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Dec 18, 2020 — Red Cathedral is one of the most unique desert lookout spots I've experienced. Between Manly Beacon's impressive eroded cliffs, the badlands surrounding Zabriskie Point, the overlook into Death Valley, and the taller peaks within the Funeral Mountains (Pyramid Peak), I had more to look at than my senses could comprehend. Plus, I went at sunset so the lighting was on-point. Unfortunately it's also a fairly popular hike and starts at the zoo of a trailhead used for Zabriskie Point.
The Red Cathedral Trail is marked at the trailhead, continuing away from the paved Zabriskie Point "trail". Just before the trail descends into the badlands, a pretty obvious social trail leads northwest along the Red Cathedral ridge. It's a little steep at first, but then mellows and and undulates along the ridgeline. While it is certainly a trail, you still need to be careful - the drop on the left is extreme and getting too close to the eroded cliff could prove fatal. There was one eroded section along the trail toward the summit, but otherwise it's a very straightforward hike.
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