The Paria River canyon system begins east of Cannonville and flows south into Arizona, cutting through some of the most remote and visually spectacular landscape in the American Southwest. The canyon walls narrow to slot canyon dimensions in places, with striated sandstone rising hundreds of feet on both sides. The classic Paria Canyon backpacking route covers 38 miles over four to six days and requires significant logistics: a permit from the Bureau of Land Management, a car shuttle between start and finish points, and careful attention to weather forecasts given the flash flood risk.
Day hikes are possible from the Cannonville end, particularly into the upper canyon sections. The BLM visitor center in Kanab (45 miles southwest) is the practical planning hub for any trip into the Paria system. The canyon walls display extraordinary geological layering — the entire Colorado Plateau sequence is exposed here, including the Navajo Sandstone formations that make the colours so vivid. This is serious wilderness travel; go prepared or go with a guide.