Horse Canyon Four-Wheel Drive Road

Horse Canyon Road leads six miles one way from its fork with Salt Creek Canyon north of Peekaboo Camp. The roadway is considered moderately difficult as it follows the bed of Horse Canyon southward to Fortress Arch. Drivers will find deep sand, deep water and quick sand along the way.

The route begins two and a half miles south of the Cave Spring Trail. A permit from the visitor center is required to travel in this area. Horse Canyon Splits from Salt Creek and begins to wind southward. At the end of the first mile four-wheelers will be able to see Paul Bunyan's Potty northeast of the roadway.

Passing this large sandstone formation the road turns eastward and comes to a spur road two miles from Salt Creek. This road is an easy drive, which follows a drainage for a quarter mile then leaves the drainage to reach Tower Ruin. It is well worth the extra driving time to reach this ruin, which has withstood the desert climate for several decades.

Beyond the road to Tower Ruin, Horse Canyon Rod turns southward and continues to follow the drainage. Near the end of mile two south of Tower Ruin Road users should take care to notice Gothic Arch, which lies to the west. When you pass a drainage reaching Horse Canyon from the southwest the arch will be directly north of that drainage. You may have to climb to a high point to see it. South of this spur canyon the road continues through the creek bed. Two large canyons empty into Horse Canyon from the east. The road follows the second one for a quarter mile before returning to the main drainage.

South of these canyons approximately one mile the trail reaches Castle Arch Trail. This half mile track leads west from Horse Canyon along a primitive trail to a viewpoint of the sandstone arch. Less than half a mile south of Castle Arch is the Fortress Arch Trail. This primitive track leads southwestward from the road to a viewpoint of Fortress Arch. This is a primitive trail over slickrock that is a half mile in length. Beyond Fortress Arch Trail the road continues southward less than one half mile.

Directions from Needles Visitor Center: Drive westward along the main park road a short distance to the first road on the left. Follow this road southward a half mile then turn left again toward Cave Spring Trail. Before you reach the trailhead for Cave Spring turn right and follow Salt Creek Road 2.5 miles to the beginning of Horse Canyon.

Seasonal Information:
Normally Open: Year-round (NOTE: This road may be impassable when wet. Check at the visitor center for current conditions.) .