Trail(s) Hiked: (loop) Casto Canyon to Casidy to Loosee Canyon Trail, side trip on Arches Trail back to Casto Canyon trail head via Casto Canyon Road for about .75 mile.
Distance Covered: Approximately 14 miles
Outdoortravels.com Rating: 4 out of 5 Backpacks - The solitude and scenery are great!
Thumbs Up:
- Relatively untapped back country camping area all but guarantees solitude
- Get far enough off of the trail, and any site is your camp site (no restricted camping areas)
- Bryce Canyon National Park is just down the road
- Mountain biking is also great, especially on the southern trails of Red Canyon
Thumbs Down:
- Little chances for water, you'll need to pack in what you plan on consuming
Lessons Learned:
- Buy good hiking boots and have them broken in before setting out on a hike
Backcountry Log:
Red Canyon, Powell Ranger District, Dixie National Forest
Day 1
I had read that Red Canyon Recreation Area was a little-known gem in the shadow of its busy neighbor, Bryce Canyon National Park. When my wife and I checked at the visitor's center for information, the two long-time employees there were at odds if Red Canyon actually allowed back country camping. I took that as a wonderful sign of good things to come.
My wife Kelli and I arrived in Las Vegas and made the drive north to Red Canyon. Our plan was to do an overnight in Red Canyon, check in at a bed and breakfast for the second night and then do a day hike in Bryce Canyon National Park on the third day.
I had decided on backpacking in Red Canyon after reading a very small article in the back of a hiking magazine that all but promised solitude to back country hikers in Red Canyon. Based on a small photo and a suggestion, I was hooked. When we queried the nice couple at the visitor's center about camping in the back country, it made me happy to see that they were more than a little unfamiliar with backpackers that spend more than a day on the trails. We previously had chosen our route based on the article I had read. It is a nice loop, perfectly suited for two day's hiking: Casto Canyon Trail to the Cassidy Trail and returning via Loosee Canyon Trail. We had also planned to hike a short spur trail towards the end of Loosee Canyon Trail called Arches Trail. At least a dozen or more red rock arches are visible from this .7-mile trail.
We began our hike at the Casto Canyon trailhead on a wonderfully clear day. Casto Canyon Trail weaved its way through a beautiful red rock valley. We began an informal game of "I Spy" with the large red rocks eroded by natures forces. I saw a Sphinx; other times we saw faces looking down at us from above.
"Locals on Quad Runners and a Cry Baby, Girly Man Biker"
Casto Canyon Trail is a multi-use trail, meaning that there is a possibility that you may encounter an off road vehicle (ORV), mountain biker or equestrians. Our solitude was briefly pierced about an hour into our hike when the first of three or four 4-wheelers went by us, heading the opposite direction. After they left, we were back to blissful solitude. The only other person we were to encounter during both days on our hike was a hapless, non-helmeted, young man who stopped his mountain bike long enough to complain about the trail surface, which was rocky. We caught a glimpse of him a short time later; he had given up riding a loop and was heading back the way he came. Red Canyon is often recognized as one of the better areas to mountain bike. My guess is, this particular trail was a little more than he could handle; for us hikers though, it was quite perfect.
Red Canyon's Scenery can best be described as a smaller version of its very popular neighbor, Bryce Canyon. We were really enjoying the red rock scenery that seemed to be there just for us! We continued past Casto Canyon Trail's junction with Barney Cove Trail and began to think about possible camping spots for the night. There are no designated spots in Red Canyon, it's up to the hiker to find a spot that will suite one's needs. We figured that after turning south, passing Mexican Hat Peak (a mapped and signed landmark), we would really begin to look for a nice spot to pitch our tent for the night.
Hat? What Hat?
Mexican Hat Peak has to be one of the oddest named landmarks I've seen. I anticipating seeing a giant rock shaped like a sombrero that would look like a Flintstone's era taco stand. As we stopped at the sign in front of a rectangular shaped peak for a few pictures, I couldn't help but wonder what the hell the person who named this peak "Mexican Hat" had been smoking perhaps they had ingested some peyote? The peak looks nothing like a hat to me, and I have a very vivid imagination.
