband to scale the 9-10 foot vertical rock leading into the canyon... but it was worth it. There were also several other semi-dangerous parts where I was too nervous to climb without help. He had no problem climbing it though. Peek-a-boo was incredible, a real play-place for adventurous adults. I wouldn't recommend bringing children there at all...I think you need to be full-grown or super strong to reach up and pull yourself up rock walls. It's also extremely isolated and can be dangerous. Also, don't go if a storm is coming as it will likely wash out whatever's in the canyon. We had to use our bodies to support ourselves in between walls as we reached for the next climb up (but could always step onto the bottom if necessary to rest). But, by no means am I a super athlete, and since the rock is gritty like sand paper, a good pair of sneakers should help a lot. There were only two times when I felt like if I didn't have my husband there to help, I could have fallen. Nearby, there's another slot canyon called Spooky. If you're claustrophobic at all, do not attempt this one. If you're calm and like a good outdoor adventure, you'll enjoy it. The coolest part is if you have any sense of connection to the Earth, you'll feel the ghost of the water rushing through as you navigate yourself through winding channels and swirling empty pools.''