Shoes for Paria Canyon?

Any shoe that drains well.  I have been through Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon four times, all spring trips, so you need to resign yourself to your feet always being wet.  Aside from drainage a good toe bumper is helpful as you slide your feet along the bottom of the deep pools where you will run into unseen rocks.  Wool socks will be plenty if you are proceeding through this time of year, otherwise NRS neoprene socks form November-April.  You will have to empty your shoes of the fine sand flowing down the Paria often as there is no way to stop its ingress.   If you are going to brave the last eleven miles to Lee’s Ferry it is across this same fine white sand you will proceed but now occasionally crossing the river.  Think of it as a long  sinking beach walk, your calves will remember.  The only real trail climbing where tread would be helpful is visiting Wrather Arch approximately 13.5 miles down from where Buckskin Gulch intersects with the Paria.  Wrather Arch is on the right hand side as you proceed down river, it is your first low point in the canyon walls where the river bank is covered in thick reeds.  Locate the spring at the end of the reed cover where a trail will take you to the arch, it is worth the 1/2 mile side hike to see it.

I always wore my Salomon Sense rides and I was fine.

+1 on John’s advice. Be sure the shoes do not slip off easily.  I have stepped in true quicksand there and the instinct is to pull your foot out quickly.  That is a mistake, but hard to overcome.  Anyway, you could easily leave your shoe in 2 feet of mud, under water, making the walk out with only one shoe. Not a lot of fun.  BTW,  it gets really hot there in the summer.

Ahh the Quicksand, very true.  Another aside if your plans take you there late July please be aware you are heading into monsoon season for that locale.  There is plenty of evidence, particularly if you hike through Buckskin Gulch, of dangerous flash flooding.  Contact Yermo at Seeking Treasure Adventures for the latest beta.  He is part of the local SAR team and has always given me an honest an accurate assessment.   Have fun and use a wide angle lens.

hey thanks- going in October .

1. skip Paria COMPLETELY and do Coyote Gulch instead. Paria is a big letdown.

Shoies for either? i like my Merrill Moab mesh shoes and wool/synthetic socks. No need to carry “water shoes” or “camp shoes”.

To follow up on what John said.   We had a trip planned a couple of years ago. It had rained a little bit, but did not seem  like that much, living a few hours away.  Just on a whim, I called the ranger station the day before.  A nice young woman answered the phone.  “I have a permit for Buckskin in 2 days.  How are the conditions?”  She studders a bit and says “AH, AH, you better talk to my boss.”  The ranger gets on the phone.  “Can you guys swim?”   “Yes, we are all good swimmers.”  Thinking the pot holes might take some short swims.  “Can you swim 13 miles?”   We went to the Grand Canyon for a few days of dry hiking.  You might want some alternate plans in place.

I wore some New Balance Minimus shoes with like zero tread and minimal cushioning. They were fine. You walk in the water all the time, or in sand. The sand gets in between the layers of the fabric. I was shaking them out for a year. I brought sandals to wear in camp just to have some dry feet after being wet all day. The hike was amazing.

I did Paria in mid-spring a few years ago and was glad to have neoprene socks under my running shoes. Some of the water was still pretty cold.

Lisa, #1 on neoprene dive socks, especially for winter as a VBL, which have championed here for several years – er decades.

I just came off trail in Paria and my Adidas Terrex Climacool Voyager shoes with Simms Guide Wading Socks were perfect. Wore them at least 30 miles, including the last 10 miles to Lonely Dell Ranch.

I completely disagree with Eric Blumensaadt (@danepacker): Paria Canyon is absolutely not a letdown!

^^ How were the springs? Low water? Grand Gulch over on the other side was pretty much dry this May so far.

The reliable springs were flowing, but we were lucky and the river was fairly silt-free. No settling required… We filtered straight from the river. We really got out there at a perfect time.