Zebra Slot Canyon
Near Escalante, UT
ZEBRA SLOT CANYON
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF ZEBRA SLOT CANYON
Zebra Slot Canyon is one of the most interesting slot canyons in the grand staircase region of the southwest. The canyon is very narrow and fairly short but can produce surreal light and unique compositions with its striped canyon walls (thus the name Zebra canyon).
Under the right conditions, the reflective light on both sides of the canyon varies between orange, magenta and purple with bizarre Zebra like strips adorning the walls. This is a great portfolio opportunity for photographers visiting the Escalante area in southern Utah.
Image by Mark Metternick @ www.markmetternich.com and location summary by Tim Wier
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DATA POINTS INCLUDED WITH ZEBRA SLOT CANYON SUMMARY
I would rate the difficulty of this trail as a 3 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The trail to Zebra canyon is a modest 2.6 mile hike each way with a nominal 300ft elevation gain through the desert near Escalante, UT. The trail is well traveled and easily identified (for the first 2 miles) until you get to the Harris wash, then you have to search for the right trail for much of the rest of the way.
The main difficulty of this trail lies in the confusion of the last half mile, the narrowness of the canyon (a foot or so wide in some places) and the propensity to have water in the canyon. Depending on the time of year and amount of recent rainfall, you may have to wade through knee to chest deep water and might have to carry your equipment over your head. If you are claustrophobic, this may not be the place for you.
To avoid disappointment, you may want to stop by or call the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center - Bureau of Land Management before the hike to find out the conditions of the canyon (435) 826-5499.
As mentioned, Zebra canyon is very narrow in places and can be challenging to set up your tripod - unless you use the walls of the canyon for support. The striped canyon walls (where it gets its name) are toward the back of the short canyon. Also, toward the back of the canyon you can climb up the walls a bit to get a different perspective, composition and lighting.
Lighting, positioning, timing and perspective is everything to getting a great shot …
Most of your shots will be with a wide-angle 16-35mm lens.
5,183 Ft. Elevation
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KMZ Trail File
Directions
Best Time of Day to Shoot
Best Time of Year to Shoot
Equipment Needed
Permits Required
Direction of Shot
Google Maps Birds-Eye-View
Number of Photographers to Expect
Cell Service
Overnight Lodging/Camping
Nearby Restaurants
Area Guides and Workshops
Other Resources
LOCATION SUMMARIES WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
