be prepared to get a little muddy!! Continuing on, there were some gentle ups and downs as we got closer to Pine Creek. Horsethief Canyon, Drumheller: See 588 reviews, articles, and 340 photos of Horsethief Canyon, ranked No.3 on Tripadvisor among 18 attractions in Drumheller. With two cars and some planning you can do a nearly 8 mile point to point along the trail. Horsethief Canyon: Horse thief hike - See 588 traveller reviews, 340 candid photos, and great deals for Drumheller, Canada, at Tripadvisor. Very short hike with a little exploring to do. Unmarked trail so could easily loose your way. In partnership with. We found the trail head in the southwest corner of the parking lot, to the left of an information board. Length 1.3 miElevation gain 511 ftRoute type Out & back Horsethief Canyon: Horse Thief Canyon Hike - See 588 traveler reviews, 340 candid photos, and great deals for Drumheller, Canada, at Tripadvisor. Horsethief Canyon: Amazing View - Great Hike! Haha! Ruby-Horsethief is a fantastic flatwater desert river trip. There was only a small stream flowing, but a wide pool of cool clear water remained, awaiting hot hikers. beautiful easy hike. Horsethief Canyon . The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and snowshoeing. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Many dirt trails to follow but the best option is to scramble up and down the hills to explore the hills and formations. No shelter, no bathrooms, no water. Overall beautiful! This hike visits a bit of that history. Hiking in the Horseshoe Canyon in Drumheller, Alberta was one of our favorite things to do in this area. These days the area has a less notorious reputation, and is more frequently visited by hikers than criminals. Can be as short or long as you choose. Following the sign that said “Espinosa Trail to Secret Canyon Trail,” we passed through a metal pipe gate, then walked downhill a short ways to where we connected with the fire road. Continue on Japatul Road for approximately 7 miles. The Swell is steeped in history, from the Native Americans that passed through to the early settlers and Uranium miners. At 1.7 miles we came to a worn, wooden sign marking the beginning of the Pine Creek Wilderness. No facilities ie. Our 3 and 4 year old grandsons loved it. Stand at the canyon edge and take in the entire valley or strap on some hikers and venture deep into the canyon itself – just be careful, there are no interpretive signs and it’s easy to get lost. The Espinosa Trail crosses the creek here and continues on the other side, where it eventually reaches the trail head for Corte Madera and Los Pinos Peak. There have been over 35 dinosaur discoveries recorded in the region uncovering fossils dating as far back as 70 million years ago. Dogs … Rugged Horsethief Butte, part of Washington's expansive Columbia Hills State Park, looms above the glassy waters of Celilo Lake on this now becalmed stretch of the Columbia River.It is composed of hexagonal columns of Wanapum basalt flows, about 15 million years old, which were scoured and cleansed of most of their soil by the Bretz Floods at the end of the last Ice Age. We were losing elevation quickly and even though this was a short hike, we were already somewhat dreading having to climb back up this slope on the way out. Drive 15 minutes from Drumheller, park and look over the canyon. Learn more about things to do, what to expect, hiking trails, and how to get there. Everything is pretty easy to climb/scramble so we followed a “trail” (not the main one) into the canyon and scrambled back up in a few places before meeting up with the main trail to get back to the car. Length: 4.00 mi. , Thanks for the service you provide in blogging about SD County trails! Spend the afternoon admiring colourful layers of rock while picturing the thieves who gave the canyon its name hiding in the coulees and rebranding their stolen mares. Horsethief Canyon: Horse thief hike - See 588 traveler reviews, 340 candid photos, and great deals for Drumheller, Canada, at Tripadvisor. map, For more information, visit: The beautiful view of the valley, without the crowds makes it easy to explore the trails in the area. After a relaxing break, we returned the way we had come. This is the best and least busy Drumheller hike by far. Quick Facts: This section of the Colorado River flows through traditional Ute territory. Turn left onto the Forest Service Road 16S04 and the large parking area will be on your left. Continue on Tavern Road for approximately 2.8 miles where it will turn into Japatul Road. Leslie. I would recommend entering Drumheller from highway 838 and stopping by Horsethief canyon first thing in the morning. Length 1.9 miElevation gain 141 ftRoute type Loop Overview | Getting There | Route | Photos | Maps | Comments. It is an area well documented with fossil discoveries of dinosaurs. Hike Description . At .2 miles we found the turn-off for the Espinosa Trail on the right and followed it downhill. Turn right onto Lyons Valley Road and continue for 1.5 miles until you see the sign for the Japatul Fire Station on the left. Location: Pine Creek Wilderness, Cleveland National Forest, east of San Diego Distance: 3.3 miles roundtrip (to Pine Valley Creek), worthwhile to extend upstream along Pine Valley Creek Elevation Ascent/Descent: 500 feet/500 feet Hiking Smith Canyon - Horsethief Canyon Northern Swell. Also note that this is a “reverse” hike – you’ll be doing the easy downhill hike into the canyon at the start, and the more rigorous uphill climb out of the canyon comes at the end. , We had a lovely hike and the weather was perfect (we left the TH around 4pm), but our dog was awfully disappointed that there wasn’t one drop of water in the creek – she’d been looking forward to swimming like your dog did! Oasis Spring Hiking. A somewhat long drive, rugged dirt road, and limited parking means not too many people venture out for this trek. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, running, and nature trips and is best used from May until October. Spectacular views. Nice walk with spectacular views of the canyon. Then, at the point in the post where it says that the Espinosa Trail branches off to the right, maybe add that you should take that trail? We did make that turn, though. We went when it was raining. As long as you know which rock is the “popcorn rocks” and you know what to avoid, you’ll have fun!!! Kitchen Creek Falls isn't the biggest or most impressive set of falls you'll ever see, but this is still a fun little hike. Fun fun! Secluded. Take I-8 east to the Tavern Road exit. Another group came down the hill from the west, and at least one of them had the same idea as me: wading through that nice cool water. Hills always seem much more formidable when they’re at the very end of a hike, standing in between you and your air conditioned car. would not recommend leaving view point when wet. We went off trail, I think as most people do. Soon enough the trail leveled out as we reached the shelter of some oak trees. see the youtube link for quick overview. Horse Thief Canyon Trail is a 10.4 mile out and back trail located near Willow Beach, Arizona that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. I ended up having to look up the trail info on the Forest Service website. About Ruby-Horsethief Canyon Located west of Grand Junction, Colorado, Ruby-Horsethief Canyon is a great trip down the Colorado River. Would have been more exciting. keep kids close Just an awesome area filled with neat geology. Located on the Dinosaur Trail, just 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Drumheller on the east bank of the Red Deer River, Horsethief Canyon is a must see while exploring the Canadian Badlands. It was a beautiful, clear morning that was quickly warming up. Directions: Particularly stunning at sunrise! The trail offers a number of activity options. Check out some of our favorite hiking guides for San Diego County: This Week in San Diego Hiking – February 11, 2019, This Week in San Diego Hiking – February 4, 2019, This Week in San Diego Hiking – January 28, 2019, This Week in San Diego Hiking – January 14, 2019, This Week in San Diego Hiking – January 7, 2019. Once used by thieves to corral stolen horses before heading for the border. 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