Southern Utah is famous for so many scenic wonders, and among the most beautiful and fascinating of them all are its slot canyons, narrow and twisting corridors whose walls bear almost unbelievable erosion-caused shapes and patterns. They seem not of this earth, and a walk through one will indeed make one wonder if he or she has entered another world.

Many of the best slot canyons have technical sections, many have sections requiring wading or outright swimming, and many have both. Those who have the proper equipment or tolerance for such conditions must find solitude and rewards few of the rest of us can even imagine. For those like me, though, who for whatever reasons don’t use climbing equipment beyond ice axes and crampons and who prefer getting wet only under a hot sun, there are still wonderful slot canyons, or at least good stretches of them, available for exploration.