Distance: 5 miles from Cyclone Canyon (4 miles to junction from Elephant Hill hiking trailhead)

Lower Red Lake Trail - Colorado River

The Needles District is all about the rock spires and hidden canyons, but sometimes you just want to see some water. The Lower Red Lake Trail drops out of the high desert down to the canyon bottom of the Colorado River. The trip will take hikers through a few different canyons before the final dry and desolate canyon is reached. Once there, you are in a unique backcountry walking a wash that has evidence of producing some raging torrents. The quickest way to the Lower Red Lake Trail is 4 miles from the Elephant Hill Trailhead. Then you have 5 miles of hiking to the Colorado. Simply put, it is a full day if you are day hiking. Most come with the intention of backpacking to one of the camps along the river. Others come with rafts to cross the river and experience the backcounty of the Maze District, specifically the Doll House area.

The official trail starts in Cyclone Canyon, using a break in the rocks to drop into a small ravine that drains down to Red Lake Canyon. This section is 0.7 miles and descends 240 feet. Red Lake Canyon has a wide and sandy wash, with cliffs on both sides, which would be fun exploring if you weren't into getting to the Colorado River. The trail crosses the wide wash and climbs a hillside to reach the same wash on the other side. But, the wash is now a deep canyon and the trail skirts high above cliffs before dropping 500 feet back down to the creek. The final two miles are easy walking in the wash and along a trail near the wash. A final turn in the creek can be skipped by a small way trail over a sandy ridge. This last part, if flash flooding would be an issue. Once you get to the river, you'll probably be disappointed. The banks of the river are heavily overgrown with tamarisks so not likely you'll have a river bar to relax on or easy access to jump in. The water is also muddy brown. Trails do extend up and down river. If going down river, you can hear the rapids of the start of Cataract Canyon. A trail goes to them. A small trail goes upriver 3.5 miles to the confluence with the Green River and a few river access spots along the way. Looking directly across the river is Spanish Bottom, a wide flat area below towering cliffs. If you brought a pack raft, you can hike a trail out of Spanish Bottom up into the Maze District.
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Canyonlands National Park - Needles District

Needles District
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red lake canyon cliffs
Between Cyclone Canyon and Red Lake Canyon
Red Lake Canyon
Looking up Red Lake Canyon
Looking up Red Lake Canyon along the wash
Crossing the Red Lake Canyon Wash
Route down to the main drop into Lower Red Lake Canyon
Main drop into Lower Red Lake Canyon
Traversing above cliffs before the drop into Lower Red Lake Canyon
At the bottom of Lower Red Lake Canyon following the wash
Colorado River and Spanish Bottom
Colorado River
Colorado River looking upriver
Colorado River
Colorado River coming up the Lower Red Lake Canyon wash
Narrow section of wash
The main drop into Lower Red Lake Canyon