This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Description: From the parking lot and trailhead, walk several hundred yards to an entrance near the canyon where you can climb over a boulder or skirt along a shelf to enter. Just inside, a sign greets you, pointing you to the right for Little Wild Horse Canyon and left for Bell Canyon. Going right, you snake along a red sandy trail through tall purple and white cliffs. At 1.1 miles, you enter a tight, cool slot canyon. Some areas through this section narrow to about 2 feet and can contain pockets of water. A short scramble is required over a second boulder. About a half-mile later, you enter a shorter, wider slot canyon with a third rock scramble. Enjoy the shade. The trail soon grows wider and meanders through more white-walled cliffs under direct sunlight. Make sure to wear a hat and sunscreen. At 3.8 miles, hang a soft left at the sign for Bell Canyon. For the next two miles or so, you will walk along an OHV trail and gain several hundred feet of elevation. Look to your right at mile 5.5 and you will see an old mining cabin. It is about a half-mile to the entrance of Bell Canyon from there. Entering Bell Canyon, the trail is wider and less spectacular than the slots of Little Wild Horse Canyon, but still beautiful with gold and white pockmarked walls. After about two miles, you will return to the junction that separates the two canyons. Continue back to the trailhead and parking lot. This hike is not strenuous, but feels long because of slow going on the sandy trail. Bring lots of water, especially since direct sunlight falls on much of the trail in the afternoon.


