Yellow Fork Canyon

Yellow Fork Canyon (also called Rose Canyon) is a secluded hiking/biking area in Herriman, Utah. In 2015, the county added a huge parking lot to accommodate the horse trailers and cars that used to have to line up along the “no parking” signs on the shoulder-less road near the entrance. Even with a crowded parking lot, there are enough trail branches to feel like you have the place to yourself. All trails eventually return to the water that trickles through the center of the canyon, so it would be hard to get lost. There are picnic tables every half-mile or so for two miles. (You can continue beyond that as the trail gets less and less groomed.)

I ride my bike up there and my beagle Ralphie runs along about once a week. It takes a mildly-out-of-shape guy about 35 minutes to do the 4 miles roundtrip, perfect for a lunch break. It’s a great area for horseback riding, mountain biking (medium strenuous – might be boring if you’re hardcore), and hiking with or without kids. Avoid it for a day or two after a hard rain.

Every once in a while, a hawk flies over like he’s considering my dog for a meal. I sincerely hope my camera is running when he finally tries.