Utah · Trail 5076

Horse Canyon

Horse Canyon Trail is a 5.1-mile trail in Manti-La Sal National Forest, Utah. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Manti-La Sal National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end39.4900° N, 111.2395° W · Directions ↗
Other end39.4918° N, 111.1588° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length5.1 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade8-10 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers5076
ForestManti-La Sal National Forest (unit 0410)
StatesUtah
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Horse Canyon Trail10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 2.82 inches of precipitationFebruary: 2.52 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.33 inches of precipitationApril: 2.81 inches of precipitationMay: 2.03 inches of precipitationJune: 0.97 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.97 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.57 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.73 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.94 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.08 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.74 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 15.1°F averageFebruary: 16.7°F averageMarch: 23.7°F averageApril: 30.5°F averageMay: 41.0°F averageJune: 50.8°F averageJuly: 57.4°F averageAugust: 55.7°F averageSeptember: 47.2°F averageOctober: 35.1°F averageNovember: 24.7°F averageDecember: 13.7°F average0 in1 in2 in3 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Electric Lake, 7 miles from the trail midpoint at 8,380 feet, station USC00422424 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 25 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 06/01 to 10/15 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed 06/01 to 10/15 (month/day)
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

Horse Canyon Trailhead
Open May
under 0.1 mi
Horse Canyon/Scad Valley Trailhead
Open May
0.1 mi

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    12 Mile Rx

    38 mi from the trail midpoint · 350 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Guidebooks for Utah

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Hiking from here to Wow: Utah Canyon Country
    Kathy Copeland, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Utah's high Uintas
    Jeffrey Probst, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • 100 classic hikes Utah
    Julie K. Trevelyan, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Easy Day Hikes Canyonlands And Arches National Parks
    Bill Schneider, 2023
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Salt Lake City
    Greg Witt, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Horse Canyon Trail?

The Forest Service records 5.1 miles under this name in Manti-La Sal National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Horse Canyon Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Horse Canyon Trail start?

The line begins at 39.4900° N, 111.2395° W and ends at 39.4918° N, 111.1588° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Horse Canyon Trailhead, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Horse Canyon Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Horse Canyon Trail?

Forks Of Huntington (0.6 mi), Big Rock Group (1.4 mi) and Miller Flat Reservoir Campground (2.2 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 8 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Horse Canyon Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Horse Canyon Trail?

The typical grade is 8-10 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Horse Canyon Trail?

Manti-La Sal National Forest, Forest Service unit 0410. The trail is in Utah.

Source: Manti-La Sal National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Horse Canyon Trail?

The interagency feed shows 1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest 12 Mile Rx at 38 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Horse Canyon in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0410. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.