Red Canyon

Red Canyon and Bryce Canyon are carved from the same rock formation, a soft pink-and-red limestone laid down in ancient lakes and then sculpted by frost and water into hoodoos, the tall, top-heavy pillars that make this country famous. Here the iron in the stone runs especially rich, so the color is intense, deep reds and burnt oranges that seem to catch fire in morning and evening light.

The hoodoos form through a patient, relentless process. Water seeps into cracks, freezes and expands on cold nights, and pries the rock apart bit by bit, while summer rains wash the loosened material away. Harder caps of rock shelter the columns beneath them, so the stone erodes into fins, windows, and finally the slender standing spires you see, each one a stage in the same slow unmaking of the plateau.

The most striking feature at Red Canyon is the pair of arched tunnels the highway passes through, carved by hand and drill in the mid-1920s so the road could push through the wall of red rock. Framed by hoodoos on either side, they are among the most photographed spots on all of Scenic Byway 12, and driving through them feels like passing through a red-stone gate into hoodoo country.

The road itself is part of the appeal. Scenic Byway 12 is one of the great drives in the American West, and this red stretch is one of its highlights, with formations pressing right to the roadside. A paved multi-use path parallels the highway through the canyon, so cyclists and walkers can travel among the hoodoos safely, away from the traffic.

A network of short trails climbs from the highway up into the formations, with names like Pink Ledges, Hoodoo, and Arches, each leading among the spires and past small natural windows in the rock. Most are short enough for a casual visit, and they let you get in close among the hoodoos in a way that feels more intimate than the rim overlooks at the national park.

The area is also a favorite with mountain bikers, who ride the longer forest trails that spin off into the ponderosa pine above the canyon. Whether on foot or on wheels, the pleasure here is the same: red rock and green pine together, uncrowded, and free to explore, a quieter counterpart to the busier trails just up the road at Bryce.

Red Canyon sits high, around 7,000 feet, so the seasons run cool. Late spring through early fall is the prime window, with warm days, cool nights, and green ponderosa contrasting against the red rock. Snow can linger on shaded north-facing trails well into spring, and summer afternoons can bring quick thunderstorms, so it pays to start early and watch the sky.

Fall brings crisp air and thinner crowds, and winter transforms the place entirely, when snow settles on the red hoodoos for a striking contrast of white and crimson. In any season the light is the thing: come at the edges of the day, when the low sun sets the whole canyon glowing, and you will understand why this stretch of road stops so many travelers in their tracks.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.