Hagen Canyon Trail Hike (California)

Name: Red Rock Canyon State Park
Address: Abbott Dr, Cantil, CA, 93519, USA

In This Guide	Turn by Turn Hike Directions & Video Maps For the Hike How to Get to Hagen Canyon Trail
Distance	1.2 miles (1.9 km)
Hike Time	30 Minutes (Total)
Difficulty (?)	Easy
Total Ascent (?)	120 feet (37m)
Highest Elevation	2,508 feet (764m)
Fees & Permits	Free
Dog Friendly	No
Park Website (?)	Red Rock Canyon State Park
Park Phone	661-946-6092
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The easy Hagen Canyon Trail hike takes you through a colorful geographic landscape that was once all underwater. The colorful layers are sediment washed down from the old Sierra Mountains. Over the last 10 million years plate tectonic movement and erosion have formed what you see today. At one point it was a tourist attraction run by the Hagen family, today it’s a state park. The hike is short and shouldn’t take you more than an hour.

Getting To Hagen Canyon Trail

The trailhead address is: Abbott Dr, Cantil, CA, 93519, USA. If you’re driving to the Eastern Sierras and Mt Whitney, or Death Valley, Hagan Canyon is a nice place for a stop.

There are bathrooms nearby at the Visitor Center and at Red Cliffs Natural Area (another great hike). There’s also a primitive campsite up the road by the Visitor Center if you want to spend the night.

Gear for the Hagen Canyon Trail

This is a short hike and you don’t need any special hiking gear. However you’re in the Mojave Desert, it can get hot. It’s a short hike but you should bring water.

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The La Sportiva Spire boots feel like comfortable sneakers but offer the protection of hiking boots. They’re great on everything from short hikes to longer hikes of 10+ miles. You don’t want to skimp on your feet.
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What To Know For the Hike

lizard at hagen canyon trail — Keep your eyes open for lizards sunning themselves on the rocks. Photo by Dylan Duvergé.

Hagen Canyon is named after German immigrant Rudolph Hagen, who bought most of this area as mining claims. He eventually turned it into a tourist attraction, complete with diner, bar, camping, and post office. Eventually the Hagen family turned it over to the state in 1969, when it became Red Rock Canyon State Park (California).
All the landscape that you see on the Hagen Canyon trail used to be underwater.
If the area looks familiar, you might have seen it on a TV show or movie. More recent productions shot here are Jurassic Park and Westworld.
You’ll get the standard Mojave Desert wildlife cast of characters here. Lizards, snakes, and desert hares. A ranger told me that desert tortoises are active here too.

Hagen Canyon Trail Maps

Hagen Canyon Trail Hike (California) Map Downloads

Download the Hike GPX File

View a Printable PDF Hike Map

I’m a big fan of GPS watches to follow my GPX track (which I also use as a sleep, wellness, and fitness tracker) and my current watch is the Fenix 6 Pro Solar (full review here). I load my GPX tracks onto the watch to make sure I’m in the right place, and if not, the onboard topo maps allow me to navigate on the fly. It’s pricey but it has a great battery, accurate GPS, and tons of functionality. If you want something similar without the maps and big price tag, check out the Garmin Instinct which is a great buy and does a lot of the same things.