Lee Canyon Narrows (Easy Moderate) - 9/17/22

Mummy's Head from Lee Canyon Trail (Narrows down to Left)

Obstacle Rock from top of Narrows

Antique Car Museum on Lee Canyon Trail

Turning down Lee Canyon Wash

Fourteen and a half (Odie) hikers arrived for an easy moderate hike into Lee Canyon and up around through the Sawmill Trails. It was a beautiful cool morning. We started out the entrance to the trailhead and crossed the road onto Champion Road. This road dips down into the Lee Canyon wash where we turned left to hike down through the gravel. Lee Canyon is a deep canyon that runs all the way down 17 miles from the ski slopes below Lee Peak to SR 95. Sawmill Trailhead is located 4.5 miles from the top and already, Lee Canyon is almost 100 feet deep. The canyon deepens to 150 feet at our lowest point for the day at the narrows. We hiked down through the wash with the first point of interest being the upper narrows.

Upper Narrows of Lee Canyon

Enjoying Lee Canyon

Antique Car in Lee Canyon Wash

Wash narrowing Down

The upper narrows are bound by tall walls with pinnacles and windows in the caliche conglomerate. However, these narrows are wider apart than the lower narrows. We continued down and passed the antique car that lies in state within the wash. Every year it has different amounts of gravel inside and covering the outside. Shortly after the car, we came to the top of the lower narrows as the rock walls closed in. We stopped short at a fifteen foot drop and took a look at Obstacle Rock blocking the slot entrance. After everyone had a chance to see the view, we returned up wash about 25 yards and turned to our right to join the Lee Canyon Trail that passes the narrows by going up and around on the hillside above.

Hiking into the top of the Narrows

Bottom of Narrows

Tiny Flowers and Fauna

Fourteen & 1/2 in Lee Canyon Narrows

Rain has washed this trail on the lower end of the hill so rocks and ruts made the going difficult. We got to the lower end of the narrows and entered the walls. Lots of oohs and ahhs! Almost everyone ducked below Obstacle Rock to see the big drop we had visited from the top. Then we took a moderate break and our group photo inside the cool cavern-like slot. Returning up and over the steep hill, we continued up the Lee Canyon Trail to pass by another old car, some rusted tin cans, a huge very old tire and one more buried old car. Here, we turned to the right onto an old road to climb back up to Lee Canyon Road. There is a continuation of this old road on the other side of the pavement that soon crosses Cardamine Road. For a shorter hike, turn left here.

Trail above the Narrows

Steep Up & Around

Sunlight through the Trees

Really big Tire!

Just across Cardamine Road, there is the Yellow Trail junction. We started up the trail that first circles one end of the Sawmill Equestrian Trailhead. There are a couple of left turning trails that will bring you back to Sawmill Trailhead quicker but we bypassed both of them. We were ascending on a gentle slope and finally came to where the Blue Trail entered in on the right side. Staying on the Yellow Trail, we veered to the left and climbed a little more as we enjoyed getting a little more workout. We could see the Sawmill ridge above us and Mummy's Head behind us since we were about halfway up the elevation to the ridge. Circling around, we came to the Red Trail junction that turns to the right. We waited for hikers to pass by.

View down Lee Canyon

Climbing out of Lee Canyon

Sawmill Ridge from Yellow/Blue Trail

Hiking Up

We turned to the left staying on the Yellow Trail and began our undulating descent. This part of the trail swings out toward Macks Canyon Road and back to the Sawmill Trailhead. The mountains had come alive with visitors. We had enjoyed the best part of the morning! Excellent easy moderate hike!

Stats: 4 miles; 600' gain; 2.75 hours

Yellow Trail

Hiking Down

Returning to Sawmill Trailhead