Great Western Trail - Horse Creek Section

The Horse Creek Section (Forest Trail #34001.3) runs 7.8 miles one-way through Dixie National Forest, rated moderate for hikers and horses and difficult for mountain bikes. The trailhead is reached from Tropic — 7.4 miles west on Highway 12 to the Bryce Canyon/Antimony intersection.

Good to know

• The trail follows an old road briefly before climbing steeply, then breaks off to switchback up to a ridge with some of the more scenic views along this stretch of the GWT
• Around the 2-mile mark it crosses a saddle and drops toward Horse Creek itself
• Near the end, at about 7.75 miles, the trail crosses a meadow before an extremely steep final climb up to Forest Road 140, where the section terminates
• Water may be available in Horse Creek but isn't dependable — filter or treat anything you draw, and carry your own for a day hike

The ridge walk in the middle third is the highlight — a steep grind on either end bookending genuinely scenic high terrain.