USA Leprechaun Canyon

You feel tiny in this canyon with its enormously high sandstone walls. There is no one within the next few miles.
While this is an area known for canyoneering, it is also a short and easy day hike. We’ve been here on two occasions and have only crossed paths with one family of four. The short hike includes brilliantly varnished high canyon walls and very dark and narrow slots.

The hike into the canyon has little shade for the first 20 minutes and can be very hot during the summer. Photographing the short narrow slot section will require dramatically increasing ISO as it can be quite dark even in the middle of the day. Hwy. 95 from Hanksville to Blanding is one of the most scenic and dramatic drives in Utah with numerous photography opportunities.

From the trailhead, it is a short hike to the canyon entrance. Beware, there are snakes here.

From Hanksville, Utah, drive 28 miles/45km south on Hwy. 95 to a short (200 feet?) dirt road to the trailhead (about 2 miles/3.2km past Hwy. 276). The spur is at about milepost 28.1, just after a culvert. A dirt trail runs north of the parking area and winds around the base of a rock hill on the east. It cuts through reeds and meanders under trees for a bit before the scenery is dominated by sand and rock. Just over a half mile in, a little slot section begins to form on the left. It looks like it might be fun but also looks like it might be hard to get out of. I recommend staying above and to the right of it. To continue through the canyon, climb up the Slickrock slope to the right and walk alongside and above the mini-slot. Make your way down to the canyon floor a couple of minutes ahead and continue another quarter mile below the soaring red rock walls and through skinny, dark narrows. It’s a short but pretty slot canyon that at times appears cavernous. At one point, you’ll pass through a very dark and narrow section. You can only go a short distance past there before the canyon narrows to a point that would require squeezing through a small opening in the rock to continue. I’ve read that people do, but we’ve been there twice and turned around at that point.