Utah Hiking
In Utah, hiking will bring you to some beautiful places-places
you'll never see near the roads. Utah has great parks, mountains
and national forests for hiking and backpacking. Below are links
to the official park service pages for some of the national parks
in Utah, and information on other hiking opportunities in Utah.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park has amazing red rock formations.
Erosion has shaped colorful limestones, sandstones, and mudstones
into thousands of spires, fins, pinnacles, and mazes. They call
these "hoodoos," and you can hike the trails in, around,
and under them. There are many shorter trails for day hiking,
and a few longer ones that will take you deeper into the wilderness.
For more information, use this link to visit the official Bryce Canyon
National Park.
Zion National Park
Zion is an ancient Hebrew word meaning sanctuary, or a place
of refuge. The park has 229 square miles is a dramatic landscape
of sculptured canyons and soaring cliffs. It's unique geology
is, in part, because it is at the junction of the Colorado Plateau,
Great Basin and Mojave Desert. This has created a variety of
environments within Zion. You'll see more plant and animal diversity
here than just about anywhere in Utah.
Hiking "The Narrows" in Zion National Park is an
incredible experience. And on your way there, look closely at
the spots on the walls five hundred feet above you. They are
usually climbers. Zion is a busy place, especially if you are
only decaying the slot canyons, but it's worth seeing at least
once in your life. For more information, use the link here to
visit the official Zion National Park Web Site.
Arches National Park
Arches National Park has over two thousand natural sandstone
arches, the most famous being "Delicate Arch." You'll
find a variety of other interesting rock formations as well,
including balanced rocks, fins and pinnacles. The Arches are
what bring the visitors, though. The park contains the greatest
density of natural arches in the world. There are hiking opportunities
for both day hikes and multi-day trips. For more information,
use this link to visit the official Arches National Park Web Site.
Cedar Breaks National Monument
A huge natural amphitheater has been eroded out of the variegated
Pink Cliffs near Cedar City, Utah. Sedimentation, uplift and
erosion have created a deep canyon of rock walls, fins, spires
and columns, that spans some three miles, and is over 2,000 feet
deep. The canyon rim is over 10,000 feet above sea level, and
is forested with Englemann spruce, subalpine fir and aspen; separated
by broad meadows of brilliant summertime wild flowers.
Hiking is mostly limited to day trips, such as the Spectra
Point/Ramparts Trail, which takes you one mile to the Spectra
Point Overlook. If you are prepared for a slightly more strenuous
stretch, you can continue one mile further to the Ramparts Overlook
at trail's end, then hike the two miles back to the trailed for
a 4-mile round trip. The trail is somewhat strenuous, and at
10,000 feet above sea level. For more information, use this link
to visit the official Cedar Breaks National Monument Web Site.
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is a landscape of canyons, mesas,
and deep river gorges . It is divided into four distinct areas
or environments by the Colorado and Green rivers: the Island
in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze and the rivers themselves.
All have a desert atmosphere, but each retains its own character
and has different opportunities for hiking and exploration, both
for day trips and multi-day backpacking. For more information,
use the link here to visit the official Canyonlands National Park Web Site.
Utah Hiking In The Mountains
The Rockies cut through the northern part of Utah, making
for great mountain hiking. Provo Canyon, pictured above, for
example, has trails for hiking trips of all lengths. For more
information on these areas, use the link here to the official
Utah
State Tourism Web Site.
Less Crowded Utah Hiking
In the national parks of Utah, hiking can be a bit crowded,
but there are alternatives. In Escalante/Grand Staircase National
Monument, for example, you can drive the back roads for hours
without seeing a soul, so you know you'll have the trails to yourself when you
get out of the car. In fact, you won't even need trails in many
areas, which is good, because you won't find trails in many areas
(bring a good map). For more information, use this link to visit
the official Grand
Staircase Escalante National Monument Web Site.
Southern Utah Hiking Weather
The rainy season is from July to September in southern Utah,
and flash floods are a possibility. Temperatures can top 100
degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. In the spring or fall, you
can go hiking and backpacking light and comfortable. Just be
sure to carry plenty of water, and maybe some climbing gear if
you want to do more than look at those fantastic rock formations.
Mountain Hiking
Home | Utah Hiking |
