horseshoe canyon

HOT!!! Take water but enjoy the scenery :)Take your time to explore and enjoy all that there is but be aware and take care.

This is one of the best hikes that I have made in southern Utah, but it is not for the faint of heart. Just getting to the trailhead is a bit of an adventure as it is a 30 mile haul along a gravel road. And the 6-mile round-trip hike is challenging but the views in the canyon are beautiful and the four rock art panels are not to be missed. Of course, the Great Gallery is the primary draw and is well worth the effort of getting there. This is a highly recommended hike. My group made the hike in late September, starting from Green River. We departed at 7:00 AM. It is about a 70-mile drive from Green River, the first 40 of which is on the main roads (a short stretch on I-70 west then south on route 24 toward Goblin Valley). Just past the access road to Goblin Valley State Park, we turned on to road 1010 and trundled the next 30 miles over a well maintained gravel road. We were fortunate that the road was in top shape, which is not always the case as I understand as the rain can wash out areas. I checked with the Rangers at the Hans Flat Ranger station the day before to make sure that the road was passable. No issues were reported. I took it easy on the way to the trailhead, and cruised along the dirt road at around 30 mph, but did slow down on the blind hills to ensure that there were no free range cattle loitering on the road just over the crest. And we did see several cattle along the drive. The only other big critter that we saw was a lone pronghorn that ran along with us for a few hundred yards. Otherwise the trip was uneventful, which was great, and we made it to the trailhead just before 9:30 AM, so a little less than two and a half hours from Green River.There were only two or three other vehicles at the trailhead when we arrived, so we should have the trail pretty much to ourselves which is always a plus. We all needed a little stretch after the drive. The pit toilet was also a welcome sight. We got our packs, poles and cameras in order and were on the trail just after 9:30. Right now it was pleasant, with bright blue skies and nary a cloud to be seen. Perfect hiking weather, but we knew it was be hot on the return trip. We knew that the trail was mostly exposed, so we had all taken the needed precautions; carrying lots of water, slathered on the sunscreen, hats, etc.I was hoping to go on a Ranger-led hike, but the Parks Service was not offering the Ranger-led hikes this fall due to budget constraints. Therefore, I had done some reading about this hike and found a couple of good websites with maps that marked the location of the panels and other points of interest. Since the Parks Service was not offering the guided hikes, the map would have to be our guide. My wife took on the role of Sacagawea and led us along the trail. She easily found all the cool stuff, but I think we might have missed a few highlights without the map.This turned out to be a classic hike in the desert as there were beautiful landscapes and other things of interest all along the trail. While it was no cake walk, the hike was actually a lot easier than I expected. Sure, the hike along the trail from the parking area down into the canyon was tough; certainly the hardest part of the trail, but it was not that bad. I think the fact that it was a “smooth” trial, that is very few uneven steps, really reduced the difficulty. But there were nice views down into the canyon almost from the start of the hike. Plus, we started seeing things of interest almost right away. Not far into the hike, we spotted a Jack rabbit. Then we stumbled over the dinosaur track. It is right in the middle of the trail and had a ring of rocks around it so it is hard to miss. Next we came across the old water trough and piping that had been set up decades ago to pump water up from the canyon. And that was all before we even got to the steep part of the trail. Again, the downhill part of the trail is the hardest, but not nearly as hard as a friend who had made the hike made it out to be. He made it sound like the Trail of Tears or the Bataan Death March. But maybe his warnings were a good thing, as I was prepared for much worse. Once down in the canyon, we just walked along the sandy wash and looked for cairns and other markers as well as the cues from the map. The trail is mostly out in the open, so we took advantage of every opportunity to walk in the shade of the canyon walls. Not a lot in the way of wildlife down in the canyon, just a few lizards and a nice size toad. We did stumble across the odd bone everyone once in a while. From the size, we guessed cattle or horse.But the draw for this hike were the four rock art panels, and we found them all. Each one is a little more impressive than last, but they are all fascinating. These panels are the namesakes for this style of artwork, that being Barrier Canyon as they are named for Barrier Creek which flows through Horseshoe Canyon. Each panel is a collection of anthropomorphic figures along with representations of animals. All of the panels are beautiful.The first is called the High Panel, as