Random Rambler: Kodachrome Basin State Park: Grand Parade Trail

The Grand Parade Trail within Kodachrome Basin State Park is a spectacular, easy trail. It is super easy, fairly flat and takes you through a couple of box canyons with amazing views to be seen at any point and there are a few sedimentary pipes as well. Of the 3 trails we did here I think this was my favorite.

Box Canyon.

Sedimentary pipe.

Quick Details:

Length: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy. Not much elevation change, wide flat trail.
Elevation Gain: Eh, maybe 20 feet
Restroom: No. nearest one is a little ways north on the main road by the picnic area.
Dogs? Yes, must be leashed.
Other Info: Fee area, $8.00 day use fee. Also, you are in the desert so be sure to dress appropriately and carry enough water.

To Get Here:

This is at the main trailhead area on the road about halfway between the visitor center and the end of the paved road. If you pass the Laundromat, you went too far. It is on the north east end of the parking lot.

The Trail:

Trailhead sign.

The main pipe in the park.

Lovely colors. Also notice the little marker signs. They do a pretty good job of keeping you on the path. Couple spots could have been made a little more clear, which resulted in us departing the trail sooner than we wanted, but otherwise it’s good.

A wash you have to cross.

The trail is fairly wide and sandy.

Colorful cliffs.

Another pipe.

Another wash.

The main pipe again.

Fun formation.

Fun plants. I think some sort of yucca.

Quite a few of the walls have little mounds like this in front of them. It seems that perhaps rain strips some of the sandstone and then it piles below.

Fun alcoves in the cliff wall.

Before long we found ourselves at the end of a short box canyon similar to Box Canyon out in Dinosaur National Monument. Here is the right wall.

And the left side.

The view out.

Itty bitty box canyon within a box canyon.

Or miniature narrows. It’s only about oh 6-8 feet back but it is kind of neat.

Crack at the back.

Looking out.

Looking up. You can see some more of the weathering against the sandstone.

Looking back towards it.

Looks like one of the pipes collapsed. Or maybe it’s just a pile of rocks.

View across the way.

Rounding the corner.

We start to enter an even deeper box canyon.I believe this one is named simply Box Canyon as well. Either that, or it is not named and they just call it what it is.

Another pipe back there.

More piles at the cliff bases.

Looking up at the cliffs.

This one reminds me more of Hog Canyon just because it’s a bit deeper.

Yea, they just call it Box Canyon. The more I explore, the more I find not many things have unique names.

Anyway, a box canyon is called so because it is a deep canyon with steep cliff walls and only has one way in (short of rappelling anyway).

Looking towards the end.

More of the cliff side piles.

The pipe again.

Little pipe at the top.

The pipe I have been seeing and another one on the right.

The back of the canyon.

Panoramic.

Another little pipe.

Neat color and texture.

Looking out.

Looking up.

Oh what is back here.

We found another mini slot canyon.

So neat!

Looking back out. Definitely deeper than the other one, but still not very deep at all.

Looking up.

And out again.

I am really enjoying this trail. We hadn’t planned on doing it this trip in favor of some of the trails down the dirt road, but this is awesome so I am pleased with the change in plans.

The big pipe again.

Great texture.

I think this is Ephedra (Mormon Tea).

The pipes above again.

Boulder in an alcove.

Kind of looks like a rhinoceros.

Looking out again.

Sorry, lots of pictures. I really am enjoying it in here.

In the other corner there appears to be another little slot, however I wasn’t up for climbing over the pile of boulders, and honestly it doesn’t look like it be worth it. It doesn’t appear to go back very far.

More Ephedra.

Looking out of the canyon.

Little alcove. This reminds me of the Pioneer Names panel in Snow Canyon.

Another little alcove.

With a whole little mini world within.

Another one.

This canyon is awesome!

Time to head on out and see what else this trail has to offer.

Looking out again.

Little pipe up above.

Nearing the mouth of Box Canyon.

The trail out follows the wash out of the canyon.

Regarding the cryptobiotic crust, a very sensitive micro-organism that grows here, the pamphlet they give you does specifically mention that it is okay to walk in washes or bare rock, when needed, but otherwise you should remain on the trail to avoid disturbing it.

Looking back into the canyon.

Like the previous box canyons I have explored, it looks like at one point someone put a fence across the front of this one. The ones in Dinosaur National Monument we know were built by Josie Morris and she used the canyons as corrals for her livestock. Here, there really isn’t a water source so I’m not sure if it was for the same reason or something else.

Continuing along the trail.

Great rock formations.

I’m not 100% sure if this is the second deeper canyon shown on the trail or not, but we were able to follow the wash into this smaller box canyon as well.

It is kind of neat.

Lone dead tree.

A little closer. I like this one.

Looking up.

More weathering.

Looking up again.

Looking out.

Windy wash.

Looking out again.

This formation kind of looks like a dog.

Cryptobiotic crust.

Crow.

We took a wrong turn and found ourselves leaving the trail sooner than expected. But we saw a neat looking pipe from the Angels Palace Trail so we thought we’d pick up the back end of it from the trail that leads to the campgrounds.

This segment was taken a little later in the day. and after reviewing the area on the map I think we ultimately missed the 2nd longer box canyon. Doh! But, a reason to come back.

We found a trail that took us into a short box canyon. I thought this might have been the 2nd longer box canyon, but I don’t think it is.

It is kind of nice.

Nice and narrow.

End of the line. Neat little cairn in the alcove.

Looking up.

Looking out.

Again.

The giant pipe that brought us back.

It’s huge!

More forest and cliffs.

From the bottom of the pipe. Neat!

Wonderful view.

Back to where we took the wrong turn and continuing out. Short segment missed.

We thought this seemed steep for the trail.

View of the main features of the park.

Looking into the main box canyon we did do.

Cliffs above.

Back to the parking lot.

I think this was my favorite trail we did in the park! It was super easy, had amazing sights to see. Plus 2 longer box canyons and a couple shorter ones to explore as well. Plus quite a few sedimentary pipes including one you can walk right up to. Plus, I don’t think we saw another person on this trail. 10 out of 10 squirrels!