Southern Utah’s Best Hikes

Contributed by Samantha Jones

Utah’s backcountry is known for its beautiful arches, incredible waterfalls, majestic canyons and caves, and breathtaking views. The only problem with all this beauty, is knowing where to start. But one of the best parts of backpacking in Utah is the ability to see so many different landscapes by simply spending one or two days in each of Utah’s many beautiful national parks.

The Narrows

The Narrows, located in Zion National Park, offer both a calming and exciting trek through the Virgin River. One quite literally walks through the river with big canyon walls towering on both sides. The Narrows offers a cool hike on a hot day, with the canyon walls providing frequent shade and endless opportunities for a quick dip. There is the option to do a short 3 to 5 mile hike, but for the more enthusiastic backpacker, the complete trail is 15.5 miles from top to bottom. You can complete The Narrows in roughly 12 hours but if you’d like to prolong your journey to an overnight adventure, the trail has many outstanding campsites.

Angels Landing

Angels Landing gives a breathtaking view of Zion Canyon. The trail leading up to Angels Landing is only 2.4 miles long ascending up the north side of the canyon. The trail gets steeper as you go and leads up to Walter’s Wiggles, a series of 21 switchbacks, and ends at Scout Lookout. For the weary traveler, this is the typical turnaround spot. If you wish to continue to Angels Landing you will need to climb up 0.5 miles of narrow trail with 1000 foot drop offs on either side. But after that final push, you can take in the glorious view of Zion Canyon.

The Fairyland Loop

This Bryce Canyon trail is considered a true gem. The Fairyland Loop is an eight mile hike that changes in elevation regularly but offers many amazing views. Along this trail through Fairyland Canyon are many breathtaking views such as Sunrise Point and Fairyland Point. Also seen alongthe Fairyland Loop is Boat Mesa, Tower Bridge, and the Chinese Wall. At 8,073 feet above sea level, Boat Mesa shows the true strength of the area’s plateaus. The trail to Tower Bridge begins at Sunrise Point, this moderate hike along the Fairyland Loop is about three miles. The Chinese Wall is a series of hoodoos, extremely eroded canyon walls, and are a true wonder to see. To reach the Chinese Wall, continue westward from Tower Bridge on the Fairyland Loop trail.

Devils Garden

Located in Arches National Park, Devils Garden is home to some of the most beautiful natural arches in the United States. Northeast of Delicate Arch, the most popular site in Arches National Park, lies the Devils Garden. This stunning area features the second most popular arch is the park, Landscape Arch, as well as Double O Arch. The primitive trail through Devils Garden allows the hiker to get a full picture of the entire area.

The most important thing about hiking through this crazy terrain is preparedness. Remember to acquire all the necessary permits when hiking. When planning to adventure on some of Utah’s best hikes – If you are unfamiliar with the land or trails, enlisting the expertise of a trail guide is highly recommended.