it sits well above ground level on the south wall of the canyon. It could be easily missed as it was in shadow and sort of blends in with the cracks in the sandstone as well as the desert varnish that paints the canyon walls. While this is the smallest of the panels, if does have some interesting features, in particular a winged figure that is above a figure that seems to be falling over backward. Does that suggest that the winged figure has some power over the other figure? Shoot, I reckon you could sit in front of these panels all day and try to figure out the stories they are trying to convey. But there was a lot more to see, so on to the next panel.Next is Horseshoe Panel and it is more or less across the canyon from High Panel so on the north wall. It has a slightly different flavor than the High panel in a few aspects. First the colors; the painting in the high panel were more red while the images on the Horseshoe Panel were mostly tan with some dark brown thrown in. The figures were a little more triangular in shape on this second panel, but still had the same general feel of the anthropomorphic beings. Plus there were a few more animals shown on this panel than the previous one. The artists chose well with the placement of their drawings as the images spanned along a lighter colored seam in the sandstone. The artwork then stood out on the lighter colored rock as well as being highlighted by the darker bands above and below. We had a bit of a walk to get to the next panel, the appropriately names Alcove Panel. But we enjoyed the views as we traipsed through the narrowing canyon. The desert varnish was particularly pretty as it draped over the sandstone walls of the canyon. As the names suggestions, Alcove Panel was painted on the back wall of a large alcove in the bend of the canyon. There were red and tan images painted here, the red ones more closely resembled those from High Panel and the tan ones looked to me to be more closely related to Horseshoe Panel, although some of the figures had a character all their own. It was a little more difficult to get a decent image of this panel due to the lighting in the alcove and the boulders in front of the panel. Part of the area around the panel was also roped off. But we did what we could do, and even if the photos were not great, we still got to see these amazing images from an ancient people.As usual, I was at the tail of the troop, which my normal location so I can take more photos. We came around a slight bend and into a wider section of the canyon and there off on the far wall I could see our final goal, the Great Gallery. Even from well over a hundred yards away the pictographs were impressive. What I had first noticed were the figures that make up “the Holy Ghost” panel. Wow. Just, Wow. We completed our hike to the foot of the huge panel and enjoyed the spectacle for a few minutes. This was worth every step of the hike. The overall panel is huge (over 300 feet long and 15 feet tall) and has about 80 figures including many that are life-sized or larger. Some of the figures are over 7 feet tall and the Holy Ghost is nearly 8 feet high. I did a little digging on the internet and found age ranges for these panels going back as far as 7500 BC, so this artwork could be 9500 years old. That’s just staggering!It seemed that the more we looked at the panel, the more we saw; the details just kept coming out. Many of the anthropomorphic figures were just simple, featureless red shapes, but many others had ornate decorations, maybe representing robes or shields. There were also several animals on the panel, mostly probably herd animals, but one over to the far right near the foot of the tall anthropomorph could have been a dog. A few of the smaller figures had arms and legs and appeared to be doing some sort of tasks (hunting or herding the animals perhaps). We found a shady spot to rest and have a snack where we could sit and admire the Great Gallery. We had the place to ourselves. Well, almost to ourselves, anyway, as there were a couple little furry residents who were looking for handouts. They are bold little varmints as they tried their best to either charm or steal our lunch. Forget it, guys, we don’t feed the wildlife. That’s just bad juju.We hung around the Great Gallery for over half an hour, just taking it all in. After our break we started getting ready for the return hike, snapped a few more photos and started retracing out steps to the trailhead. While we only saw a couple of other hikers on our way in, the crowd was starting to pick-up as we hiked out, but still I bet we saw fewer than a dozen people on the trail. The remainder of the return hike was pretty calm. The only downside was that the temperature was climbing and the shade was receding. But we made good time back to where the trail starts the climb out of the canyon and then we all just went at our own pace up the final climb. We figured it was about 85 F by the time we reached the trailhead; hot but not oppressive. We were back at the trailhead about 1:30 PM, so a little under 5 hours on the trail. Overall, this was a truly spectacular hike and another day well spent exploring the desert of southern Utah.

