By Erika Oreskovich, CNN

At first glance, the desert landscape of Southern Utah seems like a sweeping, sun-baked canvas — wide open and endless. But tucked deep within its sandstone folds are narrow slivers of magic: slot canyons, sculpted over millennia by wind and rushing water.

They draw hikers from around the world, eager to wander their labyrinthine paths and stand in awe beneath towering walls sometimes just feet apart. But as alluring as they are, these canyons demand more than admiration. They require preparation and a healthy respect for nature’s power.

“Slot canyons are fun and easy … until they’re not,” says Jim Clery, owner and guide at Utah Canyon Outdoors in Escalante, Utah. “You have to know when to say no.”

A different kind of hiking

Slot canyon hiking blends beauty, p

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