Wildhorse Canyon

This is a great little hike in the San Rafael Swell with a few interesting slots, and a couple of arches. Take highway 24 south from Highway 70 to Temple Mountain Road westbound. In about 4 miles you’ll reach temple mountain junction with some BLM signage. Turn left here onto Goblin Valley Road. After about a half a mile, there are several dirt roads to the right - any of them will do and will lead you to the South Temple Wash. If you look directly to the west, you’ll see a large cave, where you can see the Wildhorse Window - if you’ve got another couple of hours, it’s worth visiting. From the wash, there’s a very obvious canyon - this is Wildhorse canyon. You can follow it all the way to the end, or just stop when you’re satisfied. Either way, there is some very interesting geology to be seen here. To reach the other side of the swell, it will take you about 2 hours, and four miles of travel time. There are several makeshift campsites - all on the right side - to choose from if you’re staying the night. This can also easily be done as a day hike if you’re in the area for the more popular “Little Wildhorse Canyon” or to see the nearby Goblin Valley. There are three small slot canyons along the way. The first is easily traversable, and doesn’t get uncomfortably narrow. The second and third slots can be entered if you want to see it, but cannot be exited. Both will lead to a dead-end and will require that you backtrack and exit the way you came. Both can be avoided by taking the trail to the left side of them. It’s also possible to enter the canyon from the west via Chute Canyon Road. About three miles in, right before the trail starts heading due west, look up to the left - there are two arches up there that are very easy to miss.