Horseshoe Canyon Trail

This trail starts at the roadway into Old Baldy Campground and climbs along an abandoned road through open fields and mixed forest. When you reach the top, there is a spectacular view of the Horseshoe Canyon landslide and the rolling rangeland to the north. The trail lies south of Elkwater Lake and west of Ferguson Hill Road. Hiking up this trail can be kind of a slog, but it can be linked with the Beaver Creek Trail to make a 10 kilometere loop. You'll reach the canyon viewpoint near the top, and the view is spectacular. Here the high, resistant conglomerate that makes up the height of the Cypress Hills has been eroded, forming a steep drop with views all the way to Elkwater Lake. As you hike through the high country of the Cypress Hills, wildflowers are everywhere. The blue of the lupines and the yellows of the locoweed predominate, but an endless variety awaits the curious hiker that takes the time to look.