Category: Hike

Stewart Falls Hike, Sundance Utah


When my niece came in town for a visit, I couldn’t help but take the tots on a hike in the mountains. We live near Sundance Mountain Resort and enjoy beautiful hiking trails nearby. One of my favorites is the Stewart Falls trail. We have yet to actually reach the falls, but the stream along the trail and the lush forest surrounding us makes this a favorite every year.

Little g is at the age where she wants to walk, but her tiny legs keep her pace excruciatingly slow. To remedy this I have to force her into the hiking pack. Wrestling her in is always a pain but once she’s strapped and we’re moving she’s happy enough.

On this hike we stopped for a bit to play by the stream. Just when I stopped to take a photo, little g stopped to have a snack. I hope it wasn’t anything toxic.

Big E was a big help carrying his own backpack and leading the way. We all stopped at the Deli at Sundance for some suckers and sodas at the end of the trail. It was a great day all around.

TRAIL INFO:
Length: 2 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Tips: Stewart Falls has several trailheads. My favorite is to take Ray’s lift to the upper stop and hike from there.

Black Forest Hike, Sundance Resort, Utah

Last week was my wedding anniversary. For nine years I’ve been married to Mountain Dad, (when we met he would’ve been better described as River Guy) and to celebrate we spent the evening in my favorite place, the mountains.

We live near Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah so we decided to take the last lift of the day and explore Black Forest Trail. I’m a little embarrassed to say that although I’ve lived here for a year and a half I had never taken the summer lift up for a hike. I had no idea it would be so beautiful.

Ray’s lift boasts views of snow capped Mt. Timpanogos, lush green valleys, and at one point Stewart Falls in the distance. At the top of the lift we bought a water bottle from the vending machine since we had come unprepared and went off to explore the Black Forest Trail. 

Black Forest Trail winds through pines and maples, with the mountain descending gradually below. It felt wild and reminded me how vital the outdoors is to my personal well being. I just feel more alive outside.

We walked through the forest and enjoyed each others company, passing fields and even a family of wild turkeys. Along the route, I imagined the mountain with a thick layer of snow, as I’m more accustomed to seeing it. I have to say experiencing the same space in a different season was eye opening.

The evening ended with an incredible meal at the Foundry Grill. The date was perfect, just like my husband. Thanks for all joy these last nine years, Mountain Dad!

Trail Info:
Rating: 5 stars, it helps that you don’t have to hike uphill
Length: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Tips: Don’t forget water, or a few dollars to buy a bottle at the top of the lift.

Ding and Dang Canyon, San Rafael Swell, Utah

Just an hour past Little Wild Horse Canyon trail head is the trail head to a less popular but very fun hike – Ding and Dang Canyons.  These canyons are similar to Little Wild Horse and Bell Canyons; they have interesting rock formations, close canyon walls and beautiful red and white sandstone. The difference in these is that more technical climbing is required since more obstacles block the canyon floor.

Now, Where Are We?

The tots and I started off with approximately half a mile of walking in a rocky wash. From there we took an offshoot of the trail into what we thought was Ding Canyon.

Now, I won’t say we got lost, because technically we knew where we had come from, but we weren’t exactly sure where we were or where we were going. We just knew the canyon was cool, the weather was fine and the tots were enjoying themselves, so we continued on.

The trail wound through shale like rock walls, every few feet made more exciting by the need to scramble over and around boulders and bushes. Lizards darted around our feet with almost every step and the air was perfect in the shade of the jagged canyon walls.

The Final Climb

The highlight of our hike was the final steep climb to the crest of the canyon. The surface of the rock we hiked was pocked and white, reminding me of a foreign planet. Big E led the way on this section, even when the angle of the path was intense. When we finally reached the summit I was awed by his determination to make it to the top, even though I doubted he could do it. He exceeded my expectations.

From the top we could see the entire valley, rivets of far off canyons denting the landscape. It was a beautiful view, well worth the trip and whether we were officially in Ding Canyon or not it was a great hike.

Trail Info

Rating: 3 stars
Difficulty: Very Difficult, but worth it
Length: 1.5 miles, Loop is approximately 5.5 miles
Tips: Don’t fall. Jagged rocks do not make comfortable landing sites.

Little Wild Horse Canyon, San Rafael Swell, Utah

One of my favorite hikes in Southern Utah is Little Wild Horse Canyon. It’s an eight mile loop when you connect it with Bell Canyon and boasts a slot canyon with honeycomb rock and high, tight walls in some places. I had hiked there before but this time I brought the tots so my expectations were quite different.

Getting There and What to Where

The turnoff to Little Wild Horse Canyon is just two miles outside the entrance to Goblin Valley State Park. Turn right when you see the sign and follow the paved road to the trail head five miles in. The first half mile of the hike is getting to the mouth of the canyon. It’s flat and exposed so bring lots of water. You’ll know when you make it to the canyon itself when you run into this:

There’s not an easy way around this chauk stone and climbing over it would have been impossible without the help of my friend Hannah who went on the trip with me. Since we had the tots and little g in the pack, she scrambled up and then hefted my kids over. 

Rocks, Rocks and More Rocks

Little Wild Horse Canyon offered lots of opportunities for Big E to dig in the sand, throw rocks, and climb the rock walls. Some of the sandstone rocks can even make marks on the red rock walls, however there was a posted sign asking not to do this which we all saw as we walked out of the canyon. 
Little g also enjoyed the rocks, collecting small fistfuls and delivering them to me with a look of pure joy on her face. She did great in the pack, but most enjoyed running around with Big E and Hannah’s son, trying to climb up rocks twice her size.

We followed the trail for about a mile, decent hiking for tots who were already tired from playing with Goblins all morning. We left while it was still fun, to avoid the complaining that accompanies tired, hungry kids. Overall Little Wild Horse Canyon was a fun, flat hike that me and the kids thoroughly enjoyed.

Trail Info

Rating: 3 stars
Difficulty: Moderate, flat for the most part but some scrambling over rocks required
Length: 1 mile, total hike loop is 8 miles
Tips: Drink lots of water and have your tots wear tennis shoes. We often stopped to get pebbles out of sandals.