While driving Scenic Byway 12 in Utah, you may expect to see a runaway train hurdling through the towering orange rocks. No, you didn’t transport to the line at Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain, although Utah’s Red Canyon looks exactly like it – minus the runaway train.

As a kid, I traveled through Red Canyon often on our way to Utah’s best Pioneer Day parade in Escalante, Utah. It’s also a preview of what you’ll find a few miles east at Bryce Canyon National Park. But it wasn’t until this summer that I was in control of the steering wheel and took some time to explore the beauty this iconic gem has to offer.

Here are some of the activities you can enjoy in the canyon, and some tips on how to maximize your experience among the colorful rocks and trees.

Take a Hike in Utah’s Red Canyon

Red Canyon has several hiking trails. They offer magnificent views of the geologic formations and magnificent landscape. Some of the trails are dedicated to foot traffic only, while others allow horses and/or ATVs.

RELATED POST: Hike Lower Calf Creek Falls in Utah

Here are some of the short, foot-traffic only trails in Red Canyon:

• Tunnel Trail. Located just west of the iconic tunnels, Tunnel Trail takes you up to a viewpoint high above the canyon floor. You get a great view of the two short tunnels found in the canyon. It’s a moderate level hike because it’s all uphill, with numerous switchbacks. Plan on about 30 minutes for your 1.4 mile round trip hike.
• Buckhorn Trail. The trailhead is in the Red Canyon campground and heads south. The moderate hike takes you to a beautiful vantage point of Red Canyon on the 2-mile round trip hike. Follow the signs, as the trail splits onto a much longer hike – Golden Wall Trail (4.2 miles) that also takes you to Castle Bridge Trail and the Visitors Center.
• Pink Ledges Trail. Hike this interpretive trail through red rock scenery, hoodoos, and ponderosa pines. Grab a map at the Visitors Center and stop at the numbers noted along the way to learn more about the area. The 1-mile round trip hike starts at the Visitors Center. The trail is marked as moderate because of steep sections along the trail.
• Bird’s Eye View Trail. This trail can be accessed from a pull-out parking area immediately west of the Visitor Center (on the north side of the road). The 1.5-mile round trip trail gets its name from a rock formation that looks like a bird’s head, including a well-placed hole in the rock where the bird’s eye would be. There are several other rock formations along the easy/moderate path, so kids can use their imaginations to find other animals.
• Photo Trail. The trailhead is along the north side of the road, shortly after entering Red Canyon. The easy/moderate trail is less than .5 miles round trip, and like its name, you’ll have lots of photo opps with some magnificent rock formations and views of Red Canyon.

Cycle from Red Canyon to Bryce Canyon National Park

If you’ve driven through Red Canyon to Bryce Canyon National Park, you’ve probably noticed the paved bike trail along the south side of the road. Well, I’d noticed it too, and decided to haul our bikes down there when we were driving Utah’s Scenic Byway 12.

You can start the bike trail from almost any pull out in Red Canyon. If you start the bike trail as you enter the west end of Red Canyon, you’re looking at 13 miles to Ruby’s Inn at Bryce Canyon.

ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET when riding a bike.

The first five miles of your bike ride will be uphill. But they did a good job with the bike trail and it’s not too steep. There are even some flat areas to help you slow your heart rate down. Once you are out of Red Canyon, the trail is pretty flat to the end at Ruby’s Inn.

From Ruby’s Inn, you can cycle into Bryce Canyon and enjoy a few trails before returning to your car. We did enjoy the five mile downhill ride through Red Canyon. It gave our brakes a run for their money.

Stop at the Visitors Center

The Visitors Center in Red Canyon allows you to learn more about the area’s plants, wildlife, geology and more. You can also speak with a ranger about some of the trail conditions. If ATVs are your thing, they can fill you in on the trails that are perfect for your experience in Red Canyon.

The Visitors Center also has some souvenirs, books, maps and more. It’s a little gift shop. There are also restrooms in case you need to go before you head out on the trails.

The Details

Address: 5375 UT-12, Panguitch, UT 84759 (approx. 7 miles east of Panguitch, Utah)

Cost: There is no cost to explore Red Canyon.

Hours: The Visitors Center is open on weekends (Friday-Sunday), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dixie/recarea/?recid=24942

Phone: (435) 676-2676

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