My wife was tremendously excited about seeing this canyon, especially after studying about the petroglyphs on the canyon walls. We started out early in the morning and closely followed the indications given by the visitor station. There are 4 sites which alternate on the two sides of the canyon walls, but the best of all is the last one at the end of the canyon with the largest and most extensive glyphs. You can't help but wonder if the aliens were really the authors!

There are two ways to experience Horseshoe Canyon: from the top or from the bottom. Try them both because they are unique experiences unto themselves. First do the top by going to Dead Horse State Park and taking the short drive out to the overlook. It's a great spot and you can walk along the rim to see the landscape. Great places to see all around and take pics. Restrooms are available and shade if you need it. Then either the same day or another day, go to the bottom either through Potash Road or by using the Canyonlands entrance and going down the Shaffer switchbacks immediately after entering the park (first turnoff to the left - make sure you have a 4x4 though any stock 4x4 is sufficient) or by entering Potash Road from the Moab side. It's a good ride and you can use it as a recovery day if you're exhausted from hiking! Highly recommended. The Potash/Shaffer road also has two pit toilets if you need them.

If you are anywhere near Page AZ you really should stop and see this feature. It is a nice little hike to get there, but well worth the effort. I like it so much that I was able to squeeze in a second visit the next day and so I have two photos to share with you.One note of caution, people get VERY close to the edge. There are no safety precautions installed. You are on your own. Also the rock is Navajo sandstone and is not strong at all. So be careful! Our locale guide for the next day tour says they lose people over the side (1,000 feet straight down) every year. Last year they lost 4.

Went here in college with some friends - loved it so much I had to bring the wife and my parents back 14 years later! 6.5 mile hike round trip - bring lots of water and food. 750 vertical feet lost and then regained. Hike is along the dry river bed (that can be running in the Spring and during rainy season - heads up for flash floods).Rock art is amazing - so impressive - so large! Fun to sit and ponder what it all means.Not for the faint of heart - and not for young kids.Well marked entrance just south of the Goblin Valley State Park entrance. Road is well maintained for any car and it is clearly marked.

There are so many articles and pictures on the web that there is no point of me describing this place. That this is a must see for anyone who appreciates Native American Art is unquestionable. And yes, the panels look much better in person. No picture can do justice or equal your own eyes. And as such I am not posting any of the many we took.My review is on how the get there & the hike itself since I had difficult time planning this trip as there is sporadic / unreliable info available.We took the road from 24. The exit is between mileposts 135-136, on the right when going north from Hanksville, UT and well marked. We drove Ford Escape FWD and covered the 32 mile dirt road in about 55 min. The first 25 miles were very easy: fast while slowing down for dunes incursion into the road, some sharp curves and twice for free range cattle. The next 5 (after the information display) were progressively worse with deep tire ruts in the road and we had hit the front undercarriage few times, but it was soft sand and no damage was done. The last 2 were rough and took us 10 min to drive. Fortunately there was no car to pass as the road is very narrow and rocky.Bottom line: I would not drive a car there unless you are prepared to walk the last 7 miles to the trail head or can live with potential damage to your front bumper (or worse), getting stuck in loose sand or plugging your radiator and overheating the car. If you do not have one, rent SUV with insurance. Worth every penny. If the road is wet and muddy I would NOT drive it in any 2WD vehicle. Period.We started the hike by 11AM and in an hour we saw the first panel. The hike is tiring since you will spend most (2/3) of the hike in loose, soft sand so wear good hiking shoes. We made a mistake and wore running shoes instead and paid for it cleaning the shoes of sand frequently. But the art, oh the art is worth any inconvenience.We did this in November and I can safely say I would not do it during the summer months when the temp can be easily over 100F (38C). If you decide to do it in summer, you MUST have plenty of water and good clothing. The climb out of the canyon is arduous; the first 1/3 of the way up is on a steep slope walking in loose sand. Once you get past the cattle gate, you will walk the rest of the trail on 2/3 rock and 1/3 sand, but with the sun bearing on you in the back and radiant heat reflecting from the ground to your face if you do not rest frequently (even in good shape) and hydrate properly you may be asking for heat stroke or worse.By 4PM we were back where we started. The 5 hours it took gave us plenty of time to enjoy each panel and the canyon.Going back we planned to take direct road to Moab (44 miles), but after 2 miles of bad road we turned around and used the same road we arrived on and knew what to expect.Yes, the SUV needed a wash, but it was a small price to pay for this remarkable place.Useful links:http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/upload/HorseshoeCanyon.pdfhttp://www.toddshikingguide.com/Hikes/Utah/Canyonlands/Canyonlands4.htm

