Card Canyon East

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

There is a short section (by the ponds near the top of the trail) that is somewhat hard to distinguish sometimes, so keep an eye out for the trail in that section. Also, the trail sometimes forks in weird places, so try to stay on the main trail to avoid unnecessary erosion.

From the sign that indicates the two forks of Card Canyon, take the left fork. It starts off by gradually ascending past a small picnic area, and then enters a sparsely populated forest.
The trail has some fun, short rocky sections as it ascends as it follows the canyon bottom. Eventually it reaches a short switchback where the trail leaves the bottom of the canyon and starts to parallel it from up above, and has some short, fun downhill sections mixed in with the ascent.

After a little over a half a mile from the starting point, there is a really spectacular rock thumb jutting up, right by the trail, off to the left (as you are going up). This is definitely one of the highlights of this trail. Soon after passing the rock thumb, the trail switches back and ascends into the meadow that houses the ponds that are surrounded by bluebells in spring. Keep an eye on the trail as you go past the ponds, and then the trail becomes distinct again as it starts to ascend steeply, over fallen trees and through an aspen grove until it emerges into a clearing, and then onto the Adams Corral Road.

Lots of great aspens and other trees for beautiful fall colors in the fall, and bluebells near the springs/ponds at the top in the springtime.