Little Wild Horse Canyon Hike (San Rafael Swell, UT)

With a series of stunning sculpted narrows and easy access, Little Wild Horse Canyon is among the best non-technical slot canyons in Utah, perfect for photographers and families alike! The canyon is located in east-central Utah in the southern area of the San Rafael Swell, just a few miles west of Goblin Valley State Park. This hike is family-friendly and dog-friendly with some assistance, and the trailhead is easily accessible via a paved road. Add to that plenty of space to camp along the access road (BLM land) as a free alternative to the popular Goblin Valley State Park campground nearby!

Hike the series of stunning sculpted narrows of Little Wild Horse Canyon out and back, or make it a loop hike by including Bell Canyon, another area with narrows.

trail map for the Little Wild Horse and Bell Canyon Loop — Little Wild Horse Canyon & Bell Canyon (Google Imagery 2023, Landsat/Copernicus, Maxar Technologies, State of Utah, USDA/FPAC/GEO)

The Little Wild Horse/Bell Canyon loop offers changing scenery as you go along, but know that Little Wild Horse is the more scenic of the two. Bell Canyon is about half as long and isn’t as narrow as Little Wild Horse. If you only have time for one of the canyons, Little Wild Horse is hard to beat!

A stunning Utah family hike - kids hiking through very tight narrows at Little Wild Horse Canyon. Text overlay - San Rafael Swell, Little Wild Horse Canyon.

Little Wild Horse Canyon trail description

Type: Out-and-back
Distance: up to 4 miles (one way)
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Time: 2-3 hours
Fee: No
Dog-friendly: Yes
Risk of flash floods: Moderate/High

The Little Wild Horse Canyon trailhead is located at the north end of the parking lot (together with vault toilets and a kiosk with trail information/map).

The hike begins on a narrow sandy path that soon drops into a wash. As the trail meanders along, the wash narrows down and the cliffs on both sides gradually gain in height.

You’ll soon reach the point pictured below, leaving you with two options: 1) head straight down the rocky wash and scramble up a dryfall, or 2) bypass the obstacle by following the slickrock shelf on the left side of the canyon that will guide you up and around the rugged wash. After testing both options, we decided to take the easier (albeit slippery) way out across the ledge.

Little Wild Horse Canyon Trail obstacle and bypass route — Bypass the dryfall ahead by following the rocky shelf on the left

There seemed to be multiple choices across the ledge. No big deal for the average hiker regardless of the path you choose to follow, but with the tip of my finger missing after a drone incident a couple of days prior (hand-landing is clearly not one of my talents) and my hand bleeding and bandaged, I definitely needed a little saving on that innocent final descent.

trail bypass on a slickrock ledge above the wash — Exiting the ledge back into the wash (You can clearly see multiple easier paths below… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

After you drop into the wash once again (about half a mile from the parking lot), the trail splits. Bell Canyon is straight ahead; Little Wild Horse Canyon to the right. There is a trail marker at the canyon junction with arrows pointing for each canyon, but it’s placed past the turn off for Little Wild Horse and easily missed if you follow the ledge far too long or just don’t pay attention.

a signed trail junction - Bell Canyon to the left, Little Wild Horse Canyon to the right

traversing a bypass on the trail across a slickrock ledge, canyon junction below — Once you turn a corner on that ledge, keep an eye out for the Bell Canyon/Little Wild Horse Canyon junction.

Keep right to enter Little Wild Horse Canyon, and for the next hour or so you’ll be twisting and squeezing through some of the most remarkable narrows in the American Southwest!

Little Wild Horse Canyon is INCREDIBLY fun to hike. The sandstone walls constantly change color, pattern, texture, width, height, and scale. You never know what to expect next.

In some parts the canyon closes up and deepens into very tight straight narrows, while other sections follow along more open and twisty areas that wind along so intricately that you can’t see past the next bend.

narrow canyon walls in Little Wild Horse Canyon — Little Wild Horse Canyon: from straight narrow passages…

twisty canyon walls on the Little Wild Horse Canyon trail — …to sculpted twisting narrows in a snap of a finger!

open part of the trail in Little Wild Horse Canyon — Occasionally the canyon opens up for a brief moment

At the narrowest points on this hike, the canyon walls compress so tightly that getting through requires some resourceful tactics. There is one section where both your feet won’t even fit the width of the trail (but there is more space at shoulder height).

In the deepest section, the sheer walls tower high above the canyon floor. Little light makes it through the narrow opening, making the mid-section of these tight narrows dark and mysterious.

deep narrows in Little Wild Horse Canyon — Little Wild Horse Canyon

The trail alternates between smooth and sandy to rock covered.

a smooth sandy canyon floor alternating with patches of rocky terrain — Little Wild Horse Canyon, San Rafael Swell, Utah

Occasionally the floor rises a few feet and moderate rock scrambling over or under rocks is required, but the trail is free of major obstacles that would require any actual canyoneering skills. Hikers in average physical condition should have no problem passing through, children included.

a step up on the trail with a few small rocks on the canyon floor and beautifully sculpted canyon walls on each side

climbing over a small boulder on the trail to a rising floor on the canyon floor

If it has rained recently, you may encounter standing water throughout the narrows in the cavities of the rocky floor. The pools shouldn’t be more than knee-deep at any point on this hike, but always test the depth before entering to avoid injury. Most hikers just wade through any standing water, or you can straddle the walls when possible to keep your shoes from getting wet.

