Red Canyon
Story By:
Don and Bonnie Fink
There's an amusement ride at Disneyland that involves a southwest theme and a roller coaster-like train. The train winds around through settings of the old west, and some of the brightest red and pink rocks you could imagine. Your first thought about the way Disney themed their colors is that there's no way the vivid and rich colors used by the Disney Imagineers could be real, until you visit Red Canyon.
Red Canyon is a small area of the Dixie National Forest, located along Utah Highway 12, nine miles west of Bryce Canyon. While it has a campground that will accommodate small trailers and motorhomes, and tents, it's not a typical final destination. It is, however, a great place to stop by and spend some time if you're staying close by at Bryce Canyon.There are several trails located at Red Canyon ranging from easy to very energetic day long events. Many of these trails are open to horses, mountain bikes, and ATVs. There is a visitor's center that can provide up to date information on which trails are open and when. If your time is critical, you can enjoy the scenery right from the road. There are several pullouts along Highway 12 that offer great views of these unique formations.
The geology at Red Canyon is similar to Bryce Canyon, and part of the ancient Claron formation of pink and red rocks. Like Bryce, the red rocks were created when lake beds laid down silts and cobble rocks. Much of the sediment was rich in iron, which oxidized into red and pink colors. These formations are thought to be the youngest, and therefore the highest of the overall formation known as the Escalante Grand Staircase.
With more pink and red than Bryce Canyon, Red Canyon seems to be a mandatory stopping place if you're traveling this way. Once you see the vivid colors, you may just have to go to Disney and climb aboard the Thunder Mountain railway and see how close the Imagineers were.
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