one hike, including Landscape Arch, the longest in the world
VERY BEST VIEWS
24 Grand View Point Trail An aptly named cliffside route overlooking the Canyonlands basin
47. Observation Point A splendid hike to a spectacular viewpoint above Zion Canyon
VERY BEST WILDLIFE VIEWING
VERY BEST ARCHAEOLOGY
21. Aztec Butte Trail Beautifully preserved ancestral Puebloan granaries
29. Horseshoe Canyon Explore the Louvre of prehistoric rock art in the United States.
VERY BEST FOR SMALL CHILDREN
3. Windows Loop Kids can climb and play on three of the park’s most impressive arches.
4. Double Arch A short walk to the second-largest arch in the park and a visual mind-bender
22. Whale Rock Trail High adventure in a short hike to the top of a slickrock dome
VERY BEST FOR EASY STROLLING
2. Balanced Rock A level loop around an immense gravity-defying rock
20. Mesa Arch Loop An easy walk to an arch perched on a cliff, with commanding views beyond
VERY BEST ICONIC NATURAL FEATURES
5. Delicate Arch The most iconic natural arch in the world
13. Peekaboo Loop Get up close and personal with the hoodoos from within the Bryce Amphitheater.
48. Riverside Walk This easy stroll leads you into the mouth of the Zion Narrows.
VERY BEST VEGETATION
11. Bristlecone Loop A dense fir forest with bristlecone pines, some of Earth’s oldest trees
Balanced Rock in Arches National Park (see Hike 2)
INTRODUCTION
When was the last time you strapped on a pair of boots and let out a jaw-dropping “WOW”? If you can’t remember, then it’s been way too long.
But where are the guaranteed wow-producing hiking trails? Right here, in Utah’s five national parks.
Within these pages you’ll find trail descriptions and precise directions for dozens of the best day hikes in what I think is the most beautiful, fascinating, and diverse topography in the world—Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National Parks.
This book’s title, 50 Best Short Hikes: Utah’s National Parks, has two operative words in the title: best and short. What you’re about to uncover represents the very best of the thousands of miles of hiking trails within Utah’s national parks. Many of these hikes are not only national treasures but are also rightly considered to be some of the best hikes in the world—Queens Garden, Delicate Arch, and Angels Landing certainly achieve that level of distinction. By short we mean day hikes of less than 8 miles, so enjoying two or even three of these hikes in a single day is doable.
This book was written as a trip-planning resource with families, casual hikers, and out-of-state visitors
