maple canyon

This is a very interesting box canyon between Maroni, Utah and Fountain Green, Utah. It is very hard to find the trail head as you drive up the gravel road that goes to your left off of S. Freedom Rd. Drive exactly 0.8 miles from the start of that gravel road, looking for a large bed of rocks to the right. There is no sign indicating this is the start of Maple Canyon, but if you are in the correct location, the box canyon will open up almost immediately upon entering. The trail itself is very easy to navigate with a gravel bottom and high walls on both sides. The trail will funnel you back to large boulders which at first you walk around. As the trail narrows, you will have to walk over the boulders, and as the boulders get larger and the trail continues to narrow, you eventually must crawl under the boulders to advance. Finally, the boulders block your path entirely and climbing skills are needed to go deeper into the canyon. This is where I turned back. I hear this canyon is popular with rock climbers. The sides of the canyon walls have smaller stones embedded in the them. Also, there is a cave further down the trail that I did not advance far enough to enjoy. if in the area, well worth the stop. There are other hiking trails in the area, but they require a fee to be paid. There is no fee for Maple Canyon. A campground is also further up the gravel road.