Red Canyon Bicycle Path – The Traveling Todds

We continue our Panguitch, Utah, visit with more of Bryce Canyon National Park and hikes in Red Canyon State Park.

Kevin and Bailey found the Bryce Canyon to Red Canyon Bike Trail a perfect road for trying out their new foldable bicycles. We dropped them off at Inspiration Point in Bryce Canyon and picked them up at Thunder Mountain Trailhead in Red Canyon State Park.

Man and woman posing with foldable bicycles — Kevin and Bailey pose before their ride.

While Kevin and Bailey navigated the peaks and valleys of the trail on their bikes, Jon and I enjoyed the views at Inspiration Point. What impressed me the most at the point was the overlook that jutted out into the canyon.

People talking at Inspiration Point in Bryce Canyon — Inspiration Point jetty at Bryce Canyon

I had the feeling I was walking on a jetty with views of hoodoos to the right of me and more hoodoos to the left of me.

Pine branch and hoodoos — Hoodoos to the left

View of hoodoos, valley, and trail — And Hoodoos to the right

On our way out of the park, we stopped at a few of the overlooks and went in the store at Ruby’s Inn to wander around the gift shop.

Bryce Canyon hoodoos, walls, and windows — Looking back at Inspiration Point

On Scenic Byway SR-12, we had seen the turnout with information signs that had a splendid view of a meadow and Bryce Canyon Airport. We stopped to see what we could learn from the signs. The airport doesn’t look like much from the road, but it is a valuable asset to the community.

Landscape of Bryce Canyon Airport, meadow, and hills in the background — Bryce Canyon Airport from SR-12

The airport, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, comprises the Great Depression Era hangar built of native ponderosa pine in 1936 through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. Eleven years later, on October 24, 1947, flames erupted on a DC-6. Flight 608 didn’t make it to the landing strip during its emergency landing. Instead, it crashed in Bryce National Park 1.3 miles away, killing all on board. To determine the cause of this aviation disaster, investigators reconstructed the charred remains. A process used for the first time and ever since.

Today thousands of tourists arrive by air each year to visit Bryce Canyon National Park and the surrounding area. The airport also serves as critical emergency support for the area, a staging area for search and rescue operations, and fire monitoring and management during fire events. After reading the information signs, I felt safer knowing that if I was hurt or became ill, help was only a short helicopter or plane ride away.

Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant enticed us with their sign advertising fresh pies and ice cream. While we shared a sandwich and a slice of cherry pie with ice cream, we watched for the bicyclists to pass by but never saw them.

Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant building, sign and cars — Great pies at Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant

We continued on and checked out a few more overlooks on our way to Thunder Mountain Trailhead where we had arranged to meet.

Red rock formations next to a road — View of Red Canyon from Thunder Mountain Trailhead parking lot

So, how was Kevin and Bailey’s bicycle ride? They enjoyed the 18.6-mile ride that took them through the forest at certain points and alongside the scenic SR-12, SR-63, and US-89 roads. Although, they almost gave up after fighting against a steep grade and seeing the truck parked outside of Bryce Canyon Pines. The trail was mostly downhill after that, so they kept going.

We visited Red Canyon State Park more than once. The Pink Ledges Trail is an interpretive hike with numbered posts that correspond to a guide available at the Visitor Center. We followed it along to the Hoodoo Trail and then back to the parking lot.

Rocky — Remnants of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks deposited here from 200 miles away.

These hoodoos reminded me of sentries standing guard outside of the castle walls.

Red rock formations that look like sentries — Rock sentries

Rock formations that look like angel wings and butterfly — Butterfly and Angel Wings

The Tunnel Trail was a steep climb with switchbacks, one of which seemed carved into the slope of the mountain and would be quite difficult for anyone with vertigo to navigate. The view from the top was well worth the hike.

Red rock formations on top of mountain with pine trees — Fortress across the valley

Pine trees on red mountains and more mountains in the distance. — Visibility for miles

Mountains road with two short tunnels — Two short tunnels

For the Birdseye Trail, we parked at a turnout west of the Visitor Center and crossed the street. This is a well-used trail with Ys and Ws that branch off the main trail and led us off in the wrong direction a few times.

Red sandy hill with a valley in the distance — Red hill

Hiker on red rocky trail — Great views from the Birdseye Trail

Red rock formations at the top of a mountain — Hoodoos in the making

Check out the spirals on this tree. Is it a sign the tree has adapted to the environment? Causes of the spirals might include poorly drained or uneven soil, windy conditions, or a heavy or uneven canopy. The spiral pattern may occur to allow sap and food to more efficiently distribute to all the roots and branches.

