# Ruby Canyon > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ruby_Canyon > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ruby_Canyon.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Canyon > Source revision: 1314830377 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Canyon in Colorado and Utah, United States Rock formations in Ruby Canyon, as seen from the California Zephyr **Ruby Canyon** is a roughly 25 mi (40 km) [canyon](/source/Canyon) on the [Colorado River](/source/Colorado_River) located on the border of [Colorado](/source/Colorado) and [Utah](/source/Utah) in the western [United States](/source/United_States), and is a popular destination for [rafting](/source/Rafting) and overnight camping (permits required).[1][2] The canyon takes its name from the ruby-red [sandstone](/source/Sandstone) cliffs that line its walls. The only access to the canyon outside of rafting is provided by the [Union Pacific Railroad](/source/Union_Pacific_Railroad) (formerly [Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad](/source/Denver_and_Rio_Grande_Western_Railroad)) between [Mack, Colorado](/source/Mack%2C_Colorado) and [Westwater, Utah](/source/Westwater%2C_Utah). [Amtrak](/source/Amtrak)'s *[California Zephyr](/source/California_Zephyr)* follows this route through Ruby Canyon between [Grand Junction, Colorado](/source/Grand_Junction%2C_Colorado), and [Thompson Springs, Utah](/source/Thompson_Springs%2C_Utah). A popular attraction along the route is the words "Utah | Colorado" painted on the canyon wall at the border between the two states next to the Utaline [Siding](/source/Rail_siding). ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-p329_1-0)** ["Ruby Horsethief Canyon Permits"](https://www.blm.gov/visit/ruby-horsethief-canyon-permits). *Bureau of Land Management*. Retrieved May 24, 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-w037_2-0)** ["Ruby-Horsethief Canyon Rafting & Kayaking"](https://www.whitewaterguidebook.com/utah/ruby-horsethief-canyon/). *Whitewater Guidebook*. April 22, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2025. v t e Colorado River system Jurisdictions United States Arizona California Colorado Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming Mexico Baja California Sonora Canyons Byers Canyon Gore Canyon Red Gorge Glenwood Canyon De Beque Canyon Horsethief Canyon Ruby Canyon Westwater Canyon Cataract Canyon Narrow Canyon Glen Canyon Grand Canyon Marble Canyon Granite Gorge Middle Granite Gorge Lower Granite Gorge Grand Wash Canyon Iceberg Canyon Virgin Canyon Boulder Canyon Black Canyon Pyramid Canyon Mohave Canyon Natural features River course Rocky Mountains Colorado River Basin Colorado Plateau Grand Lake Horseshoe Bend Sonoran Desert Mojave Desert Lower Colorado River Valley Mohave Valley Parker Valley Palo Verde Valley Colorado Desert Alamo River New River Salton Sea Imperial Valley Delta Montague Island Gulf of California/Sea of Cortez Tributaries Blue River Dirty Devil River Dolores River Escalante River Eagle River Fraser River Gila River Green River Gunnison River Kanab Creek Little Colorado River Paria River Roaring Fork River San Juan River Thunder River/Tapeats Creek Virgin River Las Vegas Wash Williams Fork Río Hardy Engineering Mainstem dams Shadow Mountain Granby Windy Gap Grand Valley Price-Stubb Glen Canyon Hoover Davis Parker Headgate Rock Palo Verde Imperial Laguna Morelos Major reservoirs Fontenelle Reservoir Flaming Gorge Reservoir Blue Mesa Reservoir Navajo Lake Lake Powell Lake Mead Lake Mohave Lake Havasu Imperial Reservoir Theodore Roosevelt Lake San Carlos Lake Aqueducts and canals Grand Ditch Colorado River Aqueduct San Diego Aqueduct Central Arizona Project All-American Canal Alamo Canal Coachella Canal Water projects Boulder Canyon Project Colorado–Big Thompson Project Colorado River Storage Project Grand Valley AVA Yuma Project Designated areas Arches National Park Canyonlands National Park Colorado National Monument Dead Horse Point State Park Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Grand Canyon National Park Lake Mead National Recreation Area Rocky Mountain National Park Related topics Arizona v. California Colorado River Board of California Colorado River Compact Floyd Dominy Lee's Ferry International Boundary and Water Commission Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Rapids and features U.S. Bureau of Reclamation William Mulholland [39°07′03″N 109°04′15″W / 39.11750°N 109.07083°W / 39.11750; -109.07083](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Ruby_Canyon¶ms=39_07_03_N_109_04_15_W_) Authority control databases VIAF This article about a location in Utah is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Utah-geo-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AUtah-geo-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Utah-geo-stub) This Mesa County, Colorado state location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:MesaCountyCO-geo-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AMesaCountyCO-geo-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:MesaCountyCO-geo-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ruby Canyon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Canyon) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Canyon?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.