Wild Horse Window Utah Hike Guide

Wild Horse Window is a short out and back hike located just outside of Green River, Utah. This is a great family friendly and dog friendly hike that ends at a massive arch and window where hikers can enjoy a snack or soak in the beautiful canyon. This hike also has some petroglyphs who’s authenticity has been debated over the years and many think they are not real. This hike is mostly without a well established trail so it’s best to have a map of the area or a GPS so that you can easily find your way. 

Wild Horse Window Quick Facts

Wild Horse Window  Rating: ★★★★ (⅘ Stars)

Distance: 2 Miles RT

Elevation Start: 5,193ft

Wild Horse Window Elevation: 5,529ft

Total Elevation Gain: 535ft

Estimated Time to Complete: 1-2 Hours

Difficulty: Easy What does this mean?

Class: Class 1 – What does this mean?

Season: Year Round – Best in Winter, Spring and Fall

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Directions to Wild Horse Window

Trailhead: Wild Horse Window Trailhead

Getting Here: From Green River, Utah or I70 – take exit 149 onto UT24 towards Hanksville. Drive for about 24 miles and turn right onto Temple Mountain Road. Continue for 5.2 miles and take a left onto Goblin Valley Road. Drive for about .6 miles and then you will take a right onto a dirt road that is unnamed. Drive for about 400-500 yards to an unmarked trailhead and very small parking area. The hike will start on your right and head down into the wash on a faint trail. 

Parking: There is no official parking lot or trailhead for the Wild Horse Window hike so please park as close to the road as possible and do not create new parking areas off the road. There are no restrooms at the TH. 

Fee: There is no fee for this hike as of 2021. 

Summary

Dogs: This is a dog friendly hike, but avoid this area during summer months and be sure to watch out for snakes as well. 

Camping: If you are looking to camp in the area, there are a ton of dispersed options along Goblin Valley Road and throughout the area. It really is very easy to find a large area to set-up an RV, tent or park a car. 

Make it a Loop: This is an out and back hike but some hikers have said there is an ability to drop down into the canyon to the North for a mini slot canyon experience. However, we did not find this option and would recommend that if you are looking to do this, tread very carefully. There are some massive drop offs into the canyon that would be deadly if you fell. 

Trail X Factors: No Trail

The Wild Horse Window hike sees fairly low traffic and due to this, there is no official trailhead or trail to the window. If you are an experienced hiker and know the general location of the window, it’s pretty obvious where to go. However, if you are not used to route finding or reading a map – it can be easy to get lost. This hike is very easy so if you find yourself in terrain that feels too difficult, you are most likely on the wrong path. Take your time and stick to the path that looks like it has the most footprints and you should be able to find your way. It can be helpful to bring a GPS or map as well. 

Hike Tip(s): When exploring the area underneath the window and arch, be sure to check out the “petroglyphs” on the right side wall under the window. Many have debated the authenticity of these and the consensus is that they are fake. However, they are still cool to look at and worth the time to check out. PLEASE be sure to NEVER create any sort of wall art, graffiti or scratches into the rock/canyon. Its extremely poor trail etiquette and disrespectful to all future hikers in this area. 

Best Views: This hike is beautiful from start to finish with great views of the Henry Mountains, Goblin State Park and of course the Wild Horse Wilderness. The most unique part of the hike is of course the window and arch themselves but soak in the other views along the way. I would recommend this one later in the afternoon for the best lighting or even nighttime for a unique hike under the stars. 

Wild Horse Window Hike Route

Gear Needed

• Men’s Trail Runners
• Women’s Trail Runners
• La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
• La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Women’s)
• Backpack
• Food & Water
• Map of Area
• Optional: Garmin inReach
• Optional: Hiking Poles
• Optional: Microspikes – only during winter months
• Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
• Optional: Camera and Lens
• Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
• *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.

Our Trip to Wild Horse Window: November 2021

With no Thanksgiving plans and a low snow year,  Jackie, Juno and I decided to head to southern Utah. We stayed in Green River our first night and after a long drive from Colorado, the Wild Horse Window was a perfect short hike to stretch our legs. After some confusion, we arrived at the parking area and started the hike on the unmarked trail. 

Finding our way was fairly easy since I am used to route finding, but I was also glad to have a map on a general direction of where to go. After a short hike, we arrived at the Wild Horse Window and soaked in the beautiful area. It was a really unique place and we were glad to have kicked off our trip with such a cool hike. Since this one is relatively unknown, I would easily hike this one again to explore the area more and highly recommend this hike if you are driving through Green River, Utah.