Paria Canyon Pro Tips
Some advice from the Pros to enhance your hike
Paria Canyon is one of the most spectacular canyons in the world, and a really unique backpacking experience. Let our years of experience help with your planning and preparation.
START AT LEES FERRY
Hands down, this is the single best tip we can offer. As you hike upstream, the canyon gets narrower and more dramatic with each twist and turn. Like a crescendo, you’re saving the best for the grande finale at the end.
The elevation difference is minimal (between 1200’ - 1700’) from top and bottom.
Lees Ferry: 3100’
White House: 4300’
Wire Pass: 4875’Most of your crossings of the river will be close to a ninety degree angle, and after dry spells the river can be ankle deep. After rain events, the crossings can be deeper. Check the 2 Paria river gages (links below) near highway 89 and at Lees Ferry to track recent cfs changes in the river prior to your hike.
There’s no problem with changing the entry/exit points on your permit. Just let the ranger know when you pick it up.
For the best experience, if you’re comfortable with a class 3 scramble and ok with a little exposure, exit out the Middle Route of Buckskin on your last day. This allows you a leisurely hike up through the deeper and more dramatic part of the slot, avoids the cess pools upstream, and also avoids the crowds of day hikers at Wire Pass. We offer a guide service to meet you at the Middle Route and take you up and out. Reach out to us for more details.
4 NIGHTS, 5 DAYS
There are lots of hidden gems in this canyon that cannot be seen with a rushed 3 day hike. Abandoned meanders, cathedral amphitheaters, ancient petroglyphs, hidden slots and Arizona’s largest arch are waiting for those who have the time to explore. Would you jog through the Louvre?
DIGITAL TOPO MAP
To see all of those hidden gems, a topo map app on your phone allows you to follow the turns and contours throughout your hike. With the maps downloaded in advance you’ll be able to follow your position through all the twists of the canyon. Our favorite is TopoMaps+ with the Natural Atlas base map. The GPS receiver on modern phones will show your position, even in airplane mode. The exception is in Buckskin Gulch, where it’s usually too deep and narrow to pick up a satellite.
If you’re planning to record your track with a GPS device, keep in mind that the results will be wildly inaccurate due to the narrow canyon.
WEATHER
Hiking through a narrow canyon can be dangerous during flash floods, and knowing your forecast is critical to your safety and peace of mind. The large majority of water that flows through Paria and Buckskin originates up near Bryce Canyon, so we first look upstream with our forecasting. We also look at the flow of water moving through Paria with data coming from monitoring stations at highway 89 and Lees Ferry.
We use these links for NOAA forecasts:
We use these links to monitor the cfs (cubic feet per second) of the river:
As you get within a few days of your start date and it looks like there’s some weather moving through, there are a few options to consider:
In general, it takes about 8-12 hours for rain that has fallen upstream near Bryce to collect and start making its way through Paria Canyon and Buckskin.
Monsoonal thunderstorms in July, August and early September typically dump water in the afternoons/evenings, with the water coming through Buckskin/Paria in the middle of the night or early morning.
Reversing your hike direction can put you in a safer place if/when excess water is moving through. You’ll want to be hiking at the wider part of the canyon near Lees Ferry if any excess water moves through.
Starting/exiting from White House can be a safer option than Wire Pass.
We don’t recommend hiking through Paria if the Lees Ferry water gauge is above 70 cfs.
NEOPRENE SOCKS & FOOTWEAR
In cooler weather, you may appreciate wearing neoprene socks for hiking through the cold water. You’ll find lots of comparable options and brands on Amazon. Because the river is usually very shallow, you’ll notice that the water temperature can fluctuate quite a bit between day and night, depending on how much sun it’s absorbing.
We recommend lightweight, breathable sneakers or trail runners. Heavy and/or waterproof boots will be even heavier in the water and slow to drain. You’ll be frustrated by water shoes with large openings, as these will allow pebbles to get trapped inside constantly.
In colder weather, bring a cozy warm pair of down booties for walking around camp at night. Your feet will love you for it.
HIKING STICK
Usually the Paria River is very silty and opaque. A sturdy wooden hiking stick is a great tool for testing the depth and stability of the river bottom when you’re crossing. It gives you excellent feedback on soft spots, quicksand, and rocks. Trekking poles also work, but wooden sticks tend to give you a little better feedback. You can simply pick up one of the millions of suitable sticks scattered through the canyon.
UPGRADE YOUR WAG BAG
The foil zip lock bags given out with your permit are ok for one or two days, but after that the waste begins to create fermented gases that escape through the zip opening. The bag is vulnerable to getting stabbed or crushed in your pack, which means it’s most likely to be carried at the top of your pack, on top of your food & gear, and closer to your nose. We’ve developed a better poop solution: a 2 liter wide-mouth Nalgene that is crush proof and smell proof. Your waste first goes in a thick black bag, then that bag goes in the Nalgene. We sell these complete kits (Nalgene, bags, poo powder and bleach powder) for $30 each. Reach out to us if interested. Plus, the Nalgene’s can be reused on your next wag bag trip.
WAG BAG TIPS
Pooping in a bag is a bit more complicated than you’d think. These tips can increase your success rate and decrease anxiety:
Choose a private, sandy bench and dig a hole in the sand, roughly eight inches deep and eight inches wide. Bonus points for finding a sand bench that allows for a comfortable seat.
Place your opened bag in the hole, and use some rocks to secure the edge of the bag around the hole. Otherwise a gust of wind could cause trouble at the least opportune time.
Place your toilet paper/wet wipes/hand sanitizer next to your station.
Remove all of your clothes from the waist down and place them away from your target. No need to invite any cross-contamination.
The Paria Canyon land managers want hikers to pee in the river instead of in the sand (this is stated on your permit). And because you want to carry the least amount of weight, do your best to urinate in the river first, not into your wag bag.
When finished, throw your toilet paper/wet wipes into your bag before closing it up.
Clean your hands with soap or hand sanitizer.
Pat yourself on the butt for helping keep Paria clean and pristine.