Horseshoe Canyon

Route Description for Horseshoe Canyon

The Horseshoe Canyon Trail is a fantastic hike featuring world-renowned petroglyph and pictograph panels. The road to the trailhead is rugged, so having a vehicle with 4WD and decent clearance is an asset. This road can get muddy and washed out in a rainstorm, so do not attempt to drive if there is rain on the horizon—you don’t want to get stuck out there. The most challenging part of this hike is the sandy ascent back to the parking lot at the end of the day, so be sure to save some water and stamina for the final push.

However challenging, the Horseshoe Canyon Trail is an incredible hike through beautiful terrain past some of the best-known petroglyph and pictograph panels in North America. There are three galleries along this route that end in the Great Gallery, which is perhaps the most impressive panel of the bunch. The Great Gallery is a 61 m-long panel with approximately 20 drawings, including life-sized human figures with decorative features—these drawings date back to 2000 BCE - 500 BC. Please do not touch or lean against the panels and do not leave any markings of your own in the Canyon. Let’s work together to preserve these incredible pieces of art and history for future generations to appreciate and admire.

From the trailhead, follow the path down for 2.3 km to a divide—take a right to follow the canyon for 0.6 km to the first gallery: High Gallery. The next gallery, Horseshoe Shelter, is just a couple hundred yards further down. Continuing past the entrance to Water Canyon on your left, follow Horseshoe Canyon for another 1.0 km to Alcove Gallery. The Great Gallery is just one mile further down.

Take your time admiring the incredible artwork in the Great Gallery before following the same route back to the trailhead.

Trail Highlights

The Great Gallery

The Great Gallery is an incredible panel of petroglyphs and pictographs at the end of the Horseshoe Canyon trail. This 61 m panel features over 20 drawings dating back thousands of years. The drawings in the Great Gallery are of life-sized human figures decorated with intricate patterns.

Artifacts

Many artifacts have been found throughout Horseshoe Canyon over the years from many different eras and inhabitants. There are dinosaur footprints preserved in the canyon, human artifacts from Paleo-Indians dating back to 9000-7000BCE, the petroglyphs and pictographs of the galleries and more. In 2005, hikers found a leather bag that had been uncovered through erosion. The bag they found was discovered to contain seeds and tools dating back to 770-970 CE! If you are lucky enough to find an artifact or fossil along your hike, please leave it in place and alert the rangers office, so that it can be properly handled, studied, and preserved.

Outlaw Country

In the late 19th century Horseshoe Canyon was used as a hiding place by Butch Cassidy—an outlaw in the wild west famous for robbing banks and trains. Butch Cassidy even led his own gang - a group of gun-slinging criminals known as the “Wild Bunch”.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is the Great Gallery?

The Great Gallery is believed to be between 1500 - 4000 years old.

What is the difference between pictographs and petroglyphs?

Pictographs are drawings created by painting with pigment, petroglyphs are drawings created by carving and chipping away at the stone.