Utah is an area with an abundance of majestic rock and epic scenery. I had been wanting to visit the adventure-filled state for so long and hike some of the parks in Southern Utah. I only spent a little over a week in Utah, so I definitely did not do everything I wanted to do. I started off with an extensive list of things on my "to-do" list, but made my decisions based on recommendations and feedback from other travelers and park staff. The reality is, you could spend a lifetime hiking Utah. There are so many National and State parks scattered across the state with spectacular and majestic scenery. There is a huge diversity of landscapes and environments in Utah as well. You will not only see epic desert landscapes, but also towering mountains, dense forests, and everything in between! Do not be intimidated by these vast deserts! There is something for everyone at any level of hiking in these parks.
The scenery that I saw in Southern Utah was unbelievable. I started off in Zion National Park and moved across Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches National Park. Each park I visited greeted me with new and unique sights to behold! I tried to do several hikes at each park and definitely had some favorites out of the hikes I completed in Utah that really stood out to me. Out of the hikes that I did, these 5 were my favorite hikes I did in Utah:
1) Angels's Landing- Zion National Park
Distance: 5 miles (8 km)
Difficulty: Relative (Mostly uphill, some climbing on narrow paths to peak)
How long it took me: About 4.5 hours with some stops
Angels Landing has become an famous spot for visitors for years. Known for its spectacular views and exhilarating climbs, most hikers have heard of this hike before. This was a hike I had known about for a while and it was already on my to-do list before I got to the park. When I arrived, I decided to jump in and do it on the first day. Angels Landing is mostly an uphill hike that winds up the mountain with beautiful views the entire way. No matter how far up the mountain you decide to go, it is definitely worth the climb because the views just get better and better as you ascend. There's a stopping point towards the top where I would recommend anyone not wanting to do the rest of the climb to the peak stop and take in the views. The ascent to the peak is really not as dramatic as it sounds a lot of places online, but it is narrow and I definitely do not recommend it to anyone with a great fear of heights. As long as you are careful and hold onto the bolted chains for assistance, you will be fine hiking up to the peak. Please refer to the post I dedicated to the hike for a detailed account of the trail and the hike.
2) Navajo Loop/Peek-aboo loop- Bryce Canyon National Park
Distance: (6.8 mi/10.9 km ROUNDTRIP)
Difficulty: Relative
How long it took me: About 4-5 hours with many stops
In my opinion, this hike is a wonderful way to see Bryce Canyon National Park. It is probably one of my favorite hikes I've done yet in the US National Parks. The loop is a nice day hike with many spectacular stopping points. It's relatively relaxed, but there are definitely some steep up and downhill parts that may get you out of breath. With the exception of the Navajo Loop being a fairly popular hike, after I emerged out of the high canyon walls, I hardly saw anyone for the rest of the hike despite it being a fairly busy time of year.
To begin the trail, I started on the 1.3 mile/2.2 km Navajo Loop Trail. Beginning at the Sunset Point Lot, I descended down the Navajo Trail into the amphitheater that took me weaving between the canyon walls. It was a quiet and beautiful 70 degree morning that day and the sun was just beginning to illuminate the entire amphitheater. The Navajo Loop is a series of steep switchbacks that descend down into the amphitheater. Then you weave through the canyon going downhill into the amphitheater floor. This loop can be done by all levels of hikers, but going uphill can be a little tiring for some. Most people stopped at the end of the Navajo Loop trail, but I followed the trail to the Peak-a-boo loop trail. As I left the canyon walls, it opened up into a sparse forest surrounded by the towering hoodoos and amphitheater walls. The section after the fork in the trail was the most flat part of the trail and the loop had me weaving around the amphitheater, which shows off many fantastic and different sites of Bryce Canyon.
