Utah is a hiker’s dream. It is not the first place that most people think of when they consider a hiking trip, however it should be high up on your list due to a number of reasons including:
- Five national parks
- Native American archeological sites
- Beautiful petroglyphsv
- Huge canyons
- Mountains
- Amazing rock formations
- National Monuments
- Spectacular scenery
If these aren’t reasons enough to go and find some Utah hiking trails then I don’t know what is! I’m going to introduce you to some of Utah’s best hiking trails and the ones that I highly recommend you visit next time you are in Utah.
Cedar Breaks
You’ll see canyons and colored sandstone on this trail. You’ll also come by the Cedar Breaks National Monument in Dixie National Forest. The rock formations on this trail are stunning with 2000 feet deep canyons containing spectacular sandstone formations in the Cedar Breaks amphitheater.
A nearby hike to Cedar Breaks is Golden Wall-Buckhorn at Red Canyon which is a 4.7 mile loop trail. You’ll see golden and pink rock formations and the views of the canyon are amazing.
Queens Garden Peekaboo Loop in the Bryce Canyon National Park is another wonderful hiking trail. It is 6.6 miles so not one of the shorter hikes but you should be able to complete it in less than 4 hours. It is a well marked trail and elevates to 600 feet. You’ll find snow on the trail in winter.
You might have guessed that I’m a big fan of the Bryce Canyon National Park. This is because the scenery here is breathtaking and there are many hiking trails to choose from, some which are mini trails which come off the larger trails. Yes, it’s easy to get distracted and off course at Bryce Canyon National Park. For example, the Queens Garden Trail (1.6 miles), the Wall Street Trail (0.7 mile), and the Peekaboo Loop (4.8 miles) area all in the canyon and can be done together. By combining them you see as much of the canyon as possible before climbing out, which is the hardest part!
Utah holds many wonderful experiences for the hiker and I can highly recommend Bryce Canyon National Park as your first point of call in this state.