Utah · Hiking · Dark Canyon Wilderness

Trail Canyon

9.3 mi
round trip
1,281 ft
climb
7,804 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct
best months

Is Trail Canyon open right now?

No closures listed

The Forest Service lists no closures for Manti-La Sal National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Manti-La Sal National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Trail Canyon is a hard hike in Utah's Dark Canyon Wilderness, part of the Monticello Ranger District of Manti-La Sal National Forest. The route is an out-and-back of about 9.3 miles, with a total elevation gain of 1,281 feet from a low point of 6,525 feet to a high of 7,804 feet. The trail is on natural surface and allows horses. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically May and September, when typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 71°F to 77°F. That station sits about 1,300 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. Several other hikes lie within a few miles. The White Rim Trail West is about a mile away, and the Big Spring Spur is about 2 miles off. The Trail Canyon To Dark Canyon Connect and the White Rim Trail East are both within about 4 miles.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct

    Best time to visit Trail Canyon

    Best months: April–June and August–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      39° / 20°

      6 wet · 4 snow

    2. Feb

      43° / 24°

      6 wet · 3 snow

    3. Mar

      53° / 30°

      5 wet · 2 snow

    4. Apr

      60° / 35°

      5 wet · 1 snow

    5. May

      71° / 44°

      5 wet

    6. Jun

      83° / 54°

      3 wet

    7. Jul

      89° / 60°

      7 wet

    8. Aug

      85° / 58°

      8 wet

    9. Sep

      77° / 51°

      6 wet

    10. Oct

      63° / 39°

      5 wet

    11. Nov

      50° / 29°

      4 wet · 2 snow

    12. Dec

      39° / 20°

      6 wet · 4 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Natural Bridges Nm, UT, 18.3 mi away at 6,508 ft. The station sits about 1,300 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Dark CanyonPhoto: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Dark Canyon

~8 min drive

26.83-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 642 ft elevation gain.

Rig Canyon Trail - 5161Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Rig Canyon Trail - 5161

~8 min drive

5.96-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 1,512 ft gain and 8,135 ft max elevation.

HIKE

Big Spring Spur

~3 min drive

1.78-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 137 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

Salt Creek

~19 min drive

21.09-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 504 ft gain and 1,953 ft loss.

Woodenshoe TrailPhoto: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Woodenshoe Trail

~13 min drive

28.87-mile out-and-back trail in Utah managed by the Forest Service.

HIKE

Poison Canyon Overlook

~9 min drive

4.09-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 543 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Trail Canyon To Dark Canyon Connect

~4 min drive

4.34-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 894 ft elevation gain

HIKE

WHITE RIM TRAIL WEST

~2 min drive

13.7-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 2,779 ft elevation gain and loss.

HIKE

Horse Mountain Trail

~12 min drive

3.52-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 1,179 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

WHITE RIM TRAIL EAST

~7 min drive

1.82-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 390 ft elevation gain