Overview

Hype:

The Wardsworth Trail is a scenic, moderately easy hiking and mountain biking route located in the right fork of Hobble Creek Canyon near Springville, Utah. It follows alongside Wardsworth Creek through shady forest, meadows, creek crossings and occasional steeper segments, offering a peaceful nature walk with plenty of creek-side views and fall colors. Parking is limited, and the trail is best enjoyed in the months when the road gates are open and the snow has melted.

Trail Condition: Class 3 (Trail may have sections where hands are needed. Trail may not be visible in spots or may not exist at all.)

Time: 3-5 hours

Length: 6.5 miles out and back, or connect with other trails

Elevation Gain: 1,200 ft

Fees: None

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Links: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/wardsworth-trail
https://www.utahsadventurefamily.com/wardsworth-trail-hobble-creek-canyon/

Route

The trail is well maintained and easy to follow. Simple follow the trail along the creek northeast as far as you want to go. Then return the way you came. The trail has multiple stream crossings, but almost everyone in our group kept their feet dry by walking on the logs and rocks stacked up at each crossing.

At the end of Wardsworth Trail, you can continue onto the Dry Canyon Cut Off #2 Trail, which takes a side canyon to the north and loops back around or terminates at a different trailhead.

Maps

Closest City or Region: Springville, Utah

Coordinates: 40.195533, -111.391933

Interactive Guide Map

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August 30, 2025 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Madilyn Dye, Cooper Dye, Anthony Dye, Arianne Dye, Miller Dye, Kingston Dye, Ondylyn Wagner, Killian Wagner, Calliope Wagner, Jennii Fielding,

Story

Day 1 - We got everyone up and ready, did some last-minute packing, and set off for a backpacking trip. We drove up Hobble Creek Canyon and met Anthony’s family, Andy’s family, and Jennii’s family at the Wardsworth trailhead.

We were about 45 minutes late since we didn’t budget enough time for the drive, and because Madi took quite a while to get ready. Ondy arrived at the same time we did.

The Wardsworth Trail was a lot of fun and just the right difficulty since we had nine kids with us, most of them 10 or younger. 

The trail follows the creek the whole way, so there aren’t any major elevation gains. We hiked up slowly, focusing on having a good time rather than moving quickly.Near the top, we dropped our packs and played some games. It was a decent camping spot but not ideal. Anthony, Tara, and I hiked a little further to scout, and a few of the kids tagged along. We found a better camp about 10 minutes up the trail, so we gathered everything and relocated.

We set up hammocks and fixed dinner. 

The younger kids played on the bank of the creek, climbing up a steep hillside by grabbing roots and swinging around. They also built several stick teepees. Savannah and Madi hung out with the adults. We talked about Ondy’s life changes and other fun topics.

That night, Kingston was awake from 1:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m. It was quite cold, and several people in the group didn't have adequate sleeping bags.

Day 2 - We woke up and fixed breakfast. 

We played at camp, talked, and hung out some more. We played a round of Canadian Salad. Then we fixed lunch and packed up camp.

Some of the adults started hiking back with the slowest kids while the rest of us hung back to refill water bottles with the very slow filter. We hiked back to the cars much more quickly than the hike up. We drove home.

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Pictures