The thing that I especially liked about this hike was its constant changes in elevation. I will say that this hike could be slightly strenuous for some hikers as it has a lot of steep up and down stretches. However, the reason I really liked that about this hike was because I felt like I got to see the canyon and the views surrounding it from so many different points. I got to be right in the middle of the towering rock and then overlooking miles of hoodoos and open desert from a higher elevation point. I recommend hiking at your own pace and really taking the time to enjoy the views. The elevation change is also nice with weather because you won't feel like you're roasting in the hot sun the whole hike like many desert hikes. There are many shaded areas along the trail, so there are many opportunities to find some shade to rest in. Take a lot of water (always) anyways, though!You get to see the amphitheater and hoodoos from nearly every view and the incredible Wall of Windows on this hike. I stopped so many times to take pictures and appreciate the fantastic viewing points. I did encounter a few horse tours coming through certain parts of the trail, but you just have to politely step aside and give them plenty of room to safely pass by. Overall, this hike is an incredible day hike for those looking for miles of scenic views and interesting landscapes. I definitely recommend it to any beginner to experienced hikers visiting Bryce Canyon National Park.
3) Goblin Valley- Goblin Valley State Park
Distance: 3 Square Miles (Free roaming trail)
Difficulty: Easy
How long it took me: About 1.5 hour
This place is really a trip! I had seen tons of pictures of this infamous state park online and decided I had to see it myself. I remember embarking on a long journey from Bryce Canyon National Park to Canyonlands that day and passing the sign. It took me about a few miles before I decided I had to turn around. It had been on my list for a while and who knows when I'd get to be in Utah again and I'm glad I did stop because I was not disappointed by this unbelievable site. Looking back on this hike, I wish I had gotten to spend more time in this park. The structure of the rocks has developed a fascinating park with many unknown exploration opportunities.
Hiking into Goblin Valley feels as if you are transported onto an alien planet. Ironically, this fascinating site has been featured as an alien planet in movies like Galaxy Quest. Coming down the long road, you are greeted by massive and fascinating rock structures such as the Three Sisters, but the Valley of the Goblins is truly something else. With the most interestingly shaped rocks I have ever seen, you weave through a labyrinth of goblins for as long as you want. The hike is a 3-square mile open valley that allows you to wander aimlessly and behold 3 different sites of "goblins" across the valley. The goblins vary in size from short and stumpy rock formations to some that look like pinnacle shaped mountains. There is no specific trail, just stairs leading from the parking lot into the valley. After that, you are free to explore the intriguing rock formations for as long as you want and since it is flat, it's accessible to any level of hiker. This place is really cool and unique and I definitely recommend it as a must-see in Utah. It is a good quick stop for anyone traveling past the park and it normally doesn't get too crowded!
4) Mesa Arch- Canyonlands National Park
Distance: 0.5 miles/0.8 km
Difficulty: Easy
How long it took me: Trail is short- only about 30 mins
Typically, I wouldn't consider a half mile a hike. However, I felt that I needed to find some way to mention Canyonlands National Park because I really found this Park so breathtaking. Although quite underrated, this was one of my favorite parks in Utah. A stunning place to watch the sunrise or sunset from one of the many viewing points of the canyon, the park is very easy to navigate and I recommend stopping at several of it's stopping points as it has some exquisite landscapes. Some call it the mini Grand Canyon, and it certainly does live up to that nick name! I honestly feel very remiss that I did not take the time to do a day hike here, but it is on the bucket list for now. One of Cayonlands' most well known and photographed points is the Mesa Arch, which is a short walk to the edge of the canyon to the Mesa Arch which acts as a window into the canyon.
