red canyon

On the way to Bryce Canyon NP on Hwt 12. All the attractions (rock formations) are visible from the road. There are Vista Points and access to the red rocks. There are short trails and you can see the rocks up close. Good Photo ops in March a combination of Re rocks, Green Trees,White snow and Grey-blue cloudy sky.

This place looks like a movie set! Easily accessed from the road, the trails here are worth the stop. For stunning vistas, a short, steep trail brings you to some amazing lookout points. This was a highlight on our trip, even after Zion and Bryce. Check it out!

RED CANYON-THE OTHER BRYCE CANYON DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST, UTAH (UTAH’S HIDDEN BYWAYS XVII) Most visitors coming into the Bryce Canyon National Park use Utah SR12 from the junction of SR89. As they approach the Bryce Canyon junction, they drive through a two mile section of road with Bryce Canyon-like red rock formations. Most visitors may make a short stop here, take a few pictures, and continue on to the national park. They do not realize that the section on the road is the proverbial “Tip of the Iceberg”, which belongs to RED CANYON. Red Canyon is a unit of the Powell Ranger District of Dixie National Forest covering an area about 2 miles wide and 8 miles long (i.e. 16 sq. miles). In this area, the forest service has provided the visitor with a multitude of options, ranging from hiking trails to a bicycle path. There is much to do, and see, in this area. RED CANYON is an extraordinary area of the Pink Member of the Claron Formation Sandstone, eroded by wind, ice, and water, over geologic times. These fanciful buttes, arches, and mesas with unique names, as well as a multitude of hoodoos of exceptional shapes and colors, give the traveler a short trip through some of the pre-historic geology of the region. The colors and shadows emanating from these eroding structures and monoliths produce visual images that make this area highly photogenic. Furthermore, the area is not difficult to hike in, as long as sensible shoes, water, and a first aid kit are your possession. It is also advisable to bring a hat, a light jacket, chap-stick, and some food with you due to the length of some of the trails. From an amateur photographer’s point of view, the Red Canyon area was visual heaven. A photographic tip; try to avoid shooting into the sun if can avoid it. In addition, avoid getting too much sky in your images. Keep the land/sky ratio to 3/1 or 4/1, unless the cloud formations warrant changes. There was always something to see around each bend, and the movement of the hiker relative to the rock formations ensures an ever changing juxtaposition of red rock formations and blue sky. This allows for unbelievable photographic opportunities, with the play of the red rock and shadows against the blue of the sky and clouds. Ah, you may ask, where is this place and how do I get there. If you have visited Bryce Canyon National Park, you probably have driven through it on SR12. The instructions given below provide access to Red Canyon from the most popular overnight accommodations venues. If you are staying in the Ruby’s Inn area outside the park, make a LEFT and proceed away from the park to the junction of SR12. Make a left here and proceed for about 2-3 miles on a twisted road with the rock tunnels to the Visitors Center on your right. Park, and LOCK, your vehicle here and obtain a hiking map from the rangers in the visitors center. Proceed on any of the marked trails in the area. One can see by the enclosed images that this area is fantastic, and relatively devoid of crowds. I have found that the photographic lighting is best in the early morning/early-afternoon. There is more direct lighting on the rock formations during this period. Soak in the hidden beauty of this area (see images). Before setting out, make sure that you are wearing sensible shoes (NO FLIP-FLOPS) and are carrying water. We got to the visitor’s center at about 9:30 AM, stopped and got their trail map, and proceeded to hike the Pink Ledges trail. We found ourselves hiking among Ponderosa pine, with red rock spires in the near distance. There were also some dead juniper trees, which made for great photography. The footing on the uphill trail felt spongy and made for pleasant hiking. In addition, the shade provided by the trees kept the walking cool. We linked into the Hoodoos trail and part of the Birdseye trail before returning to our vehicle at the visitor’s center after about 1.5 hours of walking. From a photographic point of view, the hike was fantastic (see images). Not only were you hiking in a beautiful, cool forest, but the red rock formations, juxtaposed against the blue sky, made the imagery more intense. There are many trails of various lengths available in Red Canyon, so you can spend as much time as you want exploring this overlooked gem. After yore visit to Red Canyon, you can walk back to your vehicle on the main road (SR12) and make a left, giving you the rest of the day to explore this magnificent landscape and spend more time in Bryce Canyon National Park. DO NOT DEFACE THE ROCKS OR ITS SURROUNDINGS. YOU ARE ON FEDERAL PROPERTY, AND IT IS AGAINST THE LAW. LEAVE IT THE WAY NATURE INTENDED IT TO BE LEFT! Enjoy the trip and be safe. ALASKASEEKER (B.I.N.)

We enjoyed our drive through the tunnels up through the Canyon on our way to Bryce National Park. The red landscape with mounds of snow, made our visit unique in the off season and we had the park almost to ourselves.

Great little scenic drive on the road from Zion to Bryce Canyon. The Hoodoos are slightly different than the ones in Bryce and the red geological formations never cease to impress me. Nice little bonus on the way to Bryce.

The rock formations are amazing and the area is quite a bonus on the route from Grand Staircase Escalante to Bryce and Zion. We were able to get some supplies in Tropic but there were no restaurants open until we reached Mount Carmel at the junction of the 89 and the 9 going to Zion so plan ahead in the Winter.

Red Canyon is a beautiful spot just a few miles west of the entrance to Bryce Canyon. The road going through also has two arches or tunnels you drive through. It's worth taking some photos and getting out a bit, but know that during the summer the red dirt sticks to everything and will bet in your car/etc.

This is not a big park, and it is full of red rock formations and red hoodoos, cliffs, and even a slot canyon. Not bad. It even has a nice visitor center with an interesting self guided tour.Its only problem is its proximity to Bryce Canyon NP, which is an amazing place.So if you get to red canyon first, then go for it, it's worth a quick visit. Otherwise, you probably just won't be impressed.

Our jaws dropped when we entered Red Canyon. It was not on our itinerary and was a fantastic surprise on our drive from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to Bryce. We stopped at the pullouts, took pictures and did a little hiking--the photo opportunities are amazing and the reds of the rocks are deeper and more brilliant than the rocks in Sedona.We also stopped at the visitor center.We had a room booked in Bryce, so had to hurry through, but if you have the time, factor Red Canyon into your plans for a day.

Red Canyon is a beautiful area, which is often overlooked. I would recommend a quick side trip to Red Canyon when visiting Bryce Canyon

Don't miss Red Canyon! There are numerous pullouts on the highway and several walking trails. There's good information available at the Visitors Center (which does have limited hours) .We did the Pink Ledges trail - we were given a leaflet giving information about numbered stops on the trail. It's fairly easy and you are right among the hoodoos without having to walk too far.

We drove it and stopped at all turnouts. End of day we decided to extend our stay and went back to hike the hoodoo's. 9 miles doing Queens/navarro loop and Peekaboo loop. Amazing, a bit more than I should have tried, but I made it. They have horses you can join a group and go, was kinda wishing I'd checked into the price. Hiking is grand but it was obvious the horses go same route

It is highly rated by several ATV organizations with ratings varying between 1 and 5. Easy to see why. Go in the morning and watch the rock formations change color as the sun rises. Spectacular!

What a pleasant surprise driving through Red Canyon. Great rock formations and brilliant color. We had a deep blue sky so the pictures were gorgeous.

A wonderful surprise on our way to Tropic. Stopped a few times on the way to Bryce and Zion. Very scenic, especially early and late in the day. Definitely worth a stop.