Spiral tree trunk — Spiraling tree trunk

Hoodoo that looks like a camel laying down — The Camel (kneeling)

Red rock formations, blue sky, and pine trees — Looking up

Next up in part six, we continue our Panguitch visit by hiking the Arches Trail in Lossee Canyon and drive out to Kodachrome State Park.

Until then, stay safe.

The promise of dinosaur tracks, petroglyphs, lower elevation and, best of all, warmer weather within an hour from Panguitch was a welcome surprise after the freezing temperatures of Cedar Breaks.

Dinosaur Tracks

We headed east from Interstate 15 on Gap Road through ranches and farms, and then passed Little Salt Lake until we came to Highway 130 where we turned right. A few miles later, the road veered left toward the Red Hills and we came to a parking lot with interpretive panels and interesting rock formations. Metal markers like the one in the photo below marked the spots where the footprints could be found.

Hadrosaurs, or duck-billed dinosaurs, left the tracks some 65 to 75 million years ago when they stepped in mud. Pebbles and sand filled the footprints left by the dinos and later turned into rock. Erosion over millions of years revealed the tracks for us to see today.

This area is strewn with a number of different types of rocks such as river rock, volcanic ash, and large boulders, which looked like someone had rolled a bunch of smaller rocks and cement together like a giant snowball.

Parowan Gap offers climbers up to 26 different climbing routes to follow. Looking around at all the fallen rock, I sure wouldn’t want to hang from a rope and trust that the cliff would not give way. But rock climbing is something I’ve never done, so who am I to say what’s safe or not?

Parowan Gap Petroglyphs

Continuing on Highway 130 a short distance we found a nicer parking area with pavement, shade structures, picnic tables, and pit toilets. The cliffs at Parowan Gap display a great number of petroglyphs that tell stories of the early people who inhabited or traveled through the area. If we only had a translator app on our phones to decipher the figures.

Included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, it is a wonder that the figures created a thousand years ago or more have survived destruction by people of more recent generations. I could have stood for hours gazing up at the etchings on the cliff walls trying to decipher their meaning.

Did the Fremont and Southern Paiute cultures leave them as works of art, religious significance, or tales of bravery and danger?

Some people may even suggest the figures depict alien beings that visited earth before modern times.

Do they represent family history, hunting and gathering trips, sources of water, travel routes?

Parowan Gap Petroglyphs and Newer Initials

People in the 1800s and 1900s also recorded their passage through the gap. I wonder who H.S.H. or Hyatt and Leo Rosko were, where they came from, and where they were going in 1882 and 1947. Did D. C. fancy himself a pirate or maybe the design refers to an early motorcycle gang?

H.S.H 1882 and D. C. 1938, or is it 1939?

Red Canyon Visitor Center USDA Forest Service

Our last day in the area was a short jaunt to the red cliffs and hoodoos at the Red Canyon Visitor Center off Highway 12, the route to Bryce Canyon National Park.

With picnic tables, plenty of parking, and several miles of hikes, the visitor center was a great place to spend an afternoon getting up close and personal with the hoodoos and totems as well as the Ponderosa, bristlecone, and limber pines.

We managed to get a good work out in and gaze out at some awesome views by connecting the Pink Ledges (an interpretive trail), Hoodoo, and Birdseye trails with a portion of the 8.6-mile non-motorized Red Canyon Bicycle path, which parallels Route 12 through the canyon.

At about our halfway mark, we took advantage of a bench to take in the spectacular views of the valley below.

Highway 12 and Bike Path Through Red Canyon

Just as the traffic below had receded into white noise, this drone succeeded in drowning out the chattering birds, scurrying squirrels, and windblown leaves and pine needles. It flew around for about ten minutes and left, a little too long for my comfort level. Too bad the pilot could not have taken the time to enjoy the wonders of Red Canyon in person. To experience a place in person is so much better than watching it fly by on an LCD screen.

The Red Canyon hills were just as magnificent from across the road as they were when we walked along the trail.

Although we could have stayed for another week, our time in Bryce Canyon and Panguitch had come to a close and Zion or bust became our mantra on October 6, 2017. Stay tuned for more adventure.

Safe Travels

The Traveling Todds

Tag: Red Canyon Bicycle Path

October 2020 COVID-19 Adventure Part Five

Discover Dinosaur Tracks and Parowan Gap Petroglyphs

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