With evening approaching we really started scoping the area for a good spot to camp. The terrain in Red Canyon can make for some really great spots for setting up a camp, if you just look around a little. We finally decided on a hill of dirt and gravel that apparently is a pile of material that has eroded from the above peaks, giving them their unique appearance. At any rate, we had a tree-high vantage point at the foot of a beautiful peak completely to our selves. After setting up camp and cooking dinner, we climbed a higher pile above ours, watched the sunset and looked out at the world around us. Our tent looked so tiny sitting below us, with nothing but the wilds of the desert as far as we could see. We climbed back down in the twilight, crawled into our tents and spent the single most quiet night I've ever experienced in my tent. It was so quiet, it was almost deafening.
Day 2
After an uneventful night, we woke up, made breakfast, packed up and headed out once again on the Cassidy Trail. We were almost immediately greeted with an incredible vista! We must have spent a good twenty minutes looking around and taking pictures. First, me with the landscape; now Kelli with the landscape; Kelli looking at the landscape - you get the idea. We were there for a while! Later that day, after hiking through Ponderosa Pines and scrub, we came upon a pretty interesting site.
"How To Identify A Little Desert From Quite A Long Distance" or "No Shit Sherlock"
As Kelli and I topped a small hill, we spotted what looked like to me, a little desert, off in the near distance. It was a very pretty site. A giant "sand box" surrounded by red cliffs and Ponderosa Pines. I said, "Hey! That looks like a little desert. Cool!" The closer we got to it, the more I would do my commentary, "Wow! I mean, this REALLY looks like a little desert!" I must have said it at least a dozen times. When we reached my mini Sahara, I spotted a little sign protruding out of the parched earth, about 20 yards or so away from me. As I approached the sign to see what misnamed peak it was marking, it became clear to me that it read "Little Desert". Master of the obvious I am, brilliantly stupid. I had a good laugh as I posed for a picture in front of the sign scratching my head, acting like I didn't understand the name. Oddly enough "Little Desert" is marked on the trail map, I just didn't see it until after the fact.
After stopping for a snack and giving Kelli's now very tired and sore feet (bad boots) a rest, we said goodbye to the Cassidy Trail and began the last couple of miles on the Losee Canyon Trail. This trail, dotted with Ponderosa Pine and scrub runs along the foot of red cliffs and hoo-doos which provide even more beautiful scenery to enjoy. Kelli couldn't care less! Her feet were getting very sore to the point of it being painful to walk. After a couple of stops to rest, I finally persuaded my stubborn wife to take my hiking stick. We had planned to explore the Arches Trail near the end, or beginning if coming the other direction, of Losee Canyon Trail. It has been described as a short loop of about .7 miles that provides incredible views of over a dozen red rock arches. It would have to wait for another day, Kelli was not in the mood for an additional mile hike.
"My Private Jog/Hike"
As we reached the end of Loosee Canyon Trail, we began to smell and spot horse crap, lots of it. We soon encountered a stable and several riders who had been out on a ride through the canyon. The trip operators were actually surprised to see back country hikers come out of the trail. They were full of questions like, "Did you see any bears?" We didn't, but they were still surprised. To me, that's one of the cool things about Red Canyon. It's a perfect place to backpack and camp, but yet, very few people actually stay the night in the canyon.
Our loop hike was almost perfect. The one flaw was that Losee Canyon trailhead isn't the point where we started our hike. We started our hike one mile north on Casto Canyon Road at Casto Canyon trailhead. With Kelli's feet about ready to fall off, I volunteered to hike the additional mile up the road to get the car. After taking my pack off, I was off. At times, I actually tried to jog. I'm not sure, but I would guess that the occupants of the couple of cars that passed me probably wondered what the hell a guy was doing running down a remote road.
Arches Trail
The next day we returned and hiked the Arches Trail. It was just as incredible as described! We ascended up a peak to find ourselves walking by many red rock natural arches! The view of the surrounding area was great too. It certainly is not a trail to be missed, even if one's feet are about to explode.
