Inspirational Hikes in Southern Utah, 2020
I was fortunate to spend several days exploring southern Utah in the summer of 2020 with my husband and oldest daughter. We stayed at a lovely campground in Kodachrome State Park. The campground was nestled in the center of towering sandstone cliffs that reached around it on three sides. It felt like we were being hugged and protected by the earth. Sedimentary pipes rise above the basin, creating an otherworldly setting. The scenery from the campground was breathtaking. The colors changed as the sun rose and moved across the sky, and as the moon appeared above the basin walls in early evening. We were lucky to be there during a full moon. Moonrise Over Kodachrome Basin S. P. was inspired by photos I took while in the campground.
We did most of our hiking in the early hours of the morning and when the sun was lowering in the west because of the intense heat. The Angel’s Palace Trail had beautiful views of the basin and surrounding area. We left early to watch the sunrise from the trail 150 feet above the basin.
The Nature Trail is a short flat loop through an interesting array of rock formations that in places felt like we were on another planet. There were signs with information about the geology, plants, and animals in the area. This was a lovely early evening hike that resulted in some beautiful photos that will be the subject of future paintings.
Willis Creek Slot Canyon was a great mid-day hike 10.6 miles from Kodachrome Basin S.P.. The dirt road was rough, so a higher clearance 4 wheel drive vehicle is a good idea. We were in our 4x4 truck. One of the great things about slot canyons is that the shadows cast by the narrow canyon walls provide a respite from the heat. Swirling, colorful walls towered above us as we wound our way through the canyon. It wasn’t a difficult hike, but in places we scrambled over rocks and boulders and waded through a shallow stream of cool water. There were several families with children there. We weren’t able to hike as far as I would have liked due to the threat of afternoon thunderstorms. Always check the weather at a ranger station in the area before entering a slot canyon. A rainstorm 50 miles away can result in a flash flood, the very thing that is still sculpting the canyon. We paid close attention to the time to make sure we could complete the return hike before the arrival of possible thunderstorms. I took a large number of reference photos and have completed several small paintings of Willis Creek. I plan to do some larger paintings in the future.
The hike to Panorama Point west of the basin was an easy to moderate hike out to an overlook with great views in every direction. We made it to the point just in time to watch the sunset. The hike there and back was enjoyable in the cooler temperatures of the early evening. My daughter and I played the soundtrack from Lord of the Rings on the way back, imagining we were on a great adventure. Hanging On was painted from a photo I took near Panorama Point.
Red Canyon in Dixie National Forest is 30 miles from Kodachrome Basin. Like Bryce canyon, it is filled with red sandstone spires and hoodoos. We went on several hikes in Red Canyon, Castro Canyon Trail, Hoodoo Trail, and Bird’s Eye Trail. Hoodoo Trail is a short flat trail near the visitor center filled with it’s namesake. Bird’s Eye Trail took us up above the visitors center and had lovely up-close views of the spires. We followed Castro Canyon Trail deeper into Red Canyon. The scenery was lovely and the hike was flat, through the bottom of the canyon. There were several groups on ATVs, but most of the time we had the trail to ourselves. By the time we went on the hike it was mid-day so it was quite hot and the light was harsh. I think it would have been even prettier during one of the golden hours early in the morning or late afternoon.
We only had a few days in Utah, so we tried to do as much as we could. One of these days I hope to go back to this area and visit Bryce Canyon and Zion.