The entrance into Lookout Canyon, and details about the upper reaches of this hike are covered on our Lookout Canyon dayhike loop page. Be sure to refer to that page for more information.

I did this look on 21-22 August, 2006, a couple of days after getting off the San Juan River. It made for a nice walk after sitting in the boat for 8 days. I would classify this walk as somewhat difficult, based on the climbing at both ends, the pouroffs, the boulders and chokestones you will encounter, especially through much of the lower drainage of Slickhorn Canyon on the way out, and the exposure to the sun on "Slickhorn Road".

After passing through the stretch described on the above mentioned page, the canyon continues on in the same manner, with fairly easy walking, plenty of water, and a few easy pouroffs to negotiate. But then you will come to an area of larger boulders and chokestones- get ready for the climb down. There will be a few big pouroffs to negotiate just ahead. You may or may not see a track going to the right, but I found the right side easiest for down-climbing. As you are climbing down, note the road out in front of you. Once through this section, you are in the open for a couple of hours. You will not see water again till you are in the bottom of Slickhorn Canyon.

You will now be on a bench and walking on the road, which I refer to as "Slickhorn Road" that takes you to the mouth of Slickhorn Canyon. This road winds through John's Canyon and may or may not be passable all the way through by vehicle (see references on John's Canyon offroad drive page). The road was apparently built and rebuilt numerous times for oil and gas exploration.

This photo shows the confluence of the San Juan River and Slickhorn Canyon. Right at the confluence you will find established, marked campsites for people floating on the river.

Follow the road till you come to the mouth of Slickhorn Canyon. You will see some of the remnants of the oil and gas explorations there. Once you see the canyon and its confluence with the San Juan River, you should be able to find any number of trails down into the canyon bottom. At this point you are standing on the exposed Honaker Formation. Look closely for fossils in the rock, and petrified wood- it will be in the form of branches of dark grey visible in the exposed mudstone. You will also see red nodules, which you will see again at many of the habitation sites used for making stone tools. You should find fresh water just up the canyon a few hundreed meters- try to avoid water from the San Juan. I found another good water source about 5 kilometers up the canyon as well. This source is right above a pouroff that may appear impassable. Look to the right here and you will see a small ledge that you can climb onto to get through it.

Once you leave the main drainage of Slickhorn Canyon and head up what I call "Slickhorn Six"- the sixth drainage coming in from the east counting from north to south- the walking will get tougher because of the huge boulders in the canyon bottom. I exited through this drainage as it takes you out onto the mesa near Lookout Canyon, and allows you to walk straight back to the trailhead where you began.

Isolated Rock Art- The photo to the right shows a flake with rock art that I found nearly in the canyon bottom about half way up "Slickhorn Six". It was isolated, with no other signs of habitation in the area. I am not sure if the petroglyphs were applied when the flake was attached to a larger piece of rock above, or if they were done in place- I am guessing it is the latter. The flake was quite large, nearly a meter square weighing hundreds of pounds.

You could continue further up Slickhorn Canyon and come out one of the other drainages, but this will leave you with a long road walk back to the trailhead. The upper drainages of Slickhorn, the first and second and then the third and fourth, are easily done as dayhike loops.