Red Reef Canyon and Prospector Loop in Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, UT

Hike Red Reef Canyon and Prospector Loop Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, UT

Class 3 9.2 miles 900 gain 4-6 hrs Loop
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude
Directions
Route Map
Download GPX

Red Reef Canyon and Prospector Loop GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

Add to Cart
View Cart

May 23, 2017 — Starting along the fairly popular Red Reef Trail, continue to the small waterfall that had no water during my visit. Cotinue past the waterfall through a pretty canyon, avoiding small potholes, until you get to a single easy Class 3 move to get through a crevase to escape the narrow section of the canyon. Walk through wide open desert for a while, heading southwest, until you enter a windy wash/canyon with a few interesting rock formations before intersecting with the Prospector Trail. This is a mostly mountain biking trail, but I didn't see anyone. Follow it back to the main Red Cliffs Recreation Area entrance road and continue north to get back to the trailhead. Overall a nice loop, although not super eventful for the last half.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

There is an obvious trail leading to the popular swimming hole.
There is an obvious trail leading to the popular swimming hole.
Image 1 from gallery
Random water hole along the way.
Random water hole along the way.
Image 3 from gallery
Image 4 from gallery
Image 5 from gallery
Most people stop here.
Most people stop here.
Looking back the way I came, from above the falls.
Looking back the way I came, from above the falls.
Pretty narrows past the falls.
Pretty narrows past the falls.
Small pothole obstacles in the canyon above the falls.
Small pothole obstacles in the canyon above the falls.
Image 10 from gallery
Image 11 from gallery
Image 12 from gallery
Image 13 from gallery
Approaching the Class 3- scramble section. There was a rope to assist, but you don't really need it.
Approaching the Class 3- scramble section. There was a rope to assist, but you don't really need it.
Looking down the scrambling section back into the narrow section of canyon I came out of.
Looking down the scrambling section back into the narrow section of canyon I came out of.
Image 16 from gallery
The canyon opens up for a bit, with nice views of the Red Cliffs.
The canyon opens up for a bit, with nice views of the Red Cliffs.
Image 18 from gallery
Looking back the way I came.
Looking back the way I came.
Image 20 from gallery
Image 21 from gallery
Looking back the way I came.
Looking back the way I came.
The wider space closes in to become another canyon.
The wider space closes in to become another canyon.
Image 24 from gallery
Image 25 from gallery
Image 26 from gallery
Image 27 from gallery
Image 28 from gallery
Image 29 from gallery
The route leads out of the canyon. This is looking back the way I came.
The route leads out of the canyon. This is looking back the way I came.
And onto the Prospector Trail.
And onto the Prospector Trail.
Image 32 from gallery
Image 33 from gallery
Image 34 from gallery
The Prospector Trail brings you back to the road, which you take for a mile back to the trailhead.
The Prospector Trail brings you back to the road, which you take for a mile back to the trailhead.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

Hire me!
PayPal
Venmo
Cash App