Paria Canyon Gear Checklist
A Paria Canyon trip is a wet, muddy walk down 38 miles of river, so the pack is built around feet, silt and waste. The BLM requires human waste bags throughout the canyon and bans campfires. Hikers who have done it bring a trekking pole to probe quicksand, old shoes that stay on their feet, dry camp shoes, and a plan for turning silty river water into drinkable water. Cold months add neoprene socks and warm layers. Dry, clear-river years let people carry far less water than the early guides suggest.
What shapes your gear on Paria Canyon
- Route and pace
- The through-hike runs about 38 miles from White House Trailhead in Utah to Lees Ferry in Arizona. A 2015 writer did it in four days. A group of four in April 2023 covered 10 miles to Wall Spring on day one, reached mile 20 on day two, and finished at about 1 am on day three. A 2017 writer took five days and four nights.
From Backcountry Post, Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon - White House to Lees Ferry 4/18/23 - 4/21/23 and Reddit r/blackladies
- Quota and fees
- Overnight entry is capped at 20 people a day across all four trailheads, and groups cannot exceed 10. The BLM fee for overnight trips is $5 for each person for each day, with the same rate for dogs, and no interagency pass gives a discount. Applications for a given month open after noon on the 1st of the month three months ahead.
- Water in the canyon
- April 2023 hikers found lots of standing and flowing water between mile 4 and mile 16, in the Upper and Lower Narrows, with depth up to mid abdomen on a 5-foot-6 hiker. They found springs flowing near Wilson Ranch around mile 33. In a dry late-April stretch in 2026, a group of eight found the river clear enough to filter all trip, though only two springs below the confluence ran strongly.
From Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon - White House to Lees Ferry 4/18/23 - 4/21/23 and Reddit r/WildernessBackpacking
- Quicksand and mud
- Four writers describe quicksand or deep mud, mostly in the narrows. One sank a leg to the thigh in a hole beside solid rock, another's arm sank when she planted a pole to pull herself out, and a third says the river quicksand will pull a shoe off.
From Backcountry Post, Reddit r/blackladies, Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon (trip planning thread) and Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon - White House to Lees Ferry 4/18/23 - 4/21/23
- Temperatures
- A group in the last week of April 2026 expected lows in the 30s and saw nights no colder than 48 degrees, with highs in the low 70s. A March 2025 trip ended with very cold feet, and March 2017 hikers planned neoprene socks. Late-April campers found sites against north-side walls about 5 degrees warmer than sites on the south side.
From Reddit r/WildernessBackpacking, Reddit r/Ultralight and Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon (trip planning thread)
- Floods and finding the way
- A hiker in 2023 saw signs of people caught in recent flash floods throughout the narrows and urged readers not to enter if rain was forecast. From Boulder Alley to about mile 33 the same writer found scrambles over crumbly rock and boulder fields where cairns marked the route. A 2025 hiker watched Bryce Canyon weather because most of the water starts there.
From Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon - White House to Lees Ferry 4/18/23 - 4/21/23 and Reddit r/Ultralight
What the agency requires on Paria Canyon
A reserved overnight permit, displayed on your pack and dashboard
Overnight users must reserve a permit in advance. The permit has to hang on the outside of the backpack and sit on the vehicle dashboard, and the holder needs government photo ID to pick it up.
Human waste bags, and a trash bag for everything else
Everyone has to use waste bags along the whole of Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon, and all trash goes out with you, including toilet paper and used waste bags. The BLM hands out the bags at its permit locations.
A stove, since campfires are banned
Campfires are prohibited in the canyon.
A plan for camping at existing sites away from water
Camp only at sites that already exist, and keep them at least 200 feet back from water. Camping on or beside an archaeological site is off limits, and Wrather Canyon is closed to camping.
A leash or pack-out bag if a dog comes
Dogs must be listed on the permit and kept under control. Leashes are required inside Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and the dog's waste leaves with you.
What hikers carry on Paria Canyon
A trekking pole to probe the mud
Hikers call poles close to mandatory. One says you rarely see what you step on in the river. Another used hers to try to haul herself out of quicksand, and a 2023 group scouted mud with theirs. A 2025 report says a pole or stick is a must-have.
From Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon (trip planning thread), Reddit r/blackladies, Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon - White House to Lees Ferry 4/18/23 - 4/21/23 and Reddit r/Ultralight
Shoes you do not mind ruining, laced to stay on
Opinions differ on whether the canyon destroys shoes. One writer wore non-waterproof trail shoes that survived. Another says to throw away shoes worn through Buckskin mud and not to wear open sandals. A hiker lost a shoe to river quicksand and walked out long in one shoe.
From Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon (trip planning thread) and Girl on a Hike
Neoprene socks, or neoprene pants in cold months
Spring water is cold. A 2023 group wore waist-high neoprene pants with knee-length cold-exposure socks and barely noticed the cold, and a 2017 planner bought neoprene socks for March. The neoprene dehydrated one hiker in sun-exposed stretches.
From Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon - White House to Lees Ferry 4/18/23 - 4/21/23, Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon (trip planning thread) and Girl on a Hike
A way to settle or filter silty river water
The Paria runs thick with fine clay. Hikers report settling water overnight in a bucket, using a flocculant, or running it through a filter with carbon, and one said pre-filters clog and clay passes through some filters. A dry-year group carried flocculant as a backup.
From Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon (trip planning thread), Reddit r/Ultralight and Reddit r/blackladies
Dry camp shoes
Feet stay wet all day. A forum writer calls dry camp shoes a must, and a 2017 hiker packed sandals for camp.
From Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon (trip planning thread) and Reddit r/blackladies
Water for the first stretch, not for the whole trip
A 2017 group started with about 5.3 liters each and filtered from the river daily. A March 2025 pair carried 2 liters each and refilled only at springs, and a March 2017 planner decided against the 6 liters some sites suggest. The BLM page is silent on volume.
From Reddit r/blackladies, Reddit r/Ultralight and Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon (trip planning thread)
A light shelter with a rain fly
A March 2025 pair cowboy camped all three nights and carried just the outer of a tent in case of rain. Sand stakes help at sand-floor camps.
From Reddit r/Ultralight and Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon (trip planning thread)
A stove and fuel for each cook group
Campfires are not allowed, so a 2017 group carried two gas stoves, two canisters and a pot set. Freeze-dried dinners were their evening plan.
From Reddit r/blackladies and Bureau of Land Management, Arizona
10 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Paria Canyon
A heavier pack than the weather needed
A group of eight in late April 2026 expected nights in the 30s, saw none below 48, and said they could have trimmed about five pounds each.
Trusting GPS and a satellite messenger inside the slot
A 2025 Buckskin hiker found GPS unreliable in the narrow sections and advised dead reckoning. Cairn watching mattered more on the boulder fields farther down the Paria.
From Reddit r/Ultralight and Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon - White House to Lees Ferry 4/18/23 - 4/21/23
Neoprene worn too long in the sun
The 2023 writer warned that it dehydrates you quickly in exposed stretches, and said to change out of it when hot. It also padded the writer when sliding down banks.
From Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon - White House to Lees Ferry 4/18/23 - 4/21/23
A plan that forgets the dog waste
A Buckskin hiker had trouble scooping dog waste into the waste bag and wished she had brought ordinary dog bags to put inside it.
From Girl on a Hike
Gear questions for Paria Canyon
How much does a Paria Canyon overnight permit cost?
The BLM lists $5 for each person for each day of an overnight trip, with the same rate for a dog. Day use is $6. The BLM does not accept senior, access or America the Beautiful passes for these permits.
Do I need a waste bag in Paria Canyon?
Yes. The BLM requires waste bags along the full length of Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon, and all trash including toilet paper and used bags leaves with you. A hiker who used one says it works but is awkward.
How much water should I carry in Paria Canyon?
It varies with the year. A 2017 group started with about 5.3 liters each, a March 2025 pair used 2 liters and filled from springs, and a dry April 2026 group had a clear river to filter. Check recent spring reports before you go.
From Reddit r/blackladies, Reddit r/Ultralight and Reddit r/WildernessBackpacking
Can I have a campfire in Paria Canyon?
No. The BLM prohibits campfires in the canyon, so bring a stove.
What shoes should I wear in Paria Canyon?
Old shoes that stay on your feet in quicksand, with neoprene socks in cold months. Open sandals are a poor choice in the mud, and you will want dry shoes for camp.
From Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon (trip planning thread), Girl on a Hike and Backpacking Light forums: Paria Canyon - White House to Lees Ferry 4/18/23 - 4/21/23
Sources
- Vermilion Cliffs National Monument Paria Canyon / Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness · Bureau of Land Management, Arizona · Agency
- Paria Canyon - White House to Lees Ferry 4/18/23 - 4/21/23 · Backpacking Light forums, Danielle M · Trip report
- Paria Canyon (trip planning thread) · Backpacking Light forums, Arthur · Forum thread
- Backpacking through Paria Canyon · Backcountry Post, Howells Outdoors · Trip report
- Backpacking Buckskin Gulch from Wire Pass · Girl on a Hike · Blog
- Backpacking Trip to Paria Canyon! (r/blackladies) · Reddit r/blackladies · Reddit thread
- Trip Report: Buckskin Gulch/Paria Canyon (March 7-9, 2025) (r/Ultralight) · Reddit r/Ultralight · Reddit thread
- Ideal Buckskin Gulch, Paria Canyon Trip Route (r/WildernessBackpacking) · Reddit r/WildernessBackpacking · Reddit thread