Echo Canyon

[Kauri]

What sort of vehicle would you have? Every time I've driven up the Echo Canyon wash recently (in 2015, 2016, and 2017) the gravel has been rather deep, so personally I'd even be concerned about driving it in a 4WD crossover. The good news is I recall there being a lot of good spots you can pull out and park if the road becomes too rough; but, again, deep gravel is an issue at the parking spots too.

It's 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan with over 220 thousand miles, but the tires and transmission are new! Courtesy of my last DV visit in Oct/Nov. One advantage I'll have is a strong 17 year old nephew who does have muscles. It's gravel on the road, not sand, correct? For some reason, deep sand scares me more than gravel, though I don't know why.

OK, good. I was a little worried you'd have a rental sedan or small crossover. Yes, it's gravel. I think you should be fine, like everyone else is saying, just re-assess as you go and stop if the road ahead looks nastier than you want to handle. 

My parents and I nearly got stuck in deep gravel in Grotto Canyon about 10 years ago, in our 3rd gen. 4Runner, but we had tackled relatively deep sand in it without much issue, so I'm the opposite of you and am actually more paranoid about deep gravel than sand. 

(Not related to the Echo Canyon road, but maybe the knowledgable folks here can chime in with info for future reference for both of us: With sand, I know that airing down tires can help prevent getting stuck, and using traction boards can help get you unstuck. Does the same hold for deep gravel?)