Hike Narrows in Blue John Canyon, Utah

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The narrows of Blue John Canyon are some of the best anywhere in the Southwest. Blue John Canyon is a slot canyon in eastern Wayne County, Utah, southwest of the Horseshoe Canyon Unit of Canyonlands National Park and 42 miles south of Green River. It is a tributary of Horseshoe Canyon, running northeastwards from the Robbers Roost Flats. The canyon is deep with branched slots near the Green River and will require some rappelling in places. The canyon requires technical rock and canyoneering skills to negotiate, however non-technical hikers can access some of the best parts of the canyon. Blue John Canyon came to international attention in 2003 as the place where outdoorsman Aron Ralston was forced to amputate his own right forearm after it became trapped by a boulder. Ralston's entrapment was described in his autobiography Between a Rock and a Hard Placeand was depicted in the 2010 film 127 Hours. WARNING: Slot canyons are particularly dangerous due to the risk of flash floods. Storms far away can send walls of water down the narrow canyons and hikers have been killed in such events. In many slot canyons, it can be miles before a safe exit or rescue is possible. Hikers should check conditions carefully and not rely on seeing the sky to judge the weather. If there is even a slight chance of rain, do not enter slot canyons.

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