The Red Canyon

Across the Paunsaugant Plateau from Bryce Canyon is the Red Canyon in the Dixie National Forest.

We drove there today on Utah 18, which is a National Scenic Byway.

It is certainly scenic here as we went through two tunnels in a few hundred yards…

on our way to the Red Canyon Visitor Center for a hike.

The Visitor Center is closed. (That’s the second closed federal Visitor Center we’ve encountered this week, guess we are seeing the effects of the “efficiency” cuts.) Anyway, the trails were open so we headed out on the Hoodoo Loop which I had read was a short trail.

We couldn’t get a map, but when we came to the intersection of the Pink Ledges Trail, Bud wanted to go that way. If he was up for it, so was I.

This turned out to be a short, but very pretty trail.

It went up along the base of the cliff…

with views of both some hoodoos and Long Valley to the west.

This country is gorgeous everywhere you go.

I was pretty happy that Bud was still hiking with me after yesterday.

This short hike was a perfect “day after” outing.

There was a lot of beauty for not a whole lot of effort.

Of course it’s hard to go wrong…

in this part of Utah.