Willis Creek Slot Canyon is the perfect complement to its fabulous canyon friends. With its trickling creek and gorgeous canyon walls, Willis Creek is the friend you almost forgot to invite but turns out to be the life of the party. The trail starts out through brush and trees, then takes a turn down toward Willis Creek. Professor Creek is a small stream that joins the Colorado River 20 miles northeast of Moab. The creek flows year-round, along a canyon (known as Mary Jane Canyon) which is shallow for most of its length but one mile of the central section becomes fairly narrow and up to 100 feet deep. One of Utah’s most spectacular, non-technical slot canyons, Little Wild Horse/Bell Canyon is a loop trail with amazing views. It’s good for hikers of most skill levels and doesn’t require any technical gear or sketchy climbing.

Route Description

Best Slot Canyon Hikes Near Moab

The Holeman Slot starts beside the road, here running over a white slickrock plateau marked with many small potholes that hold water for some time after rainfall. The ravine deepens via a few drops of 2 to 3 feet, descending through crisp, light brown/orange rocks crossed with thin layers either lighter or darker in color, which add to the prettiness of the curving, water-carved canyon sides. Shallow pools form in a few places after rainfall, and some parts of the floor may be covered by soft mud, but there are no significant obstacles until a slanting, two-stage drop of about 15 feet into a pool, at the start of the deepest and narrowest section of the canyon. This doesn't extend very far, however, soon opening out into a wider passageway with an entrance/exit route on the north side, followed by more shallow, twisting narrows that gradually deepen again until blocked by a chokestone above an overhanging drop. This is climbable, but a much bigger dryfall soon after marks the end of the slot, as the ravine opens out abruptly to a sheer-sided, 80 foot deep box canyon that winds its way westwards towards the Green River.

Slot Canyon Hikes Near Moab National Park