The approach to Redwall Cavern was one of those stretches where the river seemed to slow just enough to let the canyon’s scale fully settle in. Morning light poured gently over the rim, casting long shadows across the burnished cliffs and illuminating the deep reds and ochres of the canyon walls. As we rowed downstream, the dory glided smoothly across glassy water that mirrored the towering rock above, every stroke of the oars rippling through reflections of stone and sky. The air was still and cool, carrying the faint scent of river silt and sun-warmed rock. Ahead, the great yawning opening of Redwall Cavern slowly revealed itself, carved deep into the limestone and offering a cavernous expanse that dwarfed our tiny boat. The closer we drew, the more the scale of it took hold, its sandy beach stretching wide beneath a soaring arch of stone. It was the kind of place that quieted conversation and invited us to simply take it all in, the dory drifting toward one of the canyon’s most iconic natural amphitheaters.