Trip Date: October 2007

Willis Slot Canyon

If you are visiting Bryce Canyon National Park and would like to see something a little different, then we recommend visiting this delightful slot canyon. You will learn how a small creek, named Willis Creek, has the power to shape such a beautiful landscape.

Of all the slot canyons that we have visited in the great Southwest, this one by far gives you the best bang for your buck.  Even though it requires driving on a dirt road, it is easy to get the to, even if you are in a car.  Unlike so many slot canyons where you have to repeal into or scale a slick sandstone cliff, one only needs to walk into this slot canyon.  Photographers are challenged with the extreme lighting conditions in most slot canyons, but not Willis Canyon because although its deep and skinny, its narrow sections are not very long which brings ample light in from each end allowing even an amateur to take great pictures.

Getting There

Willis Canyon is located 9 miles south of Cannonville, Utah.  To reach Cannonville from Bryce Canyon (at the junction of Hwy 12 and the road into Bryce), drive east 12 miles on Hwy 12, through the town of Tropic, to Cannonville (which is located on the right of the highway).  If coming from the town of Escalante in the east, Cannonville is reached by driving west on Hwy 12 for 34 miles. Read more…

Virtual Tour

Getting There (cont.)

Once in the small town of Cannonville, drive a short distance south from Hwy 12 on Main Street and on the right, stop in at the BLM visitor center. Here you can inquire on the road conditions to Willis Canyon and learn about the other places of interest to visit in this area including Kodachrome Basin and Bull Valley Gorge.

After your visit to the visitor center, continue south on Main Street which turns into the main road to Kodachrome Basin. After about 2.5 miles from Canonville, turn right onto a well-defined dirt road which leads off to the southwest. Continue on this road for a little over 6 miles. The road will drop into a canyon and at the bottom, look for a small parking area on the right. From here, hike along the small stream which will take you into the fantastic narrows of Willis Canyon.

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