75 miles from the nearest town and notoriously difficult to find lies a faint route into Little Colorado Canyon known only as “Horse Trail.” We’ve been there a few times, and even the local Navajo are surprised to hear such a trail exists. It’s not well-traveled, but it’s the easiest way into the Little Colorado gorge. It takes about 4-5 hours to reach canyon bottom, with some intermediate route-finding along the way.
Horse Trail reaches canyon bottom about 10-12 miles (best guess) above Blue Spring. While the descent is easy, the journey from that point on is expert-only, with quicksand and swift currents in abundance.
If you’re looking for the fastest route to blue water with straightforward hiking afterwards, the descent down Salt Canyon is a better choice. Salt is more rugged but easier to follow than Horse, and leads you right to a prime section of blue water. That being said, Horse Trail will always be my favorite. Apart from grinding it all the way down from Cameron, Horse Trail is the only way to witness the magical transition from clear water to blue, and while the journey is difficult, the rewards are great.
