Mint Springs Trail #20

Mint Springs is another trail that connects to Marshall Saddle and its multitude of trail options. There is parking at the trailhead off of Carter Canyon Road. Carter Canyon itself is a good climb if you're hiking up that road after looping from Aspen Draw Trail perhaps.

The trailhead is on the left (south) side of the parking area and is reasonably well signed. Beyond the parking area straight up Carter Canyon is private property. The beginning of the trail climbs up the hillside briefly before predominantly running along the side of the hill. Here the trail is angled downhill in parts, making it not as flat a surface as most trails.

The first third of the trail runs through the trees and can get pretty overgrown during the wetter summer months. The middle third section descends into what seems a meadow area with ferns all around. This is an area hit by the Aspen Fire, and the ferns pop up heavily in the monsoon months with all the sun exposure. The final third of the trail continues up and down through some small canyon areas before the final modest climb up to Marshall Saddle.

This trail is probably one of the least utilized from Marshall Saddle so is somewhat a hidden gem. It's not long but can be a good access point to Marshall Saddle or done as part of a loop with several of the other trails in the area. All-in-all a fun route that's more rolling than most of the area trails.