Wheeler Creek Trail, Icebox Canyon, and Art Nord Loop create a beautiful and fairly easy hike with mountains, rivers, meadows, and wildflowers near Ogden, Utah.
Art Nord Trailhead
The Art Nord Trailhead near Snowbasin has pit toilets, a parking lot and a few signs that explain about the area and the work Arthur (Art) Nord did to preserve it.
Wheeler Creek Trail
Turn left at the Art Nord Trailhead. You’ll get another view of a meadow with mountains behind and then walk back along the Wheeler Creek.
There are lots of wildflowers along this section of the trail.
When you are about a mile into the hike, look off to your left and you can look down to see a bridge that is near the beginning of the next section: Icebox Canyon.
Icebox Canyon
Soon you will see the sign and there head right down the hill into icebox canyon. Icebox Canyon is close to the creek and feels a few degrees cooler than the rest of the hike. It is also mostly shaded.
After a bit you’ll have a pretty section of the river right next to the trail.
You’ll cross a few more bridges and go through more of beautiful Icebox Canyon before you have to make the inevitable hill back up. Either direction there will be a hill, since Icebox Canyon is lower than the the rest of the hike.
After you get to the top of the hill there is a straight path for a bit. You can see a tiny bit of Mount Ogden at the top of Snowbasin Ski Resort.
Be sure to look back in the direction you came!
Upper Wheeler Creek Trail
When you get to the sign you see that you will want to turn left slightly downhill to the next section. On the sign it says Art Nord which is the name of the next trailhead. This this section of the trail is called the Upper Wheeler Creek Trail and roughly parallels the Old Snowbasin Road.
Now the trail will have a few aspens and a bridge and then open up into a meadow with gorgeous views. We all agreed it would be a great place for family photos!
There are a few sections of scrub oak to provide a a little shade, but most of this section offers these expansive views.
As you get near the end of this section looking straight ahead and a bit to the left you can see part of the damage from July 2021’s Art Nord forest fire. Luckily it was put out quickly, but you can see how close it was to consuming some of the homes on the ridge. Please follow the fire safety guidelines and prevent wildfires. Off to the left are more beautiful mountain views!
Then you will return to the Art Nord Trailhead. You can also do this trail in reverse.
If you want a longer version, you add more of Wheeler Canyon for a longer loop.
During the winter this trail is also popular for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. It is usually closed during the spring, because it gets too muddy. For this reason I wouldn’t recommend it after rain.
Stats: Distance – 3.4 mile loop (used to be 3.0, but they’ve added switchbacks)
Approximate hiking time – 1-3 hours
Elevation gain – 515 feet
Difficulty – Easy
Trail – well maintained trail of dirt and rocks
Bathrooms – At trailhead
Seasons to hike – April – October (can be done with micro-spikes in winter)
Permits needed – None
Pets allowed – Yes
Other spots nearby are Pineview Reservoir, North Fork Park Waterfall, Paper Airplane Trail, and Birdsong Trail.
