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Devils Canyon D4

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 3.6 - 4.6 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 4600 - 4770 feet
Cellphone: 1-1 bars
Time: 2 hrs.
Trailhead: Devil's Canyon
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic geology




The D4 trail is located in the Devil's Canyon Area of the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area near Grand Junction and Fruita, Colorado. The trail begins off of the D5 trail and takes a route through several small canyons where opportunities for exploration abound. The trail eventually connects back up to the D1 trail where a short spur of the D4 leads into the mouth of Devil's Canyon. Several interconnections along the trail allow it to be cut short to as little as 2 miles round trip.


Follow the D1 trail from the parking area to get to where the D4 tral begins.


Bear to the right after about 4 tenths of a mile at the beginning of the D5 trail.


At the half mile point from the trailhead the D4 trail branches off on the left from the D5.


No sooner does the D4 trail get started into the canyon than it comes to its first fork. For this post we follow the right fork that leads deeper into the canyon. The left fork takes a more direct route back to the D1 trail.


From the fork the trail continues as it skirts around the base of the pink and white cliffs.


As the trail crosses the wash coming down the canyon there is another fork that leads up the wash where it loops back along the south side of the canyon. This branch of the trail is worth taking to explore some interesting alcoves and side canyons.


When the trail is through exploring that canyon it wraps around the cliffs and continues on toward the D1. On the south side of the cliff point someone in times past had concreted a doorway over a cave opening and we suppose used it as their shelter. The Horsethief area has several modern homes that are much larger which are built into the sandstone cliffs there.


The trail bends on around the cliffs until it reconnects with the D1 trail at the point of a cliff with a picturesque sandstone hoodoo perched on its ridge. There is a D4 spur trail a short distance east of this point that branches off of the D1 trail and leads to the mouth of Devil's Canyon. So that our map and description will be complete we will go left on the D1 for less than 100 yards and pick up the spur before returning back by here.


The D4 spur trail travels along the rim above the D3 trail where there are several good views of the small narrow canyon from above.


The spur trail eventually drops into the mouth of the canyon and comes to an end where it meets the D3. From here we retraced our steps back to the main D4 canyon to pick up the branch of the loop that hadn't been covered yet. That is not at all how most hikers would tackle the D4 trail but it was necessary for this post.


It's nice to be able to see the hoodoos and cliffs from another perspective just the same.



The D4 trail is one of the more popular routes in the Devil's Canyon area. Part of that might be due to its relative close proximity to the trailhead but also because it can be shortened when you don't feel like hiking as far. There are several out of the way places for a picnic if that is what you are looking for. There isn't any water for you or your pet so be sure to bring plenty. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.