The hike through Horseshoe Canyon takes you past some of the most unique ancient rock art in the US, culminating in the Great Gallery, which is an extended panel of larger than life sized mystic figures low down on the smooth canyon walls. Even without the pictographs, this hike is well worth doing for itself. A few miles beyond the Great Gallery, is the exit point of Bluejohn slot canyon, made famous by Aron Ralston’s epic self-rescue in 2003, albeit without the lower part of his right arm.The most difficult part can be getting to the trailhead in your vehicle, it is a very sandy 30 mile dirt road, and blowing sand can pile up like snowdrifts and cause problems for regular vehicles without high clearance or 4 wheel drive, but in good conditions, they can make it. But in wet conditions all bets are off, even for 4x4s. The dirt road leaves SR24 opposite the turn off to Goblin Valley State Park.From the trailhead, follow the path, and when it goes onto the slick rock, keep a close eye out for the marker cairns, they aren’t very frequent, but you can always spot the next one if you look for it. Once onto the canyon floor turn right. The going is very easy, level and sandy all the way. The only hard part is when you climb out of the canyon on your way back to the trail head, the sun will be on your back and you may be tired; but there are no technical difficulties, save some of your water for this last section.You will be glad you did this hike.By the Way, the photograph shown under the heading for this section on TA is NOT Horseshoe Canyon, it is a picture of the Colorado River at Goosenecks State Park near Mexican Hat, two entirely different places.

Horseshoe Canyon and the Great Gallery, was an experience I'll never forget!Have a vehicle with high clearance, and 4 wheel drive, because there is 30 miles of sandy roads that you can't navigate easily or go faster than 20 miles and hour if you're in a regular rental.Also, before you've started out on this adventure, you better know if you are in good enough shape to walk/hike 7 miles to the Great Gallery. It's easy going down, but VERY EXHAUSTING coming back up & out of the canyon.Once you've decided if you can do it - IT IS SO WORTH IT! The Great Gallery and all the other drawings are something to behold! Enchanting! Thought provoking and Amazing!

Zeker een must als je in de buurt bent. Veel beestjes op de grond onderweg er naar toe. Maar deze canyon is geweldig om te zien, bijzonder hoe deze van vorm is en de kleuren zijn super.

Очень красивая изюминка природы недалеко от г.Пейдж. От стоянки до каньона идти минут 10 пешком. И все это время идешь в ожидании, когда же откроется это чудо природы... И вот он каньон! Огромная скала, опоясанная рекой. Безумный перепад высоты. Очень красиво, сердце замирает. Надо сказать, что такого количества фотоманьяков я как там не видела еще нигде. Совет для фотографов: снимать каньон лучше на рассвете, чтобы солнце сзади освещало красивыми лучами каньон. На закате солнце светит прямо в объектив и пейзаж получается засвеченным.

L'Horseshoe Canyon (originariamente chiamato Barrier Canyon) è un settore indipendente di Canyonlands National Park che, è stato aggiunto nel 1971. La sua intrigante arte rupestre è spesso considerata la più importante del Nord America. I petroglifi, qui presenti, si dice siano datati (sulla base della datazione al carbonio delle aree circostanti) anteriormente agli Anasazi e alla cultura Fremont, alcuni dei quali potrebbero avere più di 8.000 anni. Ci sono quattro gallerie di petroglifi da vedere in questo canyon e ognuno mi ha lasciato senza parole. Queste quattro gallerie sono: The High Gallery, Horseshoe Shelter, The Alcove e The Great Gallery. Gli archeologi stanno ancora cercando di decifrarne il significato dei disegni.Si tratta di una bella escursione nel deserto, noi l'abbiamo fatta (l'ultima volta) a settembre 2012. Solo il tratto di strada da fare con la macchina (4WD) è un avventura, e necessita di circa 1,5 ore (sola andata) per arrivare al Trail Head. La stessa escursione dura circa 5-6 ore tra andata e ritorno (i tempi potrebbero allungarsi a causa del camminare sulla sabbia all'interno del canyon), praticamente, bisogna prendersi l'intera giornata per effettuare questa escursione, ma, ne vale assolutamente la pena. Dal momento che, il canyon l' abbiamo visitato in settembre, ed era ancora caldo, non riesco a immaginare di fare questo giro, nel calore dell'estate. È possibile campeggiare presso il Trail Head ma, è molto esposto e spesso ventoso (il campeggio ha dei servizi minimi: una griglia e una pit toilet. consiglio quindi di soggiornare a Moab o ancora meglio a Green River.Una volta trovata la giusta sterrata, si devono seguire le indicazioni, (poche in verità) perché è facile ritrovarsi in altre zone di Canyonlands. Dopo il parking lot, si attraversa un tratto di slickrock e si inizia a scendere nel canyon. Il trail in questo settore è segnato con cairns e facile da seguire. Quando siamo arrivati ​​al trail head, era già le 8:00 AM e nella parte superiore del canyon, c'era molto vento. Eravamo vestiti con "pile" a maniche lunghe e zip, ma una volta scesi nel canyon, ci siamo tolti le "pile" perché non c'era più vento e solo un sole implacabile. Si scende in un attimo di circa 250 metri, sino al fondo del canyon (questo tratto è di circa 1.8 km) attraverso la slickrock e si continua l'escursione su sabbia fine. Ci sono presumibilmente tracce di dinosauri in questa porzione del trail, quando si incontra il fondo del canyon, ma non siamo riusciti a trovarle. Forse sono state sepolte sotto la sabbia? Continuare diritti una volta che si arriva al fondo del canyon, e si è sulla buona strada per tutte le gallerie e per il paradiso dei petroglifi. Il fondo del canyon è costellato d'ombra con accogliente pioppi, ma da qui in avanti, l'intera escursione è su sabbia (in certi punti anche profonda), quindi si consigliano scarpe da trekking adatte per questo fondo.Tutte le gallerie sono incredibili, ma The Great Gallery, è un pannello immenso di incisioni rupestri a grandezza naturale. The Holy Ghost and Companions è qui. Solitamente, è presente un ranger per raccontarvi la storia del canyon e vi permetterà di scalare la piccola sporgenza per una visualizzazione più ravvicinata. Abbiamo incontrato un ranger di nome Sarah quel giorno che ha sede nella Hans Flat Ranger Station (la porta di accesso alla sezione Maze di Canyonlands National Park). Le incisioni rupestri sono quasi "aliene" nel design, senza braccia e gambe, simili ad umanoidi, mummie; e ci sono evidenti disegni di animali nel mix come ... cervi, cani ecc ... Ci siamo chiesti, cosa stanno cercando di dirci gli Antichi? Si tratta di storie di vita? Di una migrazione? Si tratta di un incontro extraterrestre? L'immensità e il dettaglio di questi petroglifi ci hanno segnato profondamente.Dopo mi sono ricordato che l'escursione era tutta in sabbia fine. Ohhhh mi piacciono le escursioni sulla sabbia. Le temperature di quel pomeriggio di settembre, hanno raggiunto i 36 gradi, mitigate, da un po' di brezza e qualche ombra qua e là tra i pioppi. C'era un po 'di acqua stagnante che potrebbe essere filtrata tranquillamente; ho consumato 3,5 litri d'acqua in 5 ore.Il ritorno è stato incredibile e merita tutto il sudore e la sabbia. Ricordo che, in caso di maltempo e/o ci fossero state forti piogge nei giorni precedenti all'escursione, di non tentare di avvicinarsi al trail head, dato il tragitto sabbioso che, con la pioggia diventa poi un pantano. Segnalo inoltre, che fino al trail head, abbiamo avuto il segnale di Verizon sul telefono cellulare (pieno):-))

Horseshoe Canyon Utah; früher Barrier Canyon genanntEs ist eine abgesonderte, allein stehende Einheit des Canyonlands NP, die erst 1971 dazu kam. Attraktion: uralte Indianerzeichnungen an Felsen, vielleicht sogar 3.000 Jahre alt. Diese faszinierende "Fels-Kunst" wird von vielen als die bedeutendste Nord Amerikas bezeichnet.Herrliche Wanderung in einem tiefen, engen Canyon mit viel Vegetation, entlang verschiedenfarbiger hoher Felwände. Anfahrt auf zwei Möglichkeiten:Ab GREEN RIVER auf IS 70 ( 8 ml ) , dann auf Hwy 24 Richtung HANKSVILLE ( 25 ml ), dann links auf DIRT ROAD ( 32 ml ) bis Eingang CanyonAb GREEN RIVER, über Zufahrt zum Flugplatz südl. auf DIRT ROAD 49 ml --> bis Eingang Canyon Mittwoch, 21.06.06 350,4 Tageskilometer:Moab-Green River-Dirt Road(am Flugplatz vorbei)-Horseshoe Canyon-Dirt Road zum Hwy 24-Green River-MoabUnterwegs waren die Hering`s aus Sachsen. Marion, Marit, Rudolf und Olaf. 5:45 Start in Moab bei 20°C. Wir fahren über die Hauptstraße von Green River in Richtung Flugplatz. Schlecht ausgeschildert! Beim Flugplatz und auch später gibt es Wegweiser zum Horseshoe Canyon.Die Dirt Road ist im guten Zustand. Es ist Superwetter.Im vorigen Jahr mußten wir umkehren, da nach dem Regen am Vortag ein Teil der Straße weggespült war! Aber auch bei intakter Road sollte man nicht kurz nach Regen fahren. Die Fahrbahn ist längere Zeit extrem schmierig. Bremstest, wie im Schnee machen!Die Strecke ist interessant. Besonders bei Sonnenaufgang. Es gibt schöne Blicke zu den La Sal Mountain`s. 7:55 tragen wir uns ins Eintrittsbuch für Besucher ein. Eine anstrengende Canyontour steht uns heute bevor. Wir essen ein Brötchen. Die Laufschuhe werden angezogen. 9 Liter Wasser in einigen Wasserflaschen sind in zwei Rucksäcken verteilt. 8:15 beginnt der Abstieg in den Canyon. Leichte Wölkchen, 21°C. Nach einem Abstieg von ca. 250 Höhenmeter (750 feet) geht der Weg 3 ½ ml den BARRIER CREEK hinauf, und führt zu den schönsten prähistorischen Felsmalereien. Der Abstieg ist leicht. Es wird aber im Tal sehr mühsam. Man muß die gesamte Strecke im Sand bzw. im Bachbett laufen. Der Bach war die gesamte Strecke ausgetrocknet. An den Büschen und Bäumen sah man aber bis in 2 m Höhe Rückstände von Flutwellen. Bei drohendem Gewitter also ein gefährlicher Bereich.Angenehm war, daß größere Teile des Weges im Schatten der steilen Wände lagen.Ungefähr aller 40 min sind Felszeichnungen zu sehen: High Gallery, Alcove Gallery und zum Schluß die Great Gallery. Man kann sie nicht verfehlen.Das Alter ist unbestimmt. Die Lösung dieser Frage überlassen wir lieber den Experten.Tatsache ist: Die PETROGLYPS sind eindrucksvoll. Wenn man etwas weiter dem Bachlauf folgt, soll es auch noch für gute Augen Spuren von Dinos geben. Wir haben verzichtet!Wir haben ein beeindruckendes Echo im Tal erlebt. Der Anstieg beim Rückweg ist sehr anstrengend! Teilweise auf Sandpiste. Runter ist das kein Problem. 12:35 sind wir bei 35°C etwas “geschafft” aber glücklich wieder am Auto. Wir haben nur noch 1 l Wasser im Gepäck. Wir melden uns im Besucherbuch zurück. Uns sind im Tal nur drei Leute begegnet. Auf gleichem Weg fahren wir nicht zurück. Es geht zum Hwy 24 , Richtung Hanksville. Diese Strecke ist auch interessant. Es gibt eine Menge hübsche freilaufende Rinder. Als wir den Highway 24 erreichen, biegen wir rechts nach Green River ab und sind 15:20 wieder im Motel in Moab. .