Kanab Slot Canyon: Guided Rappelling & Hike at The Huntress

5.00

(144 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

You know that hollow thump your boots make on dry sand? That’s the first thing I noticed as we stepped into The Huntress slot canyon outside Kanab. Our guide, Mike, handed me a harness and grinned—he said the first rappel was “just to get your feet wet.” I was nervous, but honestly, the air smelled like sun-warmed stone and sage, and it felt kind of grounding. The light kept shifting above us, bouncing off those orange walls.

I’d never tried canyoneering before this day trip near Zion. The first descent was short enough that I could hear Mike talking me through every move (“Left hand lower! Trust it!”). My palms were sweaty—maybe too much info?—but after that first drop, something clicked. We kept moving deeper into the canyon, each rappel a little bigger. There was this one spot where the walls squeezed so close I had to turn sideways. Someone behind me started humming; it echoed weirdly off the rock. I laughed when I realized it was me.

The best part? It wasn’t just about adrenaline. Between rappels, Mike pointed out these tiny plants clinging to cracks—he called them “desert survivors.” He told stories about old cattle trails and how locals still use mountain time (which almost made us late; heads up if you’re coming from Arizona or Vegas). At one point we stopped for water and just listened—it was dead quiet except for wind brushing over stone. I still think about that silence sometimes.