State: Utah
Location: Natural Bridges National Monument
Length, Round Trip: 0.6 miles
Trail Type: Out and Back
Elevation Change: 10 feet
Best Season: April to November
Difficulty: Easy
Usage: Moderate
Utah Lake Sunset
Trail Information
The Horsecollar Ruin Site is a major attraction at Natural Bridges and one of the best-preserved ancestral Puebloan sites in the area. Named because the doorways to two structures resemble horsecollars, the site was abandoned more than 700 years ago. Its remarkable state of preservation, including an undisturbed kiva with the original roof and interior, is likely due to the isolation of Natural Bridges: few visitors ever made the journey down these canyons.
The Horsecollar Ruin Trail is a short, mostly level trail leading over the mesa top to the edge of White Canyon. From this perspective you can see the remains of an ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling in a large alcove near the bottom of the canyon. Two granaries with uniquely shaped doors give this ruin its name. To the left of the granaries is a kiva, the community’s ceremonial and meeting room.
Directions
From the Visitor Center:
Drive west along Bridge View Drive to the Horsecollar Ruin Overlook parking area.
