I walked up to Red Hill starting at the Lower Devils Gulch trailhead on Mission Creek Road. This is not the same trailhead as in the hike description; continue 2.5 miles on Mission Creek Road past the Sand Creek turnoff to reach this trailhead. There is a parking lot with a pit toilet. Cross the trail bridge across Mission Creek and turn left, then right in 0.1 mile. Follow this trail, the Devils Gulch trail, for 3/4 of a mile to another junction. Turn right here, onto the Red Hill Spur trail, and begin climbing.
The mosquitos were bothersome along the creeks, but after a bit of elevation gain there weren't any bugs. No water either. The trail is forested all the way to Red Hill summit, with plenty of openings giving good views. It's a bit of a slog, six miles each way, and 2500-3000 feet of total elevation gain. (There are a few uphill stretches on the way back.) I saw a rattlesnake hustling off the trail while furiously rattling, an unconcerned deer, and a grouse desperately trying to lure me away from its nest. I didn't see any people at all until I got back to within 0.1 mile of the trailhead, when three courteous motorcycle riders went by. Yes, this is motorcycle country, except for the last 1.5 miles to Red Hill summit. All that really meant for me was the trail well graded and maintained.
About 4.5 miles from the trailhead, keep straight at a junction to reach Red Hill summit in another 1.5 miles. Red Hill has decent views of nearby Tronsen Ridge and some peekaboo views of the Stuart Range. You will have excellent views of Mission Ridge and Devils Gulch both coming and going.
This is a good early season hike, with nice views of much higher mountains that are still covered with snow. It's a bit longer than the approach from Sand Creek but has more views and fewer logging scars. The loop from Sand Creek to Devils Gulch and then back on the Red Devil trail is also a good one. However adding the out-and-back to Red Hill itself makes for a 17.5 mile hike, more than I wanted to attempt.
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