A cairn found in Cohab Canyon, Capitol Reef National Park. Frank and Anne's Canyon Country Hiking and Camping Notebook.
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  Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area  
 
 
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Paria Canyon, near the campground.

Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area
Kanab Field Office
318 N. 100 E.
Kanab, Utah
Phone: 435-644-4600

 Topics
 Overview

If you like narrow canyons, including one of the best slot canyon hikes in the world, this is the place for you. You can take day hikes in some of the shorter tributaries, or go on a week-long marathon walk in the lower end of the Paria Canyon. The Paria River runs through the canyon, carving a scenic route that is one of the most popular hiking and backpacking destinations in Utah.

Area: 20,000 acres in Utah; 92,500 acres in Arizona.
Elevation: 3,200 to 7,300 feet.
Fees: There is a $5.00 per person fee for a backcountry permit when backpacking.
Hours: The Contact Station hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. It open between March 15 and November 15. At other times of the year permits and information can be obtained at the BLM office in Kanab.
Visitor Center:

Field Offices:

  • Paria Contact Station—Mile marker 20.5, on Highway 89, in Utah.
  • Kanab Field Office—318 North and 100 East, Kanab, Utah.
  • Arizona Strip Field Office—345 East Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah.
Facilities: Contact Station, drinking water, primitive campground, restroom facilities.
Directions:
Coordinates: Map Coordinates (NAD83): 37 02.552N; 111 52.156W.
Weather:
  • The best season to visit the canyon for hiking is in May, when the weather is warm and the flash-flood potential is low. Next best are April, June, and October. Flash floods increase in July, August, and September, with a dramatic spike in August.
  • Daytime temperatures in the desert can top 100 degrees in July and August; 80s and 90s are common in April and May. The deeper slot canyons stay as cold as a refrigerator throughout the hiking season. Temperatures can plunge as much as 30 degrees at nightfall.
  • See area weather chart.
  • See Canyon Country Weather for more information.
  • Sunrise/Sunset
 
Regulations:
Precautions:
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Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area, Utah.
 Hiking

There are 55.7 miles of trails within the Wilderness Area. Permits are required for day hikes into the North Coyote Buttes and "The Wave" areas. Ten permits are available for every day of the year. They can generally be reserved up to seven months in advance. Even so, the online system can be competitive. Go to https://www.az.blm.gov/paria to reserve a permit.

Walk-in permits are available every day for the following day. The Paria Station opens at 8:30 a.m. and the rangers begin giving out permits at 9:00 a.m. Utah time. If more than ten people are at the Station then the rangers will draw names from a hat. Walk-ins are not on a first come, first served basis. All applications received before 9:00 a.m. will be given the same priority.

  • Apply for Walk-in Permits at the Paria Station from March 15 through November 15.
  • Apply for Walk-in Permits at the Kanab Field Office (318 N. 100 E.) from November 16 through March 14.

Each person is limited to one trip within any two week period.

Call 435-644-4600 if you have questions.
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 Landmarks
Within the Wilderness Area
Check our personal notes for details about these points of interest:
  • Buckskin Gulch
  • Castle Rock
  • Cobra Arch
  • Cockscombe Ridge
  • Coyote Buttes
  • North Teepees
  • Paria River
  • Pawhole
  • Scorpion Rock
  • Slide Rock
  • South Teepees
  • The Hole
  • The Wave
  • Upper Cottonwood Wash Narrows
  • Wrather Arch
  • Wrather Canyon
Near the Wilderness Area
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 Maps
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 Books and Resources
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This page was last updated Sunday, October 12, 2008
   
 
   
 

Site design by Frank P. Stehno
All photographs by Frank P. Stehno unless otherwise indicated.
Copyright © 2008 by Frank and Anne Stehno. All rights reserved.

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