Near Heber and Francis

5.6 miles (plus 1.1 miles by car)

Intermediate

4 hours

7450 feet to 9100

-1650

Summer through mid-fall

From the sign marking Nobletts Creek Trailhead, the track follows along the north side of Nobletts Creek for 0.3 mile to a point where the canyon forks. It then veers away from the stream and begins the long, gentle climb to the top of Left Fork Nobletts Canyon. After about 1.8 miles the canyon widens into a long grassy meadow where you will see an iron watering tank for sheep that are grazed in the area. (Tanks like this one are often full of dead birds that fly in to get a drink and drown trying to get out. If you want to help the birds, put something that floats, like a piece of wood, in the water so they will have a place to land when they come to get water.)

The meadow ends abruptly a short distance beyond the watering tank, and the trail intersects another less well traveled path. You should turn left at this point and follow the new trail in a westerly direction. After 0.3 mile the track swings to the south and begins descending again. This is the highest point on the hike. After another 0.3 mile you will enter a large grove of aspen, with a ground cover of tall green grass. You may find it difficult to follow the trail in the tall grass, but there are old blaze marks on the trees to help you. Soon you will run into the much more distinct Log Hollow Trail, where you should turn right to complete the loop. Before starting down Log Hollow, however, I suggest that you turn left and go for about 300 yards to the east, where the trail dead-ends in a small clearing on the side of a knoll. Your reward is a terrific view of the South Fork Provo River Valley. Far below you can see the Nobletts Creek Trailhead where the hike began.

The remainder of the trail is quite easy to follow. After passing through two more meadows it slowly meanders downward through Log Hollow, finally coming to the end of an old jeep road about 2.3 miles from the top. Follow the jeep road for another 0.6 mile to Highway 35 where the hike ends.