Walking deeper into the canyon the walls beside you begin to narrow. Tighter, and tighter they become until they block out all but is left of a single beam of light and enough room for you to squeeze through to the other side. Becoming cooler, the air begins to stand still telling you to take your time. Each breathe you take becomes the only sound you hear. Scaling up and down boulders and ducking under arches, Spooky Gulch gets its name for a reason.

Spooky Gulch is a narrow slot canyon made by flash floods in the Escalante National Monument in Utah. Get there by taking Hole-In-Rock Road, off of scenic Highway 12, for 26 miles to Dry Fork Cutoff. Here is the thing, be prepared because this is desolate Utah desert. Hole-In-Rock Road is a completely washboard dirt road. Any van or car can easily make it to the Dry Fork Cutoff and possibly the trailhead. However, a truck or SUV would make the trip a lot less stressful. Once you get to Hole-In Rock Road clear your odometer, at 26 miles you will reach Dry Fork Cutoff. There will be a small sign and a road to the left. After you turn you will be on an ever worse dirt road. There will be a parking area on your right but the road for the trailhead keeps staying left. If you are in a small car or van you might want to park here if it has been raining or any signs of mud. There are steep uneven lanes and gigantic potholes but I made it around in my small hatchback by A LOT of maneuvering. If you do walk from the first lot it would be an extra mile.

The hike is a half day hike and about 3-5 miles depending on if you take other routes. The trail can be kind of tricky because you are navigating through the desert. From the trailhead at the end of the parking lot you will gradually descend a few hundred feet over sand and outcropped rocks. Make sure you follow the cairns, the temple looking stacked pile of stones, you will see marking the trail. After the sandy trail levels and takes you next to a giant rock wall on your right you will come out to a dry riverbed. Looking to your left, up the riverbed you will see Dry Fork Narrows and straight in front of you, slightly to the right is Peek-A-Boo Gulch. If you take a right and follow the dry riverbed following the cairns, past Peek-A-Boo Gulch, you will come to the bottom entrance of Spooky Gulch.

When you enter through the bottom the walls will be the narrowest after a few hundred yards. Most large adults will have trouble, be prepared keep tossing your backpack in front of you because the walls get about 8 inches wide. Be ready for a few scarps if you find yourself having to squeeze through. Spooky Gulch gets its name because the walls are weirdly textured and how dark and narrow it gets in some spots. There was one part where you had to climb though some tight fitting boulders. It would definitely help to have a friend give you a boost up.

I would recommend spending the day hiking in and then turn around and come back out each canyon to experience them. However, Dry Fork, Peek-A-Boo and Spooky can all be combined to make a snake like hike in and out of all the canyons. It’s a great hike but this is though uncovered flat sand and can be very hard to navigate. When you come out of Spooky Gulch follow the cairns to your right up a big sandy hill. A lot of the time you will see the cairns in the distance but try and follow the footsteps in the sand to not get lost. You will come up to Peek-A-Boo and it will be very narrow slot that opens up.

Bring lots of water. You should drink a gallon of water per person, per day in the desert. So at least a full 2L camel pack per person. Look for snakes in the desert and you might want to clip on a small travel compass.

Where To Stay

Calf Creek Campground

$15.00/No Reservations/Bathrooms

The Calf Creek Campground is a great place to set up a basecamp when exploring the lands of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Each campsite is secluded and some are on or close to Calf Creek which runs through the campground. (You literally have to drive through the creek to get to some campsites.) There are only 14 campsites for $15.00 each and all are on a first-come-first-serve basis. I would recommend getting there early because the campground is often full by 9am. There are bathrooms but no showers. However, they do have a great swimming area in the creek. Pets OK!

BLM Public Lands

Free/No Reservation/No Facilities/No Fires

You can find free campsites off Hole-In-Rock Road. Utah has a great public land camping policy. You can camp anywhere! Well not everywhere. You must be .5 miles from any highway and can only camp for 30 days. Look for dirt roads on the side of highway 12 and if you’re brave enough or desperate enough for a place to sleep venture down one of those dusty but often muddy roads and find yourself a clearing. Most are marked with little camp posts with a symbol for no fires and no collecting wood. You can find some really neat campsites this way. Just remember pack out what you pack in and be respectful. BLM lands are great for getting off the grid and into nature. Pets OK! Trash can at the beginning of Hole-In-Rock Road.