In celebration of making it through 2020, I headed west from Denver to a land of weird wonder…

Utah: the place on Earth where everything feels alien and awesome.

After a few pit stops and copious amounts of coffee, my boots hit the red dirt and dust. We had arrived at the dog-friendly slot canyon hike just outside of Goblin Valley State Park – Little Wild Horse Bell Canyon Trail.

While the entire hike spans 8 miles, we decided to take a more laissez faire approach, navigating the canyons and crevices for an undetermined time, but opting out of completing the entire loop. In total, we hiked about 4 miles out-and-back. 

Shortly after leaving the trailhead, the earth opened up into a wide avenue surrounded by geological wonders. If you’re bringing a dog or a little one, heads up that there is a tall ledge which requires a bit of climbing or a boost about 15 minutes into hiking. Once you pass the ledge, most of the trail is relatively flat the next couple of miles.

As we continued forward the rocks slowly began to close in around us, every step started to feel even more like an adventure. All of a sudden we’re zigzagging between rocks and in front of us is a sliver of trail sandwiched between smooth sandstone.

The cool air stuck between the formations, weaving throughout the path and welcoming us on our continued journey. If you ever visit Little Wild Horse Bell Canyon Trail, take a moment to notice the temperature change as you travel through the underbelly of the canyon.

After our first round of slotting, we arrived at an open area. It seems like most families and travelers turned around after this. I repeat, KEEP GOING. This is just the beginning of the adventure, you do not want to miss the rest.

From the open area, keep following the trail and you’ll be led to an even more intense slot canyon. While it wasn’t quite as squished, the walls next to you tower much higher than the first canyon.

Traveling through this geological maze felt humbling.

I had to trust the path and the rocks above. After a few echo tests and more tight squeezes, we came upon a giant boulder lodged in between the path. After a bit of coaxing, our dog Ein found her steps and we continued on.

If I’m being honest, Ein probably had an easier time navigating the obstacle than I did… as Donkey from Shrek says “That’s a nice boulder!”

Once you pass the Donkey-approved boulder it’s not long before a mini open space greets you. Unfortunately we had a hotel check-in and a few more hours of driving, so this was our turn-around spot. But if you’ve visited or visit this trail in the future, let me know in the comments how the rest of the loop is!

Usually I’m not a huge fan of out-and-back trails, I prefer a loop-de-loop, but this time heading back was an entirely new perspective. As soon as I turned back the rays of sun bounced off the curvy sandstone, emitting an almost heavenly glow. I could see the sky peeking through the crevices and notice the flaky red rock bundles around every turn.

Little Wild Horse Bell Canyon Trail is definitely a hidden gem. If you’re ever on your way to Goblin Valley State Park or Capitol Reef National Park, it’s worth it to travel a bit off your designated route to explore.

While I didn’t bring my paint supplies with me through the canyons, my imagination couldn’t let go of the magic of Utah.

Check out my recent creation “Wonderland” inspired by our trip to Utah 

And as always – Capture. Create. Chase.