Kodachrome Basin State Park For a Quick Visit
A visit to Utah’s Kodachrome Basin State Park, even for a day, is definitely worth doing, especially with some particularly lovely hiking trails. It’s also a great place to visit if you’re into photography, mountain biking or even just camping. Geologists will love the park.
We hadn’t planned to visit Kodachrome Basin State Park but then a few photographs in coffee table type books caught my eye at the B&B we stayed at near Bryce Canyon. I knew we had to go, if even for a few hours.
The 12 miles of trails in Kodachrome State Park are mostly easy and almost deserted as most people seem to have eyes only for Bryce Canyon National Park.
With just five trails, you could in theory knock all of them off in one visit to the park. We did the 6 mile Panorama Trail that took us through washes, into canyons and past some very interesting geologic formations including Big Bear Spire, Ballerina Spire and into the aptly named Cool Cave.
Other hikes in Kodachrome Basin
Other hikes include the easy 1.5 mile Grand Parade Trail, the easy but popular 1.5 mile Angel’s Palace Trail, the 0.5 mile accessible Nature Trail and the 1.7 mile Shakespeare Arch – Sentinel Trail. Unfortunately the Shakespeare Arch collapsed in April 2019.
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How Kodachrome Basin State Park got its name
Kodachrome Basin State Park was named for the colour film by visiting members of the 1948 National Geographic Society. It wasn’t a park yet but the name stuck.=
The 2,241-acre state park is filled with beautifully coloured, multi-hued sandstone formations and unique structures known as sand pipes, not found anywhere else in the world.
Count the spires in Kodachrome Basin State Park
There are 76 of these monolithic stone spires – representing 180 million years of geologic time in Kodachrome Basin.
It is believed that they were underground springs or geysers (like you might see in Yellowstone) which filled with calcite rich sediment and cemented over time.
The softer sandstone around the pipes eroded, leaving behind what you see today – sand pipes, chimneys and petrified geysers.
The Panorama Trail
We hiked the Panorama Trail in Kodachrome Basin State Park. Have a look at the photos below to see the landscape you encounter.
There aren’t many big trees around and shade can be at a premium, so once the weather heats up be sure to wear a sun hat and lather sunscreen on yourself. And take a few quarts of water per person.
Kodachrome Basin State Park – useful information for a visit
Cost: It’s $10 per vehicle for a day use pass.
Opening hours: The park is open from 6 AM until 10 PM daily.
Camping: Overnight camping is an option – with and without hook-ups. Without a hookup it’s $25.night.
Location: The park is located nine miles south of the town of Cannonville off of Highway 12.
Things to do near Kodachrome Basin State Park
Visit Bryce Canyon National Park, a 30-minute drive away. If you have a full day in the park I highly recommend hiking the Fairyland Loop Trail.
Drive the Burr Trail, one of the most scenic byways in Utah. It eventually takes you all the way to Capitol Reef National Park but you don’t have to drive that far to enjoy the views.
Try some canyoneering in Grand Staircase National Monument. The day we spend hiking through slot canyons remains one of the most exciting adventures I’ve ever done – and one of them most rewarding.
Visit the impressive Grosvenor Arch, a unique double arch, situated 150 feet above the surrounding landscape. It is only 10 miles southeast of the park.
Location map of Kodachrome Basin State Park
Places to stay near Kodachrome Basin State Park
Escalante, Utah
In Escalante, The Loubird Inn, the Cowboy Country Inn and Escalante Outfitters and Bunkhouse would all be solid choices.
Bryce Canon area
The Bryce Canyon Area offers traditional style lodging in the Bryce Canyon Pines Motel and the Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel.
Boulder, Utah
In Boulder check out Boulder Mountain Lodge or Boulder Mountain Guest Ranch.
Cannonville, Utah
If you’re looking for an exceptional place to stay and you’re cool with glamping, check out Bryce Glamp and Camp.
Tropic, Utah
Bullberry Inn Bed & Breakfast is rated superb. It offers garden and mountain views. There is also a coffee shop on site.
Further reading on things to do in Utah
- Chimney Rock Trail, Capitol Reef National Park
- Utah Road Trip: Sights Between Moab & Capitol Reef
- Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch Hike
- One of the Top US Scenic Drives – Highway 12 in Utah
- Best Hikes Near Kanab, Utah
Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.
