Ruby Camp
Broad sandy bench in the heart of Ruby Canyon — Wingate walls, evening light on desert varnish, and the quiet of Class I flatwater.
Also known as: Ruby Canyon Camp
Ruby Camp occupies a broad sandy bench in the heart of Ruby Canyon, the upstream half of the Ruby–Horsethief section on the Colorado River. The canyon walls here are Wingate Sandstone — sheer, dark-varnished, and vertical — with the Kayenta Formation ledges above and occasional Entrada caps. The river is flat, wide, and slow through this reach, and the camp is open and sandy with good cottonwood shade near the bank. Ruby Canyon is the Colorado portion of the run, before the river crosses into Utah and enters the Horsethief section. The camp is well-positioned for an overnight on the two-day float, with a straightforward landing and enough space for a moderate group. The evening light on the Wingate walls is the defining feature — the varnish streaks glow orange and then red as the sun drops, and the canyon holds the light longer than the open valleys upstream. This is a quiet, unhurried camp on a quiet, unhurried river.