A Hike from Silver Rim Trailhead and Two Exploratory Missions in the Red Cliffs

The Red Cliffs area is one of our go to places for hiking in the shoulder seasons or when it’s just chilly. And so, after we returned from our New Mexico/Arizona excursions in early March we ended up doing a few hikes around the towering red walls. The first was a joint adventure with our friend Terry. We started from the Silver Rim Trailhead in Dixie National Forest just outside the Red Cliffs proper, but left the trail, crossing over the boundary after we hiked southwest across the drainage and up onto the top of the cliffs.

Our second and third hikes were exploratory missions to see if we could hike up to Yant Flat from below without the aid of a compass. Tom and I hiked alone the first time but once we identified the proper canyon to hike through we returned with Terry. Unfortunately, the correct canyon put us in a position in which the ascent would have been quite difficult. Since we had spent a bit more time than we had bargained getting to that point we decided to abandon the mission and try again another time. Still, both were pleasant walks in which we discovered some interesting rock formations and beautiful vistas of the Pine Valley Mountains.

Our return hike with Terry: