Bell Canyon
Short ravine, not very narrow or enclosed, but bordered by nicely eroded rocks, with a great variety of textures and colors. Often hiked as part of a loop with adjacent Little Wild Horse Canyon
Length: 1.8 miles, to the end of the enclosed section, 7.8 miles for the complete loop
Difficulty: Easy
Management: BLM
Rocks: Navajo sandstone, Kayenta formation, Wingate sandstone
Season: Spring and fall are best; summers are very hot
Trailhead: Along Wild Horse Road, 5.7 miles west of Goblin Valley SP
Rating (1-5): ★★★★★
Difficulty: Easy
Management: BLM
Rocks: Navajo sandstone, Kayenta formation, Wingate sandstone
Season: Spring and fall are best; summers are very hot
Trailhead: Along Wild Horse Road, 5.7 miles west of Goblin Valley SP
Rating (1-5): ★★★★★
Bell Canyon is a short ravine that joins Little Wild Horse Canyon; it is just 1.5 miles long and is narrow, albeit rather shallow, for most of its length, and has a great variety of rock forms, textures and colors, unlike most slot canyons that pass through a single homogenous layer.
Both canyons cut through the Kayenta, Wingate and Navajo sandstone strata, the main components of the San Rafael Reef. They may be visited all year, although winter brings snowfall and icy pools, while the temperatures in mid summer may exceed 100 °F, so spring and fall are the favored seasons.
See Little Wild Horse Canyon.
6 views of Bell Canyon.
Walking upstream along Little Wild Horse Canyon north from the trailhead, the Bell Canyon junction is reached after ten minutes, past some short narrows and a minor dryfall - it is a side ravine that veers away to the left. From the start the canyon is very rocky and boulder strewn, the streambed covered by sand and pebbles of various colors and sizes. The walls are made up of exposed, angled strata, and all the surroundings show signs of great erosion. The canyon narrows quite soon but remains fairly open, without any obstructions apart from several dryfalls a few feet high. The passage twists and turns, and the enclosing rocks rise far above, becoming several hundred feet high though not sheer, as even at its deepest point the canyon is V-shaped in profile.
The Bell Canyon narrows finish after 30 minutes walking, when the passageway opens out a lot, and a wide gravelly wash winds through the canyon, which now is bordered by sand banks and boulder piles at each side. After 15 minutes more, a faint track (the disused far end of Chute Canyon Road) crosses the streambed - this is quite easy to miss, but necessary since along here is the way in to the upper end of Little Wild Horse Canyon and the continuation of the loop hike. The road follows beneath the cliffs that run towards the northeast, rounds a promontory then turns back southeast. The surrounding landscape has seemingly endless layered, eroded rocks of every color - mainly shades of green, grey, purple, green and white.
Both canyons cut through the Kayenta, Wingate and Navajo sandstone strata, the main components of the San Rafael Reef. They may be visited all year, although winter brings snowfall and icy pools, while the temperatures in mid summer may exceed 100 °F, so spring and fall are the favored seasons.
Topographic Map of Bell Canyon
Location
See Little Wild Horse Canyon.
Photographs
6 views of Bell Canyon.
Bell Canyon Route Description
Walking upstream along Little Wild Horse Canyon north from the trailhead, the Bell Canyon junction is reached after ten minutes, past some short narrows and a minor dryfall - it is a side ravine that veers away to the left. From the start the canyon is very rocky and boulder strewn, the streambed covered by sand and pebbles of various colors and sizes. The walls are made up of exposed, angled strata, and all the surroundings show signs of great erosion. The canyon narrows quite soon but remains fairly open, without any obstructions apart from several dryfalls a few feet high. The passage twists and turns, and the enclosing rocks rise far above, becoming several hundred feet high though not sheer, as even at its deepest point the canyon is V-shaped in profile.
End of the Narrows
The Bell Canyon narrows finish after 30 minutes walking, when the passageway opens out a lot, and a wide gravelly wash winds through the canyon, which now is bordered by sand banks and boulder piles at each side. After 15 minutes more, a faint track (the disused far end of Chute Canyon Road) crosses the streambed - this is quite easy to miss, but necessary since along here is the way in to the upper end of Little Wild Horse Canyon and the continuation of the loop hike. The road follows beneath the cliffs that run towards the northeast, rounds a promontory then turns back southeast. The surrounding landscape has seemingly endless layered, eroded rocks of every color - mainly shades of green, grey, purple, green and white.
Bell Canyon - Similar Hikes
All Contents © Copyright The American Southwest | Comments and Questions | Contribute | Affiliate Marketing Disclosure | Site Map