Little Wildhorse Canyon near Goblin Valley

by Jim Darrington
(Provo Utah)

The Trail head is 3.5 miles east of Goblin Valley State park. It heads north into the San Rafael Swell. It is an easy hike that most can do with little problem. About 1.5 miles into the swell one reaches a series of narrows and fun formations.

A loop can be made if one turns left as he comes out of Little Wildhorse and comes back down Bells canyon. This loop is at least 8 miles. One can also return down Little Wildhorse about 3 miles in. That's what I do.

Comments for Little Wildhorse Canyon near Goblin Valley

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Jan 14, 2010

Great Hike
by: Rollin [email protected]

We hiked Little Wildhorse Canyon a couple of years ago...... I'm totally taken with Utah, and have taken so many fantastic hikes around the state. Coming over from Breckenridge. Co. or back from Hilton Head, SC, Utah is always an alien landscape, scenery you can see, total eye candy.

Searching online for more Utah adventure, I found several references comparing Little Wildhorse to Antelope Canyon, the most photographed slot canyon, over near Lake Powell. Antelope is awesome, but somewhat a tourist destination complete with required Navajo guides.

Little Wildhorse is a do-it-youself hands-on scrape-by experience. This very narrow slot canyon parallels several other canyons, and we did a loop, but I recommend just going and coming in Little Wildhorse.

Little Wildhorse by itself would be 2-3 miles of mostly very easy hiking.

We were there in January, and we encountered easy ice surfaces in several places. A couple of dry waterfalls to go over, one with a log to assist the climb. Nothing technical by any means, just pure fun and being a kid again.

The canyon would be so tight in places that we would experiment with walking sideways to more easily move along.......

By all means check the weather before hiking this or any slot canyon.......it can be storming miles away and still catch you with a flash flood, and when a little water gets into those narrows it can become totally ferocious......and sometimes fatal.

Camp at the Goblin Vallery State Park Campground, either tents or RV, limited amenities but well worth the stay. If the little gift shop there is open, you can buy a Little Wildhorse Canyon t-shirt to commemorate your hike.

On your way coming or going to Little Wild Horse, spend time in and around Moab and its great parks.....Arches, Canyonlands, Natural Bridges.....and take/rent a four-wheeler and hit the out-of-park areas for even better, more personal visual and physical treats.

Three great, easy drives around Moab: the Colorado River Canyon, up towards Cisco, takes you into the heart of John Wayne country, where many of his movies were shot - and you can find a John Wayne museum at the Red River Ranch.

The drive to Potash takes you lower along the Colorado River through canyons laced with Indian Writings, as the signs there call them.

A little more adventuresome and off-the-asphalt, Kane Creek is a genuine hoot. Head west at the McDonald's and head back into the Portal. Watch the creek if any storming's going on. This road will take you to amazing scenery, eventually up to Hurrah Pass, and even further to Chicken Corners and other treats.

Have fun, be safe, be careful, be respectful.

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