The Hype
The Hype: Little Wild Horse Canyon is probably the most beautiful kid friendly non-technical slot canyon in Utah and can be combined with Bell Canyon for an 8 mile loop hike. The canyon has a handful of easy climbs up to 5′ and a few skinny sections that will make you take your pack off in order to pass sideways. LWHC has a large drainage on the north side of the reef that’s not entirely visible from the trail head. Nearby Goblin Valley State Park posts a daily weather forecast at the visitors center that you check without actually entering the park.
Getting There
Access Road: From Goblin Valley drive west on the Wild Horse Road / Co Rd 1013 for about 5 miles until you reach the Little Wild Horse Canyon trail head . The trail head is accessible to all vehicles as long as the road and wash crossing are dry.
From the Trailhead: From the trail head parking lot follow the wide gravel filled wash up (north) until you reach the first and most difficult obstacle in the canyon. This can be bypassed on the west side on a faint hikers trail but its also easily negotiated by most hikers. As the canyon bends to the west watch for the split headed north, this is Little Wild Horse Canyon and forward is Bell Canyon.
The Canyon
Canyon: From the split of Bell and LWHC follow the slot up canyon and things will narrow down after a few short bends. Soon you will be walking sideways down narrow corridors, climbing over minor obstacles, and viewing some of the best tafoni formations around. The canyon continues for quite some time before the slot opens up behind the reef.
The Exit
Exit: Once you reach the end of the slot you can head back the way you came or complete a hot dusty loop hike behind the reef to Bell Canyon. I’ve done the loop hike a few times and while my main draw to this canyon is the slot we typically double back so the kids can enjoy the canyon a second time.
If you’re looking to hike the full loop down Bell Canyon go north up the wash for 1.5 miles beyond LWHC slot and watch for a wash that enters on the west side. Hike up this Wash for a half mile and you’ll connect with a dusty ATV trail that leads west and then south around the backside of the Reef. Roughly 2 miles later the road will cross the Bell Canyon drainage, leave the ATV track and hike south into Bell Canyon. The slot in Bell Canyon is much shorter but takes a more direct path through the Reef. Soon you will arrive at the split you passed a few hours earlier and you can continue back down the wash to the trail head.
Red Tape
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