NOVEMBER 2021
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SLICKHORN CANYON
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| LOG KIVA RUINS |
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| LOG KIVA RUINS |
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| SLICKHORN CANYON |
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| PERFECT KIVA RUINS |
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| PERFECT KIVA RUINS |
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| PERFECT KIVA |
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| SLICKHORN CANYON |
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| PICTOGRAPH NEAR LOG KIVA RUINS |
Slickhorn Canyon is a fun place to explore near Government Trail, just off Highway 261. While there are several forks leading to the main canyon which contain ruins, I chose to walk down the first fork into the main canyon to see the Perfect Kiva site, then hike part way up the third fork to the Log Kiva Ruins. I then returned the way I came for a roughly ten-mile hike. There are other options for hiking this area, but from the reviews I read, this seemed to hit the best parts.
The road to the first fork trailhead is fine for low-clearance vehicles up until the last half-mile or so where you turn off the main road onto a short spur road leading to the parking area. I made it to the trailhead in an Escape, but if I did it again I would probably walk the last half-mile, as it contained some very deep ruts near the end. The canyon starts out fairly shallow, and gradually gets deeper. Eventually, you will come to an intimidating dry fall of several hundred feet. A trail with cairns will guide you to the left along the canyon rim, and eventually lead you back down some steep switchbacks to the canyon bottom. The dry fall is pretty impressive, due to its depth. There are actually two canyons that end in large dry falls here, with a large pool located at the bottom.
Shortly after reaching the canyon bottom, a cairned trail will guide you up the opposite side of the canyon to the Perfect Kiva ruins. There are several impressive structures here, and a ladder allowing you to drop into the kiva. Continuing down the canyon I was able to find a granary on the west canyon wall just before coming to the third fork. The third fork takes a bit more effort to walk through, as it contains more vegetation. The canyon was dry while I was there in November, but apparently there is a stream running through it for much of the year coming from a spring near the Log Kiva ruins. The canyon will become increasingly overgrown with vegetation as you approach the Log Kiva ruins along the north wall of the canyon. They are not visible from the main canyon due to the vegetation, but there was a make-shift trail leading to them. Walking to the left of the ruins, you can see several pictographs painted on the canyon wall.