Grand Parade Trail

Grand Parade Trail is the essential hike in Kodachrome Basin State Park, winding 2.5 miles through a colorful canyon landscape studded with 67 stone spires known as sedimentary pipes — geological features so unusual that they exist in significant concentrations in only a handful of places on earth. These monolithic columns of ancient sediment, ranging from a few feet to nearly 200 feet tall, were formed when pressurized groundwater forced sediment into vertical fractures that subsequently hardened into rock while the surrounding softer material eroded away.

The National Geographic Society named this park in 1949 after the Kodachrome color film, recognizing that the basin's rich palette of red, pink, white, and orange hues reproduced so brilliantly in color photography. The name was officially adopted by the state of Utah in 1963. The Grand Parade visits the largest concentration of pipes in the park, each one unique in shape and color, and interpretive signs along the route explain the sedimentary pipe formation process. The trail is well-maintained and suitable for all ages, making it the ideal introduction to the basin's unique geology. Leashed dogs are permitted. A $15 per vehicle fee is charged at the park entrance, and the park also offers campsite facilities for overnight visitors.