ATV Adventures: The ride back to Kanab from Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon to Kanab map
One of the cows that we encountered at Deer Springs Ranch.
The entrance to Cave Lake.
The Pink Cliffs
We had arrived at Coyote Hollow in the area of Bryce Canyon after riding 90 miles from Kanab. Our little band of 14 had reservations at a variety of motels so we split up and planned to meet back at the hollow for the ride back in the morning.
Riding with Steve Lindsay of Bountiful in his RZR, we headed west on Highway 12 through Red Canyon which is a park in and of itself, featuring hiking, biking and camping.
The passage through Red Canyon is about four miles through two tunnels that have been cut out of the red rock to allow the highway to pass through. Our motel was on the west side of the canyon,
After stopping for gas in the morning, we met again at Coyote Hollow for our ride back. Passing by Tropic Reservoir, we noticed just the hint of an early morning mist on the quiet water. It was a beautiful day in September.
The trail split at the south end of the lake, but this time we took the faster west side route. Passing Skunk Creek and Puma Hollow, we followed the East Fork of the Sevier River on the East Fork Road. I have to mention that Podunk Creek split off the Sevier River at one point. I just couldn’t pass Podunk Creek without saying something.
At the Crawford Pass Campground we stayed on the East Fork Road, which was a different route than the one we took through Nephi Pasture to get to Crawford Pass. Our route took us west and then south on a ridge for about 3.5 miles.
Coming to a junction, we took a little side trail to a place called the Pink Cliffs. This is a little piece of Bryce Canyon that is not in the park and well worth the 1.5 miles to see it.
After taking in the view, we made our way back to the junction and picked up the East Fork Road again. We began to descend in elevation. By the time we came to Crawford Canyon, we had dropped about 2,000 feet.
At Meadow Canyon, we again found ourselves on the Deer Spring Ranch, which we had passed through the day before. This time the Texas Longhorn cattle were not in the distance. They were right on the road and we were right in amongst them! You may not think it is possible to make a side-by-side tip-toe, but that is exactly what we did.
Wikipedia says that the females have longer horns than the males, reaching to over 8 feet in length. I didn’t have to read that to know; there was one standing right by our machine. I did not feel inclined to get out and measure her horns; for all I know they could have been 10 feet long.
To me, it is hard to imagine a cow with a kindly face when she is sporting eight foot horns, to say nothing of those sharp pointy ends. All she had to do was turn her head and one of those pointy ends would be too close for comfort. I was okay as long as Steve was between me and the cow.
We came through the longhorns unscathed and left the ranch turning onto Deer Springs Road. This took us down to Coal Canyon and through Skutampah Pasture.
After passing through the Left Fork of Cottonwood Canyon, we came out on the Johnson Canyon Road. Heading south, we passed the turn to Nephi Canyon and came to the rest area we stopped at the day before.
After a short break, we headed west, skirting the Hog Canyon Trails. We crossed John R Flat and took a side trail to a lake hidden underground in a cave. Our leader, Willis Little, called it Crocodile with no explanation. He said, “That is just what it is.”
The entrance to the cave has a huge and colorful cliff face. When we walked into the grotto, we were right at the edge of the lake. I don’t know how big the lake is, but it is a refreshing stop on a warm day.
We made our way through Three Lakes Canyon past the entrance to Hog Canyon and back into Kanab, finishing a ride of about 94 miles. When you go take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down, and good luck with the longhorns.