In January 1849, Oliver B. Huntington, Barney Ward and Joseph Matthews entered Utah Valley on an Indian trading expedition. They camped on the banks of a stream near the present site of Springville. That night, the bell-horse slipped her hobbles and led the traders horse band to the mouth of Maple Canyon where Huntington tracked them down, recovered them, and took the horses back to their campsite. The traders named the stream Hobble Creek.

Hobble Creek Canyon is a place I spent a lot of my time growing up, the mouth of the canyon is in Springville/Mapleton and it goes up past the Reservoir, Golf Course and parks.   The canyon splits and right fork goes up and over the mountain down into Diamond Fork Canyon, it’s a nice road  Left fork goes to many cabins and eventually to Wallsburg but it’s a really rough road.

Related Posts:

• Camp Jeremiah Johnson
• Hobble Creek Reservoir
• Jolley’s Ranch
• The Kelly Ranch
• Kirkman Hollow
• Wardsworth Canyon
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Making of the Hobble Creek Canyon Parkway

In February 1997, the Hobble Creek Parkway Committee submitted the trail proposal. In January of 1998 they received the grant confirmation for $55,000. With help from the Forest Service, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah County, and Springville City, construction began in August 2001, and was completed in November of the same year. Asphalt was laid in the Spring of 2002.

Fish in Hobble Creek

Fish that can be found in Hobble Creek are cutthroat trout, brown trout, and a few rainbow trout. Cutthroats are the only native species. Stocking of rainbows, and all other fish in Hobble Creek has been discontinued because they are now self-sustaining and are reproducing naturally.

Wildlife in Hobble Creek Canyon

As you stand here and take in the beauty of this place, the first thing you might notice is the sound of water running over the rocks in Hobble Creek, or maybe a breeze or wind in the trees. If you look and listen, depending on the time of year, you could hear the song of a robin, junco, meadowlark, or gold finch. The calls of kingfishers and chuckers are heard high on the mountainsides. The sharp bark of a squirrel echoes down the canyon. Although you might not see these animals, they are here along with a host of others, including: humming birds, magpies, quail, mule deer, elk, coyotes, black bears, red fox, beavers, flying squirrels, cougars, lizards, water snakes, rattlesnakes, garter snakes, deer mice, voles, skunks, raccoons, muskrats, and weasels.