Red Canyon UT

We take the northern exit from Snow Canyon to avoid as much of Saint George as possible. On our way we pass many people busy preparing for the Ironman event starting soon. Once back on I-15 headed north, we are surprised by vehicles passing us like we're standing still. Looks like the speed limit in this part of Utah is 80 mph and drivers are all to happy take advantage of it. Snow still caps the mountains around Cedar Breaks. At over 10,000 feet in elevation, it's no wonder the last park to open in southern Utah.

Wow!

Looks like Cedar Breaks will be closed awhile yet

North of Cedar City and Parowan, we exit onto Hwy 20 east over to Hwy 89 south to Panguitch UT, the largest town in the area and the best place to stock up.

Hwy 20 with Hoodoos

A cattle dog rides on bails of hay in Panguitch

A few miles south of Paguitch we are able to turn east onto  Scenic Byway Hwy 12, part of American's Scenic Byways. We have come to tour Hwy 12 because it winds through many great places to see and explore, such as:

• Red Canyon (National Forest Service)
• Brice Canyon National Park
• Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
• Kodachrome Basin State Park
• Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
• Hell's Backbone Scenic Backway
• Calf Creek Recreation Area (BLM)
• Burr Trail Scenic Byway
• Anasazi State Park Museum
• Capitol Reef National Park

We made it - here's the Byway we came to see

Hoodoos @ Red Canyon

Red Canyon Visitors' Center

We stop at the Red Canyon Visitors' Center to check for a campsite. We are delighted to learn the campground just opened for the season about an hour before our arrival. After "high fiving" each other we drive the mile up the road to the campground. It's a National Forest campground with showers (yeah!) and they accept my National Parks Senior pass for half off the usual fee (double yeah!!) ... plus they allow leashed dogs on all the trails (triple yeah!!!). We LOVE this campground.

Entrance to Red Canyon Campground

Our campsite -

spacious with a view, close to the showers.

That evening we meet some of our fellow campers - many are Canadian snow birds. In fact, our neighbors are from the Canadian Maritimes. They have just picked up the latest version of the same Leisure Travel camper van we have. In fact, they are carrying the two suitcases they took on the plane to the Leisure Travel factory. Since they haven't had a chance to outfit their new van, we direct them to the nearest Camper World where they can buy just about anything they need.

They are having similar difficulties we encountered getting the on demand water heater to work properly. Since we had already figured it out, I go over to demo how it works. They are very happy to have hot water and in chatting with them afterwards, we learn I am probably related to them through my Louisana Cajun relatives. Small world.

The next morning we decide to take the puppies on a hike through the hoodoos behind the Visitors' Center. Red Canyon is one of Utah's most photographed areas and we can easily see why.

Mary and Checkers are hots to trot

Peter checks the trail map

The trail winds through the scenic hoodoos

In the afternoon as the sun gets lower in the sky, the colors of the red rocks deepen.
By the time we get back to camp, we're all pretty tired.

Low sun shines through pine branches

Checkers - the pooped puppy

That evening's sunset makes the red cliffs glow with amazing light.