Round Trip Distance: 0.4 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 7052 - 7098 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Devil's Canyon Campground
Fee: $10 - camping
Attractions: Interpretive trail, ruins
Devil's Canyon Forest and Man is an interpretive trail near Blanding, Utah that explores the relationship between 'The Forest and Man'. The trail is located near the northeast end of the Devil's Canyon Campground in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Making a short loop above Devil's Canyon the trail has a dozen stations that point out various aspects of the forest environment at this local and man's relationship with it. One of the stops includes a viewpoint where an ancient ruin can be seen in a small alcove across the canyon.
The Devil's Canyon Campground is located 8.5 miles north of Blanding off of Highway 191. After turning off of the highway it is about 1 mile along a paved road to the campground.
Upon entering the campground take the road to the left from the fee station. The trailhead is on the east side of the far loop.
The trail, which has a gravel base, drops down from the road and begins an easy loop just below the campground.
At the time of our visit there weren't any trail guides available.
The trail is interpretive with a dozen stations that are marked with numbered posts. The trail guides provide information corresponding to each location.
By studying the sign at the trailhead it is easy enough to tell what to look for at each of the sign posts. Unfortunately without a trail guide you are left to guess the rest.
Even without the extra information a trail guide would provide it is still a very pleasant experience strolling through the ponderosa pine forest and gazing at the rugged canyon below.
At station 11 a short side trail leads to a viewpoint where an Indian ruin can be seen on the opposite side of the canyon. From the sign at the trailhead we gather that it is called the Squaw Apple Ruin. The Devil's Canyon campground is in the same general area as the Canyons of the Ancients and Cedar Mesa where it seems that ruins can be found in every crook and cranny in nearly all the canyons and on may of the mesa tops.
There are several benches where hikers can stop and enjoy the peaceful ambience of Devil's Canyon. The highway runs on the opposite side of the canyon so there is the sound from an occasional vehicle. It is easy enough to ignore the traffic on that not so busy stretch of road.
After the last station the trail works its way back up to the campground and the trail comes to an end.
Those wishing to stay in the Devil's Canyon Campground will find very nice accommodations. All of the roads are paved. There are both pull-in and back-in sites to choose from for trailers. Picnic tables, fire rings and tent pads are nestled in pleasant settings in the shade of the trees or next to rocky outcrops. There are plenty of restrooms with water spigots nearby. Other than that none of the sites currently have their own water, sewer or electrical hookups. As far as the Devil's Canyon Forest of Man interpretive trail goes if you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.
