Postcard from Red Canyon – Revisiting

Long time readers of this blog may remember a few of my past posts on Red Canyon including some photographs. I was there two years ago and at that time was not even aware of its existence. Part of this trip was dedicated to traveling the entire length of Utah Highway 12, so, I had to travel right through it again. But, my visit was more than just a 1/2 day stop like the last time.

On this trip, I planned to camp here and use it as a base of operations for other nearby destinations, including Bryce Canyon. But I also wanted to see more of this colorful place and explore some of its back roads and trails.

Its a marvelous and unique destination, and as you can see from the photos, very aptly named. Its red rocks are far more red than those in nearby Bryce Canyon. Although they were sculpted by the same forces as Bryce, the results are definitely different.

As written here before, most people who come to Red Canyon stop to take a few photos, then head east 10 miles to Bryce Canyon National Park. Few stop to explore this wonderland of sculpted red rocks.

But on this trip I camped here for five days and sampled some of its hidden canyons and trails. I liked what I found. One of the best ways to see the back country is to take a fairly rough dirt road just west of Red Canyon and go north for a couple of miles. From there, you can take the easy trails through Castro and Losee Canyons…and beyond.

But be aware…these trails are also open to four wheel ATV vehicles. I ran into a convoy of about 10 of them in Castro Canyon. If you don’t have one of your own, you can rent them in nearby. The next time I visit there, I may try one myself and go even deeper into the canyons.

My pre-planned strategy for photography worked out well. I would get up early and head east to photograph Bryce in the morning…then come back to Red Canyon and hike and photograph here in the afternoon. Because of the brightness of these rocks, morning and evening light are not as critical as normal.

Next, I will tell you about my hike through hell to get a few good photos. Stay tuned.