Hike Owl Canyon and Rainbow Basin Loop Rainbow Basin Natural Area BLM, CA

Feb 10, 2023 — Rainbow Basin Natural Area is a highlight of the otherwise pretty bleak Barstow CA desert landscape. Most visitors seem to come here to enjoy a drive along the scenic loop road, but I was mostly interested in hiking through Owl Canyon, a featured trail through a beautiful and colorful canyon. With some research, I found a loop that includes the Owl Canyon Trail, but also links in an interesting-looking slot to its west. I figured I'd follow the loop as intended for the most part, but decided to amend it as I went. I included the sections of the somewhat commonly completed loop hike in blue on my attached map so you can see where I deviated.

I drove through the Owl Canyon Campground and parked at the trailhead, free for day use. The trail immediately dropped into Owl Canyon and I headed north into it. The canyon progressively got more beautiful as I went, starting with bright white eroded features and some interesting rock formations. It's mostly just a sandy drainage, but there was some Class 2 boulder-hopping mixed in and a short Class 2/2+ dryfall obstacle within a section of pretty narrows. As I neared the head of Owl Canyon it opened up significantly and introduced more fun and unique features better described visually below. The badlands toward the head of the canyon were a little more difficult to navigate since social trails lead in different directions. Many of these are the handiwork of irresponsible dirtbikers. I chose to keep left at a couple of junctions in order to ascend out of the canyon and up to higher ground.

Being at the top of the Rainbow Basin had me itching for a viewpoint, so I located what I labeled "Rainbow Basin Overlook" since it's a minor high point separating the two canyons I was hiking through. Reaching it required some steep Class 2 up its northern slope, but I thought it was worth it to be able to look down into the colorful landscape below.

I followed an ATV road west and down into the western canyon I'd be using as my descent route in order to form a loop. It was unevenful for the first half, but then the canyon narrowed and I scrambled down some fun Class 2+ to enter the depths of a really nice slot. It continued to twist pleasantly as it descended. There was a bit more Class 2 and even a rabbit hole crawl under a massive boulder. I emerged from the canyon mouth and reached the scenic drive.

It was an easy hike along the scenic road for a while, but I wasn't really interested in hiking along it longer than necessary. The standard hiking loop wraps all the way around a wide, low mesa/ridge separating this road from the trailhead, but I was confident I could find a way up and over it. As I reached the base of the hump I realized the eroded slope was actually pretty steep and I grew slightly irked I would have to try enjoying the boring extended walk. Fortunately, I was able to find a Class 2 route up to the mesatop. From here I wandered off-trail to the eastern rim and then south until I located a social trail that took me back down to the Owl Canyon Campground.