Take A Hike: Coal Canyon Trailhead - Main Canyon
What family-friendly hike could be more enjoyable than one shared with wild horses? With snow in the high country, winter is the perfect time to get out and explore Main Canyon, a highly accessible spur off Coal Canyon Road.
Photo by Melanie Wiseman
Located a few miles east of Mount Garfield, Main Canyon is located in the Little Bookcliffs Wild Horse Area, part of the Bookcliffs range extending from Western Colorado to Eastern Utah. Wild horse habitat is the primary concern in this area specifically designated for wild horses. Main Canyon is a moderately trafficked trail in the free roaming horse range which encompasses 36,113 acres of rugged canyons and plateaus north of Grand Junction. Approximately 150 wild horses call the sagebrush parks and pinyon-juniper covered hills home.
The hike itself is an out-and-back hike for all skill levels, following a meandering stream (great for the kids or dogs to play in). Although the Main Canyon hike is easy, the sandy trail will slow your pace. No worries, as you’ll want to take in the dramatic views of the Grand Mesa and keep your eyes peeled for horse sightings.
The wild horses can blend in with the terrain like a Bev Doolittle painting, so bring binoculars and stop occasionally to scan the canyon foothills. Horses travel in small bands and are on the move. Observe them from a safe distance. If their behavior changes, then you are too close.
Photo by Melanie Wiseman
The trailhead elevation is 6,018 feet, slightly higher than the Grand Valley, which you can use as a guide for weather conditions. The best time of day to hike Main Canyon is in the morning when the ground is solid and the sun is out. Early afternoon the sun ducks behind the Bookcliffs and the trail is shaded. If not prepared, this can turn a warm outing to a chilly one very quickly.
GETTING THERE
From Grand Junction, drive east on I-70 and take the Cameo exit (#45); then drive across the Colorado River and train tracks, past the Cameo Shooting and Education Complex. After just over two miles, you will come to the end of the wellmaintained dirt road (no 4WD necessary) and park in the lot labeled Coal Canyon Trailhead, the same trailhead for Main Canyon.
There is a restroom, and you will see the Main Canyon trailhead to the left of the parking area. The trailhead is well marked, where the trail itself leaves the hiker to follow a welltrodden path from previous explorers. Getting lost isn’t an option, as you are following a nearly 12-mile canyon and creek bed.
Enjoy Main Canyon for a couple hours, or make a whole day of it!
Originally published in the Winter 2021-22 issue of Spoke+Blossom.