USA Colorful Canyon

A myriad of pastel colored hoodoos and sandstone rock hidden amongst what initially appears to be a dull desert landscape. This is a remote location that you’ll likely have all to yourself.

A heavily overcast sky initially muted the colors of the canyon. As the sky gradually cleared, the canyon’s colors really began to pop. I used a 24-70 mm lens which was fine but a lens with longer reach might have been useful.

From Hwy. 89 at Church Wells, Utah turn north on Wells Street and drive 0.7 miles to the north end of town where the paved road curves sharply to the right. Rather than turning at the paved curve, stay straight (north) where the road turns to dirt and turns sharply to the right just a few yards further. The dirt road briefly parallels the paved road before curving to the left (north) leading away from town. The dirt road is labeled 7060 on GoogleMaps until it curves northward and is then labeled 7065. Drive three miles after leaving the paved road and park next to an old cow tank and disintegrating corral that has been largely overtaken by the desert at GPS - 37.1344514, -111.7607661. No facilities. No fee.

From the parking area, walk roughly East NE across the sagebrush and sand to GPS 37.1358496, -111.7564575 where the path becomes more clear and begins a gentle climb. There are numerous paths paralleling one another but basically follows a route on the east side of the light colored (almost white) sandstone canyon on your left. The path bends northward where it meets an old gravel road about two miles from the parking area. The road intersects “Colorful Canyon” on the left and “Sidestep Canyon” on the right.

Descending into Colorful Canyon is easy. After dropping below the canyon rim, we gradually wound our way westward just below the rim finding a new surprise around every bend.