@Cindy I’m glad we took the time to visit – especially since it felt like we had the place to ourselves.
I imagined they were toes and feet. Basin State Park is really stunning; it gave you some pretty amazing shots, Leigh.
I’d never heard of a park named after a company, wonder how that happened.
@Marcia I think the National Geographic photographers were so taken with the beauty and the colours in the area they named it after the colour film they were using to shoot an article.
We also hadn’t planned to stop at Kodachrome but liked it so much that we ended up spending most of a day there hiking. Gorgeous photos!
@Laurel You seem to be one of the first that has heard about the park. I think it deserves a day too.
Ballerina Spire is a great photo, but then they all are. The blues are great and those fingermarks? are scary. What a beautiful place.
@Jan Isn’t that Ballerina Spire something? I was actually excited to see all the cool rock formations. My husband says the markings are modern day humans though I’d like to believe otherwise.
Nifty shots. Looks a little bit like the Painted Desert in Northern Arizona.
In Utah, I’ve been to Bryce, Capitol Reef (which I highly recommend visiting), Lake Powell, Natural Bridges National Monument, Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and Goblin Valley State Park and Coral Pink Sands State Park. It’s probably the most scenic state in the entire Western U.S.
@Dick I went o Capital Reef with my kids school one year and thoroughly enjoyed myself. We got a bit of this via a back entrance on the Burr Road on this trip. I haven’t heard of Coral Pink Sans Park but will check it out next time I’m in Utah – which is hopefully in the next year or two.
It was Sophie though off the radar and relatively unheard of.
I love Utah! When we were there this summer, I just found so many national parks and state parks that I had so much fun exploring. Looks like you are enjoying them too!
@Jade I sure love Utah but I can’t imagine exploring in the summer. I did that once – and it was over 100F by 11 am for the better part of a week.
I would have guessed the centre of Australia, or perhaps Jordan. Beautiful, especially that almost surreal shade of red. Must have been a magical place to hike!
@Salika My husband says that they are indeed people scratching the soft sandstone but I’d like a more interesting meaning than that.
@Jenny It’s incredible what Mother Nature is capable of creating.
Breathtaking photos. Are you saying the markings in the red sandstone are not fingers?
@Mette I didn’t think they were but my husband tells me I’m wrong.
I belive those hand markings are modern era tourists just playing around. The rock is incredibly soft and I think it is a case of monkey see monkey do.
What fabulous rock formations, Leigh. The “finger” markings are definitely intriguing.
@Nancie See note from hubby above. I guess they aren’t ancient but modern fingers making their mark.
Beautiful photos of another awesome hike, Leigh! I have never heard of Kodachrome Basin before and it’s interesting how close it is to Bryce. Those spires and rock art are all fascinating but I would love to see those finger markings in the sandstone and find out what they are. Unfortunately, the Zion/Bryce trip isn’t happening this weekend but I can now add this to the list when we get there.
@Mary This is definitely a kid friendly hike so if you do plan a trip to Bryce I would recommend allowing at least a half day to investigate Kodachrome Basin State Park.
Slickrock sandstone looks beautiful. Those markings in the sandstone, I really thought they were fingerprints until I read it was not. Wonder how it got there. The view from Panorama Point is beautiful, and other photos too.
Very very nice. Those vivid colors make it deserving of the name. If I lived in the US, I would definitely go camping every weekend. You have so many beautiful camping grounds like this!
@Aleah This part of the world is one I don’t mind camping in – though I have heard fall is best because the flies that show up in the spring are gone.
You always manage to make me want to grab the hiking boots and follow in your footsteps (at least on these types of hikes 😉 ) Still don’t think I could have followed you into the canyon! Beautiful shots.
@Jackie Kodachrome State Park is a family friendly, boomer friendly and geezer friendly hike. There’s only one part of one hike that would be considered difficult.
You hike in the most beautiful places, Leigh – the photos are stunning! I thought the handprints were fossil markings – it sure would be interesting to know what they actually are.
@Lisa Thanks for your lovely comment. My husband says they are people running their hands through the soft sandstone.
@Lisa the southwestern part of the US has enormous appeal. I love hiking in red rock country and my trips usually coincide with bad weather here at home.
@Heather There was no information in the location about the “hands”.I’d like to know too.