Red Canyon

Red Canyon is the first taste of hoodoo country for anyone driving to Bryce from the west, and many visitors are so impressed they pull over and wonder if they have arrived already. It lies in Dixie National Forest along Scenic Byway 12, starting about three and a half miles east of the junction with US 89 and about seven miles from Panguitch, with Bryce Canyon National Park roughly 13 miles further on. The rock here is a deeper, more saturated red than Bryce, set against the green of ponderosa pines, and the highway passes through two arches cut through the rock, the famous tunnels that make Byway 12's western entrance so photogenic. There is no entrance fee. The Red Canyon Visitor Center, at about 7,100 feet near the Red Canyon Campground, has information, exhibits and restrooms, but its hours are seasonal and it may be closed in the off-season; trails remain accessible year-round. Short trails start nearby: the Pink Ledges Trail is an easy loop beneath the hoodoos right behind the visitor center, and the Birdseye, Hoodoo and Golden Wall trails offer longer outings with views over the canyon. The paved Red Canyon Bicycle Trail runs alongside the highway toward Bryce, popular with road cyclists and families, and mountain bikers come for the Thunder Mountain Trail, one of the classic rides in southern Utah, which winds through red rock and pines. Horse riding and off-highway vehicle trails extend into the surrounding forest.

Red Canyon is an ideal stop for several reasons. It is free, uncrowded and right on the way, which makes it perfect for stretching your legs after the drive from Zion or Panguitch. It is lower than Bryce, so it can be a little warmer in winter, and its trails are open when snow closes parts of the national park. And it gives you a different perspective on the same geology: the Claron Formation that creates Bryce's hoodoos appears here too, but stained a richer red by iron oxide, and the hoodoos are scattered among the trees rather than packed into an amphitheater.

For a short visit, walk the Pink Ledges Trail, about a mile with interpretive signs, and photograph the tunnels from the pullouts. With more time, hike the Hoodoo and Birdseye trails or ride part of the paved bike path, which continues for miles toward Bryce Canyon and is suitable for children on bikes. Mountain bikers can tackle the Thunder Mountain Trail, a challenging and spectacular loop. The area is also good for wildlife; mule deer and pronghorn are often seen in the meadows along the highway, especially at dusk, so drive carefully.

Red Canyon fits naturally into a Byway 12 road trip. From Zion, take US 89 north from Mount Carmel Junction to the Byway 12 junction near Panguitch, then head east through Red Canyon to Bryce Canyon City and the national park. Continue on Byway 12 past Tropic and Cannonville to Kodachrome Basin, Escalante and Lower Calf Creek Falls. Even in winter, when the national park is buried in snow, Red Canyon's trails and tunnels make a beautiful stop, and the light at sunset turns the red rock almost fluorescent.