Red Canyon hoodoos.
Red Canyon is a beautiful little park in the Dixie National Forest between Zion and Bryce Canyon. Oxidized iron in the soil turns the cliffs, rocks, and soil a deep, bright orange. Erosion on the soft sedimentary rock creates fascinating towers called “hoodoos” that can balance precariously for years before toppling.
When we drove through this park on our 2008 teardrop trip, we stopped at the Red Canyon campground for lunch and I wished we could come back and stay longer. So I was happy to stop here between our two national park stays.
The Red Canyon campground is small and without hook-ups, but the price is right ($15) and there are several loops that give plenty of space and privacy. We took two sites at the end of the farthest loop, and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves, with an impressive red cliff view.
Kate drives Bessie through the arch.
Kate and I walked to the Visitors Center and did some small hikes around the most impressive hoodoos in the area. Then while Anita and Hilary took Bailey on a rigorous, up-mountain hike, Kate and I rode our bikes on a bike path that appears to go for miles from Red Canyon to Bryce Canyon. It’s a slow incline all the way to Bryce, which means you can just go till you’re tired then coast all the way home.
Our original plan was to stay here overnight then get an early start in the morning to nab a site in one of the Bryce campgrounds, but predictions for snow up at Bryce were giving us pause. I really liked where we were, and after such crowded camping at the Grand Canyon and Zion, I was soaking up the privacy and space. I was more inclined to stay here one more night and just make a day trip into Bryce. Switch campgrounds the day after.
Bailey in the dry river bed.
When you’re traveling with other people, it’s not always simple to please everyone. Anita and Hilary wanted to camp inside the park where they could catch the in-park shuttle to various overlooks and trailheads. Eventually, we agreed that they would go on ahead and try to find a good site that might accommodate both of us. We would stay here another night but meet them around 3:00 for a hike and dinner together at the lodge. Then we’d move up near them next morning. Our phones weren’t working, so we gave them one of our walkie talkies and we all agreed to check in at 3:00.
Kate and I enjoyed a leisurely morning. I took another bike ride and we walked Bailey in the dried river bed between the campground and road. We checked in at the Visitors Center for an updated weather report, and when they said it was also going to snow down here at this lower elevation tonight, we reconsidered our plans and hightailed it up to Bryce to meet our friends.