Top 25 Southwest USA Slot Canyons: Muddy Creek

Muddy Creek forms the deepest canyon in the San Rafael Swell of central Utah, and is narrow for about 3 miles, a section known as The Chute, which is similar in appearance to the more well-known watery canyons of Zion National Park, enclosed by vertical walls of dark colored sandstone (here the Cedar Mesa formation rather than the Navajo), and usually containing shallow, flowing water. As its name suggests, the canyon often holds long patches of clayish mud, but apart from this, there are no significant obstructions, though a long hike is required to see all the narrows; at least 15 miles round trip. The Music Canyon tributary contains some much narrower passages in its lower end, soon leading to an unclimbable dryfall.

Location: The northern trailhead is at the end of the unpaved road to Tomsich Butte, 31 miles from Interstate 70 - details