One-way Distance: 1.6 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 4561 - 4836 feet
Cellphone: 3-5 bars
Time: 1 hr.
Trailhead: Devil's Canyon
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic overlooks
The K8 trail is located in the Kodel's Canyon Area of the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area near Grand Junction and Fruita, Colorado. The trail begins on one end at the northern boundary at the same point as the K7 trail where it follows a route that takes it above the K1 trail on a hill overlooking the Devil's Canyon Area and then down a ridge to where it ends at the Devil's Canyon D1 trail. Along the way it makes connections with a half dozen of the other trails in the Kodel's Canyon Area.
The northern end of the K8 trail can be accessed from the K7 trail after parking at the Kodel's Canyon trailhead or via a short unnamed spur trail that branches off of the K10 trail after parking at the Devil's Canyon trailhead. The spur trail isn't marked on our map because we think it might cross private property. For this post we actually took a convoluted route that began at the Devil's Canyon trailhead following the K10 trail to the K6 trail down to the K7 trail to this point.
Within a hundred feet or so from the northern boundary the K8 trail branches off to the right at its fork with the K7.
The trail passes by a hill with an interesting but hard to get to cave near the top of it, that we mentioned on the K11 post, making a beeline in the direction of Devil's Canyon.
After about a third of a mile the K8 trail is crossed by the K6 trail.
Near the half mile point the K4 trail connects on the left and just past that the K9 trail connects on the right.
After passing the K9 trail the K8 trail begins climbing at a steeper grade and as it progresses the K11 trail begins on the left.
As the trail continues climbing it passes by another short connector with the K11 trail. There are numerous rock shelves to hike over along this part of the hillside.
The trail levels off as it travels above the K11 and K12 trails heading in the general direction of Devil's Canyon.
Big bouquets of orange and yellow sundrops brighten up the landscape every spring with the help of a variety of other wildflowers.
The K8 trail is met by the upper end of the K11 trail near the 8 tenths of a mile point and from there it begins arcing to the right and heading down the ridge above the Devil's Canyon area.
The ridge is comprised of slickrock stretches intermixed with loose rock and sand where at times the official trail can become a little obscured. It's downhill from here so it is all easy-peasy.
The views of the Devil's Canyon area from the ridgeline are sure to please anyone.
Just past the 1 mile point the K9 trail departs on the right and a little over a quarter mile later the K10 trail does the same.
