Salt Trail Canyon
Posted: Oct 11 2005 11:34 am
What are the driving directions to the trail head? We would love to hike there. The pictures that I have seen are beautiful.
On the official Arizona State Roadmap (produced by Arizona Highways Magazine), a dirt road is
shown heading west from US 89 at Cedar Ridge. Cedar Ridge is 43 miles south of Page and 41 miles
north of Cameron. Cedar Ridge used to be a trading post, but all that remains visible now from US 89
is the graded dirt road. This junction serves as our starting point (mile 0.0). This is not the only way to get to the Hopi Salt trailhead, but is the only route I have detailed directions for. The first 16.9 miles are along graded dirt roads.
The directions for the first 17.3 miles are borrowed, while those of the last 2.5 miles are my
own. The last 2.5 miles were recorded during my last trip in 1991, but not merged into this
document until 1995. The last 2.5 miles are along unmaintained double tracks. Two-wheel drive, high
clearance is all that is required to reach the trailhead (although I have seen passenger cars
there). Don't consider doing this in the dark - it will be hopeless. All distances are
cumulative (not interval).
0.0 Proceed west from Cedar Ridge (Road 6110, if the sign is still there).
6.8 Turn left onto Road 6120. (Road 6110 continues straight.)
7.4 Bear right at fork. Ignore secondary roads bearing off to the right for the next 2
miles.
11.4 Continue straight in a southerly direction. Do not take road bearing to the left.
13.8 Pass wooden shack and a corral. Marble Canyon is visible in the distance on the right.
16.9 Turn right off the southerly graded main road. The unmaintained road follows a slight
rise in elevation
This is was the easy part. What follows is a menagerie of roads in various states of repair.
One mistake from now on can get you very lost ...trust me. The forks are numerous and tightly
spaced from here on in. If you get lost, return to the two hogans and corral at mile 17.3 and try
again from there, since it is your best reference point. Generally speaking, if you wander into any
significant drainages along the way, then you are lost. Also if you encounter any true 4WD
roads, you are probably lost. If my mileages stop making sense, turn back, all the way to the two
hogans/corral ...trust me.
16.9 Junction of main road and the turnoff to the first unmaintained road.
17.0 Stay right.
17.3 Two hogans (primitive Navajo homes) and a corral are located in a slight depression.
Be very careful with your bearings here! Drive right up to the abandoned settlement. As you face the
settlement, you are facing west. As you approach the settlement from the main road, turn left
around the south side of the abandoned settlement, and proceed south, up and out of the slight
depression. Memorize this spot; you may have to return to it. I have tried to take into account
all junctions from here on in; even those in which you clearly stay straight on your current
road instead of veering off onto some faint road. Reset your trip odometer here.
0.0 Two hogans and a corral, as above, with your trip odometer reset.
0.1 Bear right.
0.4 Bear right.
1.1 Bear left.
1.3 Bear right.
1.5 Bear right.
1.6 Bear left.
1.7 Stone hogan visible on the right.
2.0 Bear left.
2.2 Bear right.
2.4 Pass by a large cairn on the hilltop. Hopi Salt Trail Canyon and the trailhead parking
lot is visible from this hilltop.
2.5 Turnoff to trailhead parking. Congratulations - hope you find your way out OK.
The following USGS topos are useful, (but don't rely on them for road accuracy);
Shinumo Altar, AZ, 1954, 15 minute
Blue Spring, AZ, 1954, 15 minute
With respect to the Shinumo Altar map, the route follows next to the following features, in
succession;
- First Reservoir
- Pass between Tooth Rock and Bodaway Mesa
- Curve Reservoir
- Big Reservoir
- Horse Reservoir
- Elevation Point 5875
The Blue Spring map does not show any of your roads, but it does show Salt Trail Canyon. Its a
short downhill hike from the trailhead parking lot to the point at which the trail drops off the
rim into the canyon. Scrambling and bouldering is required almost immediately after the drop-off.
(excerpted from http://www.grandcanyontreks.org/salt.htm )