When people come to visit Bryce Canyon, they travel through Red Canyon.  At least they do if they come from I-15.  It’s quite a picturesque drive if I do say so myself.  Many mistake this canyon as a part of Bryce.  I see it all the time on social media.  Still, this US Forest Service run area boasts some great views and hiking for those interested.  I decided that I needed to add this area to my photography portfolio.  Here I share what I’ve captured so far.

Thanks to a promotion in June, I needed to put off publishing new landscape photos until it was over.  Now that the promotion is over, I can catch up.  There will be more to come.  I’m starting with this batch from Red Canyon in May.

I decided that I wanted to photograph an area of Red Canyon which I saw another photographer do.  All I needed to do was to find the spot for myself and I did.  I found the trail and took it at sunset.  As I hiked, I enjoyed a wide and sweeping view of the area below.  The trail was narrow and even included a tiny spot of rock scrambling across a crack.  If you don’t have sturdy feet, this area might not be the hiking trails for you.  These trails are much thinner and less maintained than those found in national parks.

The hike was full of small hidden arches and windows.  I also enjoyed many spring flowers on this hike.  In fact, there were several places which looked a bit like left-over snow patches.  However, these were white wildflowers rather than frozen water.  It was, indeed, beautiful and pleasant to hike.

This hike might be less pleasant in the heat of summer or the humidity of the monsoons.  But in the coolness of a late spring evening, it was perfect.  Just don’t get too adventurous as much of the trail has a sheer drop to one side.

Then I wandered into the very spot I was seeking.  I found the formations of hoodoos and even small arches which I wanted.  If I would have come the other direction of the trail loop, I don’t know if I would have noticed them.  I took the time for a good few shots to nail what I wanted.

I took another Red Canyon trail as well.  This was the interpretive trail which has stopping points for you to notice aspects of nature and the scene around you.  If you have the pamphlet with the information, you can properly appreciate those details as you hike.  The Visitors’ Center, The county tourism office, and the trailhead displays (if you’re lucky) will offer those pamphlets for hikers to use.

This trail was enjoyable.  It lets you see much of Red Canyon which you can see from the road but much closer than the road offers.  It even takes you up close to the pinnacles which are prominently featured in the canyon.  I enjoyed seeing them from a different point of view than I usually see them on the road.

Red Canyon seems to be an underappreciated nature area very close to the popular Bryce Canyon.  It offers some unique landscape photography opportunities, even if it resembles the red rock of Bryce.  I’ll need to revisit this area again for more photography soon.  What do you think of Red Canyon?  Share your thoughts in the comments section below.