Reflection Canyon — Terrifyingly Beautiful
“Reflecting”
May 15th, 2025
Two years ago, back in high school, when I was planning my first major road trip, I pinned down a bunch of incredible locations. A lot of them I never actually reached — Reflection Canyon was one of those places.
Last night, on a completely spontaneous whim, I decided: why not finally go hike Reflection Canyon? Honestly, it wasn’t until I pulled up the map that I realized I was already on the very road that led to the trailhead for this stunning view. Which was also kind of the problem.
This road? It’s hell. The trailhead sits about 50 miles down it. If it were paved — or even just decently grated — it wouldn’t be an issue. But it wasn’t. It was rocky, washboarded, and smack in the middle of absolute bumfuck nowhere.
A few days earlier, I’d already driven a couple miles down this same road to check out a slot canyon. I honestly thought my gas tank was going to fall off. So… 50 miles? Yikes.
But of course, with my beloved worn-down Subaru and a stubborn desire for adventure, I went for it.
After running a few errands and grabbing extra supplies (just in case I got stranded for a couple days), I started the long, tedious, slightly nerve-wracking drive. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I’d even make it. But after a “short” 2.5-hour crawl, a lot of finger-crossing, encouraging words to my car…
and unsettling noises, the constant fear of something important snapping off, endless flat boring landscape, dust clouds, and hands cramping from gripping the wheel so tight…
I made it. Easy peasy.
When I arrived, I packed my gear, ate a quick sandwich wrap, and set off down the trail.
Well, to be fair, it was more like a faint line of footprints winding through hardened sand than an actual trail. Easy enough to follow — only because there were no obstructions. The desert was beautiful. Redundant maybe, but still beautiful. A sprawling, desolate landscape. The route hugged the base of towering red cliffs, so I figured if I ever got lost, I could just follow those walls back to the road.
The sun was blazing, midday heat boiling my skin. Of course, I forgot sunscreen. (Eh — probably wouldn’t have used it anyway.)
Now and then, I passed flowering prickly pear. Their bright pink and magenta blooms stood out like gems in a cave. Absolutely stunning.
About four miles in, the “trail” dipped down into a rocky canyon. If I’d done even a shred of planning, I might’ve known what to expect. But of course, I didn’t. There were cairns marking the way, but they were small, spread out, and often hard to spot. Sometimes I stood there for minutes, scanning the landscape for the next stack — only to realize the actual cairne was fifty yards off, camouflaged by wind-carved rocks that tricked me again and again. Still, with patience, time, and a few peeks at my map, I kept on without getting lost.
Around 3 p.m. — three hours in — I reached Reflection Canyon.
And… wow.
The dark water wound through the rust-red rock like a ribbon of ink, vanishing into distant cliffs. It was awesome. But daunting, too. When I looked out, it felt like staring into a bottomless void, funneled inward by sloping walls that seemed to dare me to slip. Eerie. Hellish, almost. But impossibly beautiful. I couldn’t look away. I’d never seen anything like it.
From a distance, navigating this terrain looked easy. Up close, you realized how steep and vast it really is — and how questionable your grip. One slip, and it was 500 feet straight down into that black water.
As I explored, looking for a good composition, I noticed a peninsula a little to the north. I imagined the scene opening up perfectly from there. So I approached.
A little closer, I noticed a 15 foot section that steepened. It didn’t look bad from ten feet back. But as I reached the obstacle, everything changed. The rock fell away at a harsh angle. That water below — impossibly far. My hands started sweating from the thought of going across. Probably not a good sign.
Still, I stepped forward. Then another. A few more and I was awkwardly on all fours, pack shifting on my back, palms pressed flat to gritty sandstone that felt sharp against my skin. I was angled steeper than 45 degrees.
Fuck.
I dared a glance down. That dark water. That void.
Fuck.
I lifted one leg to move forward, then froze — felt the instant tilt of my balance. Set it right back down, now in a worse position.
Shit. I’m stuck.
My chest tightened. I tried slow breaths, but each one caught halfway.
Oh fuck.
I could feel my heartbeat thundering in my fingertips, the tug of my pack subtly pulling me backward like some malicious force.
I tried leaning closer to the slope, hoping it would help. But it only slid my weight farther downhill. My foot slipped half an inch. A lightning bolt shot through my spine.
Shit. I was losing grip.
Frantically, I searched for a better handhold — something higher up. Nothing. My hands were wedged at awkward angles, cramped between my ribs and stone.
I perched there, muscles burning, every limb locked in desperate, trembling tension. Even the slightest shift felt like it might send me skidding into that black void 500 feet down.
