Hiking The Salmon - Boulder Mountain

Overview

Sat

62° | 41°

Sun

53° | 39°

Mon

57° | 35°

Tue

62° | 36°

Wed

62° | 42°

( Rated 3.0 / 1 Ratings )

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RATING: Easy hike

LENGTH: 2-3 hours (2.3 miles)

MAPS: GOLDEN THRONE, UT; BEAR CANYON, UT

SEASON: Late Spring through Fall

GEAR: Standard Hiking Gear

WATER: None, bring all you need.

Sat

62° | 41°

Sun

53° | 39°

Mon

57° | 35°

Tue

62° | 36°

Wed

62° | 42°

One of the arches at The Salmon

The Salmon is a sandstone formation east of Lower Bowns Reservoir. I was intrigued to find "Natural Arches" marked on the topographical map on the Salmon. Armed with just that information, the family and I went out to check it out. Turns out to be an easy hike, partly along a cattle trail, to the arches. There are two, but the highest is difficult to see, and really only visible from a distance. The second is easy to visit from the bottom and a fairly impressive arch.

This is probably not a destination hike, unless you are an arch enthusiast, but is a nice short hike if you are visiting the nearby Lower Pleasant Creek Falls or Tantalus Creek Corral.

Nice rock features along the hike to the Salmon

Getting There

The trailhead is east of UT-12 beyond Lower Bown Reservoir. To get there, head south on UT-12 from the UT-24/UT-12 junction east of Torrey. Follow UT-12 for about 17 miles to milepost 106.1.

MP 106.1 - Reset odometer as you turn off UT-12. This is signed Lower Bowns Reservoir. There are many side roads and primitive camping opportunities along the way. Stay on the main road until directed otherwise. 12S 470414E 4216961N / 38°05'60"N 111°20'15"W

3.15 miles - Junction. Right goes to Lower Bowns Reservoir. Go left here, toward Jorgenson Flat and Tantalus Creek. 12S 474801E 4217886N / 38°06'30"N 111°17'15"W

7.6 miles - Junction. Go right here, towards Captiol Reef. 12S 480225E 4221827N / 38°08'39"N 111°13'32"W

8.25 miles - Smaller side road on the right that goes to the Tantalus Corral. Stay left. The road descends to Tantalus Creek and crosses it. The crossing can have a muddy spot or two. Be sure to check it before crossing. 12S 480717E 4221404N / 38°08'25"N 111°13'12"W

9.6 miles - The Salmon Trailhead. This is at a nondescript spot just after the road made a couple of bends. This is also right where the juniper trees that are next to the road end. 12S 482085E 4220295N / 38°07'49"N 111°12'16"W

R and Diane at the gate along the way.

Route Description

The trailhead is fairly nondescript. The goal is to cross over the ridge south of the trailhead. From where you park, begin heading southwest. After just a few minutes, begin angling more south and up. On our visit, there had been recent cattle moved on an old trail here, and it was fairly easy to find and follow the path.

The path of least resistance will lead you to a gate/fence. Pass through it and continue over the top of the ridge. From the top of the ridge, on our visit, the cattle trail braids into many trails. Head down to Maverick Draw via whatever looks to be the easiest path. Just keep an eye on your route so you can find it again at the end of the hike!

Follow Maverick Draw up stream. The large sandstone feature, The Salmon, is easily visible in the distance. As you get closer, look for the arches. The highest arch is most visible from a distance. The lower arch is easy to spot up the first major drainage that goes to The Salmon. Return the same way.