Sand Canyon Trail

Sand Canyon Trail is a 6.5 mile one way trail from Sand Canyon Pueblo in the North to Castle Rock in the south. Starting from Sand Canyon Pueblo it’s a steep descent into the canyon and best walked with a vehicle at both ends.

As recently as the 1930’s Castle Rock was home to several Ancestral Puebloan buildings, only one remains in the trees at the bottom of the rock, the others have disappeared.

The trail sets off to the side of Castle Rock, across the slick rock and takes a right along the bottom of the cliffs the remains of another building are just a few yards along right on the edge of the path.

After that spur trails take you off into the brush and past buildings in alcoves and under cliff overhangs. Some are hard to see until you’re right on top of them

We followed the trail down a steep descent around the northern edge of a deep canyon and discovered that some are easily spotted from the trail.

It’s a beautiful trail through red rocks with lots of juniper trees and hackberry bushes.

There are some lovely views over the mountains as well.

But even though we’d set out early down between the canyon walls it was getting hotter by the minute, I actually drank my camelback dry and had to refill it, so after 2½ miles we decided to head back.

We were so glad we did, it was well into the 90’s when we got back to BT and we were never so thankful for air conditioning! I think the guy who invented it should be a saint!

Have fun, we are!