My mind spun with curses and terrifying thoughts. A tornado.
For a couple endless seconds, I just clung there, forcing mental composure. Then somehow — instinct or sheer panic — in one motion, I twisted back toward my original foothold. A horrendous sensation ripped through my body, but I caught it. Now I was facing the way I’d come.
Deep breath. My legs would’ve been visibly shaking if they weren’t pinned under my own weight and pack. Carefully with the same footholds and hand placements, I backed up those last few feet until I finally crawled onto flatter rock.
I dropped my pack, sat right there on the stone, and exhaled. Let’s not try that again, I thought.
It wasn’t long before I regained my composure. I made my way back to a level spot along the rounded cliff’s edge — just wide enough for a tent. Fairly protected from the wind, flat, and only a few steps from an uncluttered view of Reflection Canyon.
I waited. It was still early, and the wind was going strong. The forecast promised it would calm down, so I just hung out, ate some food, and soaked in the view. Immaculate.
As evening set in, the wind eased a little. I decided to pitch camp anyway. With some patience and a bit of fumbling, I anchored the tent by tying it off to scattered boulders. Done. Man, I was excited. Perfect temps, no bugs, a stunning view, no need for shoes, and just enough breeze to keep things fresh.
The only downside was the sky. Completely clear. Incredible to take in, but honestly, a bit boring for photography. Still, I wandered down to a composition I’d picked out earlier and started shooting as the evening light deepened. It was beautiful — but nothing compared to what was coming…
11:30 p.m.
The night was otherworldly. I slipped out of my tent and padded down the sandstone in bare feet. The sky was alive with stars. The wind hadn’t fully settled like the forecast promised; it still swept through at a steady 10 mph. Every so often it stopped completely, and from where I perched on the edge, I could hear the faint flow of water echoing 500 feet below.
Standing here in daylight would’ve terrified me. But at night, I couldn’t see the danger. I set up my camera blindly, taking the first test shot. Not quite right. Adjusted a bit. Then a bit more. Finally — after several long exposures — I had the composition I wanted. Now… I waited.
I sat there in complete awe. The stars hovered above, so pristine, so endless. Though I could only make out hints of the canyon, it was still one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had — maybe not for the view itself, but for the feeling. Like sitting in an ancient land under ancient lights. I wouldn’t have known if, for a brief moment, I’d slipped back thousands of years.
Moments like these always fill me with gratitude. Not just for the view, but for everything. For whatever reason, under the stars, I reflect. On family and friends, on my health, on having a home in this country, on the freedom to explore places like this. Even for the small bit of courage — shaky as it sometimes feels — to walk a different path than most. Nights like these, in old, silent places, make me grateful for it all: the good and bad, comfortable and uncomfortable, successes and failures. Life is such a rich thing. I rarely pause to see it as clearly as I do when I’m alone under the stars.
Then a chill ran through me. The wind. And just like that, my thoughts drifted back to the moment itself. I sat there, eager, waiting to slip into that strange liminal realm the moon conjures — a world caught between day and night, where nothing feels quite real.
Already, twenty minutes out, I saw its ambient light bloom along the rocky horizon. Its warm glow began to swallow the thousands of stars, snuffing them out all at once — like the universe was dying right before my eyes. It grew in size and intensity, overtaking the entire southern sky.
Even though I was trying to take it all in, it still took me a moment to notice the faint touch of moonlight on the peak behind me. Then across the canyon, another sliver of light. Once I saw it, I couldn’t stop watching. It moved quickly — almost an inch a second, it seemed.
The sky brightened, and the light crept closer and closer from behind until finally… I caught the first glimpse of the moon. I watched with anticipation, in awe, like some newcomer to this planet who had never witnessed such a thing.
From that first sliver to the moment it cleared the horizon seemed only seconds. I photographed it, but no picture could ever hold the feeling of that moment.
Soon after, I climbed back up to my little tent on the dome, crawled inside, and fell asleep in complete comfort and bliss. I felt at home on another world.
I slept well under the moonlit landscape. Every so often I’d wake up and get to appreciate the alien atmosphere that a place like this creates.
When morning came, I got up and headed down to the same spot I’d watched the moonrise, only this time it was the sun. The skies were still an empty canvas but, really, this might be one of those rare places where it just doesn’t matter.
I placed my camera back down in nearly the same spot and waited until that bright orb crested the eastern cliffs. Click. I took the photo. Shortly after, I ate breakfast and started my way back before the desert heat could squander my already parched body.
“Ancient Lights, Ancient Land”