There's not much to say about the trail as it is just an easy walk down to the canyon's edge. From the parking lot, there are stone stairs that weave down to the edge, which makes this hike one that should be accessible for all levels of hikers. Even though it is a shorter hike, it provides many areas to adventure along the canyon's edge and take in different views of the canyon. Despite it being a busy part of the season, this park (and specifically this hike) were not inundated with visitors. I saw maybe a handful of people there when I arrived in the late afternoon and there were plenty of opportunities for me to snap pictures of the arch. I think some of the more rewarding views of this "hike" definitely come from venturing closer to the canyon's edge. You can see the backside of the arch from certain areas, as well as more unobstructed views of the canyon. It's a quick stop and I definitely recommend checking out the Mesa Arch if you find yourself in the Moab area or near Canyonlands. In my opinion, if you are stopping anywhere near Moab, Canyonlands National Park is a must-see! It also has very close proximity to Dead Horse State Park, which I did not get to visit, but is supposedly another park with exquisite views of the canyons. This is a park worth visiting for stunning vistas and canyon landscapes. If you're feeling bold, you can hang right on the edge of the cliff!
5) Devil's Garden Trail- Arches National Park
Distance: 7.2 mi/11.6 km
Difficulty: Trail is difficult to navigate
How long it took me: 5 hours
This hike was really cool! It's a really great way to see a lot of different areas of Arches National Park and the hike hosts many arches along the way to explore! This hike was recommended to me by one of the Park Rangers at the Arches Visitor Center. If you do the whole Devil's Garden loop, it is a primitive trail. If you don't want to hike the primitive trail, then there is a stopping point where you just backtrack the way you came. I think I would only recommend the primitive trail to moderate-experienced hikers as the trail can be quite difficult to navigate and the cairns (trail markers) are not always the easiest to see or find.
Devil's Garden is definitely a good sized day hike and I recommend that you bring along a lot of water and food. It has a huge diversity in the landscapes that you hike through and it's nice to stop along the way and take in different parts of the trail. I wouldn't recommend hiking this trail too late in the day as it can take you longer than you might think because the trail can be quite difficult to navigate. I hiked this trail in the dead of noon and it was both very hot and difficult to see the trail at many points. You cross over areas of rock and then through sand, so it can be tough to decipher the markings of this trail sometimes. It may be one where a topographical map may come in handy! You pass by many of the popular arches on this hike and that is usually where you'll see more people. The diversity of the arches that you will see on this hike is astounding as well. From a sturdy tunnel like Navajo Arch to the structural and delicate Double arch, you really get to see an amazing natural phenomena on this hike. The arches are not just the highlight of this hike either! Throughout the whole way, you take in stunning views of the farthest reaches of the park. Some of these views are framed by the arches and you can behold the scene like looking through a natural window.
On this hike, I had hiked to the double arch by myself. When I reached the Double Arch, I sat down and decided to stop for a while in the shade and eat something. This arch was quite crowded with people as it is one of the more popular arches to explore on the trail. While I sat, I met a few locals from Utah that were down exploring the park for the day and we sat and chatted for a while. AsI started to put my shoes back on to go, I discovered they were hiking the primitive trail as well, so they invited me to go with them and we all hiked together. Once the primitive trail began,the trail took us through spectacular and more rugged parts of the park. We had to scramble a few larger rocks, but the expansive views and unique rock structures we saw were amazing. You are greeted in these parts by miles of open desert and little unnamed arches and fins of rock which create an open frame around you, separating you from the vast desert. This is where we started to get lost and I'm glad that I was with other people on this hike. We traveled nearly 0.8 miles off course and it took us a while to find our way back as the trail was not well marked and we hadn't seen many cairns to help direct us. However, we linked up with another group who was lost and managed to navigate our way back onto the trail.
Overall, I did really love this hike and thought that it allows you to see some of Arches most spectacular views. It is a long hike and the trail is definitely more difficult to navigate so make sure if you decide to tackle this one, you are prepared! Take a lot of water and something to eat. It is definitely fun for those adventurous souls that don't mind going off trail -either intentionally or unintentionally- for a little bit of exploration. Don't let the primitive trail deter you from this hike, though, as the maintained "to-and-from" hike is much more accessible to all levels of hikers and allows you to see some of Arches' most fantastic arches!
