I must admit, slot canyons are some of my favorite places to explore in the American Southwest.
Last updated: October 17, 2025
American Southwest Makes You Feel Alive
There is something about the American Southwest that makes you feel alive, like a curious child or an adventurous soul that longs for off-the-beaten-path places and unexpected discoveries. From trekking across the desert floor to a secluded dam to climbing a towering rocky formation to soak up the 360-degree view at sunset and squeezing through narrow passages of slot canyons, the deserted region keeps enticing and challenging you all at once.
Winding paths confined by the colossal walls of slot canyons have been some of my favorite places to explore in the American Southwest since I first hiked through the scenic Antelope Canyon in Arizona. Just like I can’t skip another waterfall in Oregon or Hawaii, every trip to the southwestern part of the US asks for a new slot canyon hike.
Over the past few years, we’ve taken tours and hiked on our own through several iconic and secluded ravines in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. In this post, I introduce some of our favorite slot canyons in this vast section of the American Southwest.
SLOT CANYONS IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST
1. Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Located near the northern city of Page, on the land managed by the Navajo Nation, the Antelope Canyon area consists of two slot canyons: Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. Both sites have many similarities as well as differences.
With hardly any elevation change, Upper Antelope Canyon is an adventure for all: beginner and experienced hikers, photographers chasing the famous light beams, and families with kids. You can see parents with baby carriers fastened to their chests effortlessly strolling in the cold ravine and frequently gazing up into the narrow openings between two massive walls.
If you look closely or, more importantly, follow your guide’s instructions, you will spot a “heart”, the “Lincoln face”, and other interesting shapes created by the light and massive rocks in the sandstone walls of one of the most beautiful slot canyons in the American Southwest.
Lower Antelope Canyon is more challenging to hike through. The journey into the scenic gorge involves steep ladder climbing and is not recommended for infants and babies in carriers.
How to Visit: Only guided tours are allowed inside both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons.
2. Cathedral Wash, Arizona
Cathedral Wash is one of our favorite slot canyons in the American Southwest for a few reasons. Starting as a wide trail with short, nondescript sandstone formations along it, the trail dives into a peculiar desert kingdom a few hundred feet into the hike. The guarding walls that in some places rise more than 1,000 feet in the air dwarf you. During the rainy season, large puddles collect at the bottom of the chasm.
Yet fear not, you won’t trudge along the “regular” trail any longer, but scramble many ledges several feet above the bottom.
Hiking in the Cathedral Wash area at this point reminds of a maze walk. But instead of searching for the right route, you look for a sturdy ledge that connects you to the next ledge until you get to the bottom (the actual bottom) of the trail again. While the most challenging, this section is one of the most spectacular slot canyons we’ve seen in the American Southwest so far.
How to Visit: Cathedral Wash spans 1.5 miles. The trail starts near the Lees Ferry Entrance to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. It terminates at the secluded shore of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. The trail is self-guided unless you prefer to hire a local guide.
Once you reach the Colorado River shore, you may have the entire area all to yourself. The majority of the hikers you have encountered at the trailhead already turned back, unable to navigate through the intricate slot canyon. With that being said, Cathedral Wash is not only one of the most stunning, but also one of the most secluded slot canyons in the American Southwest.
3. White Domes, Nevada
Nestled at the far end of the White Domes Scenic Drive in Valley of Fire State Park, the White Domes Trail weaves through several distinct landscapes. The hike begins as a trudge along a wide path with loose sand surrounded by limestone formations. Before having a chance to discourage you with its dull start, the trail descends into a scenic canyon. At one point, this area was famous as a movie shooting location.
Shortly after that, another change of scenery follows and you finally arrive at the picturesque White Domes slot canyon. This section of the hike is approximately 200 feet. As you exit the canyon, Nevada’s open desert takes over and guides you back to the parking lot.
How to Visit: The slot canyon section of the White Domes Trail is open for self-guided exploration.
4. The Narrows, Utah
The Narrows is one of the most coveted and hardest slot canyons in the American Southwest. Located in Zion National Park, the ravine consists of two distinct hiking sections: the Narrows bottom-up and the Narrows top-down.
Regardless of which direction you choose, expect a long and tedious walk, wading in the freezing cold river. The temperature of the water doesn’t rise a lot even in the summer.
The water reaches up to your ankles at the trail entry point where the Riverside Walk ends and the Narrows Bottom-Up Trail starts. As you hike deeper into the most epic slot canyon in the American West, the water can come up to your waist and even your chest. Thus, wearing waterproof attire is highly recommended.
How to Visit: You can hike the Narrows on your own. There are no obligatory guided tours you must take to see one of the most unusual slot canyons in the American Southwest. Yet you need to get a permit to hike the Narrows top-down. No permit is needed to hike the Narrows bottom-up.
5. Shelf Canyon, Utah
We didn’t hike too far inside the Narrows during our trip to Zion a few springs ago. Even in early April, the river was freezing cold. But we couldn’t leave this part of the American Southwest without a proper slot canyon hike. A drier alternative presented itself near the historic Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel.
Shelf Canyon is an unmarked slot canyon in Upper East Canyon of Zion National Park. You find the trailhead roughly 400 feet to the right of the popular Canyon Overlook Trail. Right from the start, the Shelf Canyon Trail descends into a wide-open canyon where it winds through the sandy and rocky floor until reaching a wall made of large boulders. Some scrambling is required from now on.
The shape of the narrow gorge becomes apparent as you delve deeper, climbing up and down the boulders. Eventually, the trail runs into a cool slot canyon. The hike ends at a steep wall with multiple ledges but no clear opening to get out. You need to turn back and follow the same trail to get to the trailhead.
Shelf Canyon may not be the largest or longest slot canyon in the American Southwest. But it does offer interesting turns and twists and a welcoming escape from the blazing sun.
Beware of Summer Flash Flooding in Slot Canyons in the American Southwest
Slot canyons in the American Southwest offer beautiful hiking and sightseeing grounds throughout the year. Summers, however, bring more than just high temperatures and the influx of hikers. It’s the time when thunderstorms shatter the afternoon routine, causing life-threatening flash floods.
Trapped between the towering walls, the water has no escape, but fills the slot canyon and harms and smashes everything on its way. Flash floods in the slot canyons in the American Southwest can be extremely dangerous. Make sure to check out the weather report and finish your hike before noon.
READ MORE: Tornado Warning in Nebraska. Look for Shelter Immediately
