Lower Buckskin
Tested.
Nicolas Barth
Ryan "Tuna Helper" Weidert
September 2013
First an obligatory mention that a detour up Wire Pass and to the fantastical rock formations of Coyote Buttes North (home of The Wave) is absolutely necessary (hard to get permit required though). We took vastly more photos here than anywhere else up to this point along the trail. The nature of the permit process is ill-suited to through-hikers attempting to appear at a certain location on a certain day despite hundreds of pre-existing factors, but it can be done. Section hikers that plan ahead should have no trouble. Stash your pack and plan to spend several hours here.
The HDT leaves Buckskin via Wire Pass to pick up the Arizona Trail on its beeline to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon via trees and meadows. While this is clearly the most direct and fastest route to the Grand Canyon, this is where you should be spending some of those Bryce Canyon miles you didn't hike. Here you have the opportunity to hike down the sinuously, echo-y, refreshingly cool narrows of Buckskin Gulch, the longest slot canyon in the world at about 13 miles in length. After this you will sample the best of the Paria River, climb an awesome escape route up onto the 7000 ft high Vermillion Plateau with its one of a kind view of the upper Grand Canyon, before descending through a remarkable route down otherwise shear 800 ft cliffs. These were easily some of my favorite days on the HDT. The first mile or so of Buckskin below Wire Pass can have some deep mud and pools after floods, but hang in there, the bliss is coming. The canyon rapidly dries out making for sublime travel. There are a few wider stretches with lush pocket gardens alternating with razor straight-stretches of canyon following prominant joints in the sandstone. The canyon often ditches these fractures abruptly with sharp 90° turns such that on approach it gives the distinct illusion that the canyon just ends. The narrows that follow these turns are some of the most sculpted I have seen anywhere in the Southwest. There is only one exit to the canyon, about halfway down, where it is possible to climb out to the south (good camping) or to the north (petroglyphs). Near the Paria confluence there is one short boulder choke that requires a short downclimb of about 10 ft. There are typically ropes left here and carved moki steps to aid descent (passing packs may be helpful but we didn't). A short distance further the regal confluence with the Paria River appears abruptly. This route leaves the HDT at Section 9 Mile 63.2 and continues 11.9 miles down Buckskin Gulch to the confluence with the Paria River. Advance permits are required for camping in Buckskin/Paria (see BLM website for more information).