Bloody Canyon, Canyon in Mono County, California

Bloody Canyon is a valley in Mono County, California, running south of Lee Vining Canyon and north of the June Lake Loop. Its steep trails cross jagged rock, and a trail along the canyon gives onto wide views of the surrounding Sierra Nevada.

The name has two recorded explanations. One credits the blood of work horses cut by jagged rocks on the canyon's steep trails, as described in "Ramblings Journal. Through the High Sierra". The other recalls a massacre between the Mono and Awahnee peoples that killed many people. The canyon lies south of Lee Vining Canyon and north of the June Lake Loop.

The canyon's name recalls a massacre between the Mono and Awahnee peoples, remembered in local accounts. Another explanation, from "Ramblings Journal. Through the High Sierra," attributes the name to sharp rocks that cut the legs of horses.

Visitors should bring plenty of water and wear sturdy hiking boots since trails are steep and no facilities exist in the canyon. The easiest time to visit is late spring through early summer when paths are drier and weather is milder.

The canyon walls reveal layers of volcanic rock that tell the story of the Sierra Nevada's formation over millions of years. Visitors can read this geological history directly in the exposed stone faces without needing a museum guide.