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Owl Canyon, Rainbow Basin National Natural Landmark


California > Rainbow Basin National Natural Landmark > Owl Canyon
Boulders and cliffs of reddish conglomerate
Multicolored rocks in Owl Canyon

Owl Canyon

Winding, generally shallow ravine, alternating between open and enclosed, through multicolored strata, past photogenic rock formations including hoodoos, caves and arches. Many wildflowers in the spring

Length: 2 mile, to the basin at the upper end of the drainage

Elevation change: 500 feet

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Type: One-way, mostly off-trail

Usage: Low

Season: All year, though very hot in summer

Trailhead: Parking area at the end of Owl Canyon Road

Rating (1-5): ★★★★★
Pinterest
Owl Canyon is the largest of several drainages in Rainbow Basin Natural Area, or Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), in the Mud Hills, in the Mojave Desert ten miles north of Barstow. Dry for most of the year, apart from a small spring at one point, the canyon alternates between enclosed channels and more open sections, and cuts through contrasting rock layers, of shale, conglomerate, breccia and granite, in a range of pastel color shades, similar to the central portion of the basin to the west, the area followed by the scenic drive.

Pool
Pool in the breccia narrows

The canyon is the main hiking destination in the ACEC, starting from a BLM trailhead at the north end of the road to the Owl Canyon campground. A trail extends a little way then the majority of the hike is all along the streambed, over few minor obstacles, past a great array of eroded rock formations, for about 2 miles, until the drainage enters a wide basin and splits into several minor tributaries.

Joshua trees grow here, together with several cactus species including the rare Mojave fishhook cactus, while all along the wash are a good variety of wildflowers. Lizards, snakes and the desert tortoise are amongst the wildlife that may be seen.


Photographs


39 views of Owl Canyon.

Owl Canyon Video



Approach


The track to Owl Canyon forks off the scenic loop to Rainbow Basin, just before the start of its one-way section. It passes a group camp then crosses the streambed and continues a short distance to the main campground; this has 22 non-hookup sites, equipped with picnic tables and fire rings. Drinking water is usually available, while free primitive camping is possible along other tracks in the vicinity. The surroundings are low, dusty, gray-brown hills, composed of lacustrine clay shale, the strata banded and inclined.

Shallow streambed
Pebbles in the dry, shallow streambed, near the trailhead


Arch
Small arch above the canyon

Conglomerate Narrows and a Cave


From the trailhead, the signed path runs along a bench on the east side of the drainage for a short distance then drops down into the wash, which twists and turns, the rocks greenish gray at this point. The drainage is initially not confined but soon enters a section of narrows where the rock changes to knobbly gray strata from the Owl Conglomerate - this streambed now running between vertical cliffs, with many pebbles and boulders on the floor. Just before is an east-side tributary that forms a short cave, almost completely dark in the middle. The main canyon has a couple of dryfalls, not difficult to pass, followed by a longer, straight enclosed passage, leading to the next open area. The rocks now are red, still conglomerate, but soon change again, to light-colored breccia, from the Pickhandle Formation.

Tiny stream
Tiny stream through breccia narrows

Mud Hills
The Mud Hills, at the upper end of the canyon

Upper Owl Canyon


Next are some photogenic narrow sections through the volcanic rocks, usually holding a short line of spring-fed pools. All around are smooth slickrock slopes, white, greenish or pale red, dotted with colorful wildflowers in the spring. Another dryfall is followed by a few hundred feet of bouldery passageways, gaining height a little more steeply, the rocks generally green or grey, becoming multi-colored once more as the streambed divides into several shallow tributaries, this in the basin that marks the end of the hike. At the center are a group of eroded breccia pinnacles, while the sides are grassy, gently sloping, dotted with Joshua trees and cacti - cholla and beavertail, plus the occasional fishhook cactus. There are several ATV tracks across the upper reaches of the basin, accessed from the north, off Copper City Road.

Varied wildflowers
Varied wildflowers around a Joshua tree

Topo Map of Owl Canyon


Map of Owl Canyon

Hoodoo
Hoodoo, or balanced rock

Owl Canyon Wildflowers

Desert mariposa lily
Desert mariposa lily

Mojave fishhook cactus
Mojave fishhook cactus

Desert paintbrush
Desert paintbrush

More flowers in the canyon


Owl Canyon - Similar Hikes


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