Fellow RV Life blogger Denise recently shared her experience visiting Antelope Canyon in Arizona. If you missed it, you can check it out at:
http://www.rvlife.com/944-denise/2542-great-escapes-arizonas-antelope-canyon.html
I hear Antelope Canyon is a beautiful slot canyon and I do plan on stopping by for a visit some day, when I am a bit older and maybe a little less adventurous. Currently paying admission to be led through a natural attraction, down a safe path with a group of other people doesn’t rate very high on my adventure scale. If unique, natural, scenic places, with little or no people, rate high on your RV adventure scale, then you will want to check out Zebra Slot Canyon located within the Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument. To locate the canyon you will have to navigate two miles of some of the most scenic landscape Utah has to offer. There is a trail in some places and not so much of a trail in others, but with some good way finding skills and a GPS you can find it. The question is, once you find it, how easy will it be to gain access. As slot canyons were formed by erosion, each new rainstorm can change the accessibility of a slot canyon by washing debris in or out as well as the sand that comprises the floor or fails to form a floor. Such is the case with Zebra Canyon. Some visitors may encounter a deep water filled depression at the entrance or have a nice dry sandy bottom to walk on. As luck would have it on my visit, waist deep water was present, wood debris jambs were obstructing passage and yet in other places the walls came together in a such a sharp “V” that a podiatrist would have nightmares if they saw someone trying to walk through it. Now after hiking two miles and finding waist deep water, I was not about to let my efforts go to waste (no pun intended). It was time to shed the hiking boots, socks, shirt and get wet! While the days had been warm during our late October visit, I was about to find out that the chill of each evening had been absorbed by the water! Without going into additional detail, let’s just say between the water hazards, submerged logs and rocks, freezing water, ankle twisting cracks and snakes, (yes, snakes) it was an adventure worthy of Indiana Jones. Thankfully, I had a warm dry RV to retreat to at the end of this adventurous day. Of course the RV space for the evening was a free spot out in the boondocks. Free camping, free natural attractions and unexpected adventures, it’s all part of the adventures in RVing. As for the snake, I think he is waiting for Dr. Jones! I hope he doesn’t get his whip wet.
If you dare go:
You will find a great spot to boondock in or near the vicinity of 37 43.406N 11 31.584W. In fact, if you log onto Google Earth and zoom in on those coordinates you will see an RV camped in that location. As far as finding Zebra Slot Canyon, you are on your own just like Indiana Jones. You have the pictures below as clues and the fact that it lies somewhere southeast of the coordinates posted above.
Enjoy the adventure!
You will pass these beauties along the way.
Going in!
Getting narrow. I hope my foot doesn’t get stuck!
Snakes! I hate snakes!
Peaceful solitude.
Namesake zebra stripes.
Boondock site mentioned above.
Dave Helgeson’s many roles in the RV industry started before he even had a driver’s license. His grandparents and father owned an RV dealership before the term “RV” had been coined, and Dave played a pivotal role in nearly every position of an RV dealership. He and his wife Cheri launched their own RV dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The duo also spent 29 years overseeing regional RV shows. Dave has also served as President of a local chapter of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), worked on the board of advisors for the RV Technician Program of a local technical college, and served as a board member of the Manufactured Home and RV Association. Dave’s reputation earned him the title of “The foremost expert on boondocking,” bestowed by RV industry icon, the late Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor). When he’s not out boondocking, you’ll find Dave in the spotlight at RV shows across the country, giving seminars about all things RVing. He and Cheri currently roam in their fifth travel trailer, with Dave doing all the service, repair and modifications to his own unit.
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