Wow. I can't recommend this park highly enough. I pulled in here after a week in the deserts of eastern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and the Texas panhandle. The lush green landscape at the bottom of Red Rock Canyon was a balm for this Northwesterner's soul. I liked it so much I decided to stay three nights instead of one. Rates for tent camping are very reasonable.

The landscape around Hinton doesn't, uh, hint, at the Canyon's presence. It is flat here, which makes the canyon all the more remarkable. Trees at the bottom are sheltered from the wind and grow to great heights. There is a creek that runs along the length of the canyon. The creek is dammed at one point to create a small lake, where fish can be caught. There are several trails by which visitors can explore this spectacular environment. The Rough Horsetail Nature Trail near the head of the canyon is particularly nice, and paved for the first stretch.

There are a few different campgrounds along the road on the canyon bottom. I stayed in the northernmost one, Canyon Campground. Sites here are large and beautifully shaded. There are no electric hookups, and only one water spigot near the entrance. There is a modern bathroom here with flushing toilets and running water, but it was a mess when I visited. The bathrooms down the road at the Walnut Creek group picnic area are older but were in better condition. (They had signs up that read "closed for the season" but were wide open... go figure).

This park has other amenities, including a camp store and swimming pool, but these were closed when I visited due to damage from recent heavy rains.