Kids on a family hike through classic Utah slot canyons. Text overlay - Little Wild Horse, San Rafael Swell - Utah.

From the trailhead it’s less than 2 miles to the upper end of the Little Wild Horse narrows (one way). From here on the canyon cracks open and continues to widen as it winds along the next mile or so. In about 3.5 miles the trail is pretty much wide open. Once the canyon opens up around the 2-mile mark, you’ve basically seen the best of the trail. There are no more narrows beyond this point in the canyon, and most visitors turn around and start heading back.

We were planning to attempt to hike the full loop – up Little Wild Horse and down Bell Canyon, but had to abort the hike just around the part where the Little Wild Horse narrows almost end because it started to rain (though there was a miniscule chance of rain forecasted for the area that day). Be mindful of the weather on this hike due to high risk of flash flooding. Always check the weather forecast for the area beforehand (links at the end). Keep out of the canyon if rain is in the forecast, but be aware that flash flooding can strike regardless of forecasted clear skies.

If you’re continuing past the narrows or are following the loop towards Bell Canyon, there are a few obstacles after the Little Wild Horse final section of narrows that you’ll have to surmount. Plan around 4-7 hours for the Little Wild Horse/Bell Canyon loop, depending on how fast you move and how many stops you make. Total distance is around 8 miles, and the hike is rated moderate.

>>> To return via the loop through Bell Canyon, continue down Little Wild Horse Canyon towards an old mining road (Behind the Reef Road). It crosses the wash 2 miles past the last Little Wild Horse narrows, and there is a shortcut 0.5 miles ahead (the currently signed trail) on the left side of the wash. Head west on the dirt road (left). In 1.5-2 miles you’ll enter Bell Canyon (2 miles without the shortcut), while the road takes off west/right. It’s a little under 2 miles through Bell Canyon to the canyon junction, and 0.5 miles back to the trailhead/parking area. The loop is reported to be well marked throughout the back end. The back end segment between the canyons is fully exposed to the elements.

Family on a hike in a Utah canyon; hiking through a slot canyon. Text overlay - San Rafael Swell, Utah - Little Wild Horse Canyon.

Know before you go:

Basics

Toilets: yes (vault) – at the trailhead
Water: No
Elevation gain: minimal
Dog-friendly: Yes!

Come prepared! Carry plenty of water on this hike, especially in the summer months. There are no places to buy supplies in the area. The closest town is Hanksville, Utah, about 37 miles away. It’s a small town with limited supplies.

Flash floods

Consider the high flash flood potential for this hike, especially during the summer monsoon season. The dry wash can become a raging river several feet deep in just a matter of minutes during heavy rainfall even if there is no storm directly overhead and turn the narrow canyon into a very dangerous place, giving no place to escape. Don’t attempt to hike into the canyon during or prior to storms in the area, and be aware that even distant rainfall dumped at the upper parts of the drainage can render this hike extremely dangerous.

Check the weather forecast for the area for your upcoming trip here. You can also drive to the Goblin Valley State Park gate (along the way) and check for any weather warnings there as well. Always keep an eye on the sky on this hike.

Best time to visit

Spring and fall bring milder temperatures and are the preferred hiking seasons for this hike.

Summers are very hot, but if you’re not planning to hike past the best parts of the slot canyon, the trail isn’t continuously exposed (though it has a fair share of open areas) and the deep narrows are shaded even around mid-day. Summer also brings a higher chance of storms and flooding, so you’ll want to be exceptionally mindful of the weather.

In the winter, snow and ice can cover the canyon floor.

winding beautifully sculpted walls of Little Wild Horse Canyon — Little Wild Horse Canyon – among the best hikes for kids in Utah!

Camping options near Little Wild Horse Canyon

The canyon is situated on BLM land (Bureau of Land Management). There are plenty of great boondocking spots along the access road and throughout the San Rafael Swell, and a free campground (with toilets!) just 13 miles north. You can also try your luck for your dates at the Goblin Valley State Park campground (open year-round).

Directions:

Little Wild Horse Canyon is located 6 miles west of Goblin Valley State Park and is accessed from Highway 24 roughly halfway between Hanksville, Utah (to the south) and I-70 (to the north). No high clearance or 4×4 is required – the road is paved until the parking lot (and gravel/dirt from thereon).

From the north/I-70: take the Exit #149 to Highway 24 south. After 24 miles, turn right on Temple Mountain Road; From the south/Hanksville: take Highway 24 northeast towards I-70. In 19.5 miles, turn left on Temple Mountain Road. >>> Follow Temple Mountain Road west for 5.2 miles to Goblin Valley Road, a signed turn-off to Goblin Valley State Park – turn left here and head south. In 6 miles you’ll reach an intersection (the entrance to Goblin Valley State Park is just down the road) – turn right here and head west (Wild Horse Road) for 5.4 miles. The parking lot for the trail will be on the right side of the road. Feel free to use this map for directions.

From Goblin Valley State Park: Turn left at the intersection just north of the fee booth for the state park. You’ll reach the parking lot for the trail in 5.4 miles.