Best Canine Hike in Red Rocks
Nothing says the American West quite like red rocks. Trail dogs know they have had a grand time when they return to the trailhead with a fine dust of red powder caking their paws. There are certainly no losers among these canine hikes but one has to be declared a winner...
Garden of the Gods (Colorado)
Palmer/Siamese Twins/Scotsman Trails
The indigenous Ute Indians referred to this area of protruding, jagged red rocks as “the old red land.” Jump off the asphalt - which most of the million or so annual visitors never leave - onto the natural surface Scotsman Trail and head south in relative isolation. Across the park road the Siamese Twins Trail leads to a unique formation with a window that looks directly at Pikes Peak. Away from the Central Garden the jagged sandstone peaks are highlighted by lush green pinyon-junipers and become even more photogenic. Most of this hike rolls easily through prairie grasslands and mountain shrub.
Dixie National Forest (Utah)
Red Canyon Trail System
The Twin Arches form the largest sandstone arch complex in the East. The hollows are so thick with second-growth timber at Big South Fork that your dog will not even notice when the trail crosses the top of one of the massive natural bridges. Don’t fret; there will be plenty of chance to appreciate these impressive arches from down below. Wooden steps help tame the steep descent into the rock houses. There are two loops to explore here; a 1.2-mile expedition to the arches and a full six-mile reconnaissance of the dark hollow. No doubt your dog will raise a paw to go for the whole tour.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park (Texas)
Lighthouse Trail
The “Grand Canyon of Texas” is one of the largest in America, yawning for over 120 miles and reaching depths of 800 feet. Yet the classic Palo Duro canine hike has nothing to do with the canyon. Instead, point your dog towards the park’s signature red rock formation, a multi-colored 300-foot high pier of Trujillo sandstone known as the Lighthouse. The trail is a joy to trot on - smooth, hard-packed dirt and usually wide enough to handle a pack of trail dogs. The route follows dry washes and troughs between small hills as you gain an easy 900 feet in elevation over three miles.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (Nevada)
Calico Tanks Trail
The trail into the cracks of the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness begins conventionally before breaking down in a boulder-stuffed wash where your dog can bound up any favored route through the canyon. Near the end are tinajas, pockets of water in the bedrock that may contain seasonal water; not enough for dog-paddling perhaps but plenty welcome in the harsh Mojave Desert. The conclusion of the 1.25-mile ramble is a full view of the Las Vegas skyline in the distance. After a refreshing dip and a look at Sin City it is back to bouncing and scrambling 450 feet down the canyon.
Valley of Fire State Park (Nevada)
Fire Wave Trail
The red sandstone formations here look as if they actually melted and cooled in place. An American Automobile Club representative traveling on a primitive road through the area in the 1920s gave the valley its name. The go-to hike is the Fire Wave Trail that travels around a red rock wall and onto undulating rock hills of reds and yellows and pinks. As you cross this rock color palette there is a suggested trail marked by cairns but really the entire desert landscape is open and beckoning for exploration. The out-and-back adventure concludes after 1.2 miles at an ice cream shop of swirling scoop-like confections in the rocks.
And the Waggie Award for Best Canine Hike in Red Rocks goes to...Dixie National Forest!
When you claim to be “the most photographed place in Utah” you had better come with game and the Red Canyon Trail System brings enough to score a Waggie. These trails are why digital photography was invented - you couldn’t carry enough rolls of film on this canine hike if you had to. The composite trail rambles through a wide valley, trading the bright red cliffs for golden colored rocks and crushed stone paths, with close up visits to fanciful hoodoos. As you climb out of the bowl and back into the red rocks the trail and landscape become otherworldly before finally reaching Buckhorn Point at 7800 feet. Views extend across the entire Sevier Valley. Finally heading back down, the stately Ponderosa pines serve up their own pleasures, growing against the bright red canyon walls. Pink-gold-white-red, all of Utah’s Color Country gets billing on this hike with your dog.