Huntress Slot Canyon Trailhead

Best Time to Visit

The slot canyon section sits in a narrow drainage, and flash flooding is the primary hazard here. Heavy rain anywhere in the upstream watershed — even under clear skies at the canyon entrance — can send a flood through with little or no warning. Check the weather forecast for the entire region before entering the slot, not just conditions at the trailhead. Summer monsoon season (roughly July through September) brings the highest flash flood risk; spring and fall generally offer more stable conditions. Avoid the slot entirely if there is any chance of upstream rain.

Trail Tips

• This is a canyoneering route, not a standard day hike — arrive with a minimum of 120 feet of rope and a belay device that handles a double-rope setup, or plan to turn around at the canyon entrance.
• Budget three to four hours for the complete route if you are doing the full rappel descent.
• The trail is entirely unmarked; memorize the navigation cues (right from parking, left and downhill at the 316 sign, follow footsteps) before leaving the car.
• Cell service is unreliable in this area — download maps and share your itinerary before you head in.

Getting There

The trailhead sits right off Highway 89A outside Orderville, roughly 25 minutes east of Kanab. Parking is directly on the road and straightforward to spot. The trail itself is unmarked, so note the start: head right from the parking area, then keep left and downhill after the 316 sign, following existing footsteps. There are no formal trail markers, facilities, or signage at the trailhead.

What to Expect on Huntress Slot Canyon Trail

The route is a two-mile out-and-back that divides cleanly into two very different experiences. The approach runs through soft pink sand on unmarked terrain — easy walking that gives little indication of what comes next. About 25 minutes in, a small canyon opens up. Push upstream another five minutes and the walls narrow to a tight slot where the real character of this place becomes clear.

From that point, the route becomes a canyoneering descent. Roughly 50 feet into the slot, the passage is impassable without gear. Anchor rings are in place above each rappel point, and most individual drops are around ten feet, but the full route requires at least 120 feet of rope and a belay device suited to a double-rope setup. For those who arrive without gear, the sandy approach and the canyon entrance are genuinely worth the walk on their own — just understand the route's nature before committing.