Utah

Mount Ellen is considered an Ultra Prominent Peak. What's that you may ask? Well, Ultra Prominent Peaks are determined by how high the summit rises above its surroundings. Rising 5,812 feet above the desert floor with a summit elevation of 11,527 feet, Mount Ellen is the third most prominent peak...

Naturist Basin is a beautiful area in the High Uintas Wilderness with an abundance of mountains, lakes, meadows, and wildlife.  It is best hiked July-September. To get to the trailhead, drive up the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway until you reach the Highline Trailhead Campground, about 3 miles past Mi...

The trail to Duck Lake in the Uinta Mountains starts at the Crystal Lake Trailhead  and is a popular starting off point for many trails like Cliff Lake, so the parking lot fills up quickly.  Starting off, follow the signs for Long Lake. At about 1.3 miles you'll come to a junction. Follow the si...

Take I-80 East through Parley's Canyon and get off at the Lambs Canyon Exit. Stay right off the exit and start heading up the canyon. You will follow the road 1.5 miles. You will see the trail head on the right side of the road with a small area to park on the left next to the bathrooms.The trail...

The Aspen Grove trail is shorter but a bit steeper than the Timpanooke Trail. This usually means that fewer people take this route, and on an extremely popular mountain like Timpanogos, that’s a good thing. The trail is 14 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 5,140 feet.  The hike begins a...

The hike to Cuberant Lake is 3-miles with a couple of steeper sections, but for the most part, it is a flat hike. From the Pass Lake Trailhead, you will head west on the Lofty Lake Loop Trail. On this part of the trail, you pass through meadows with Bald and Reid Peaks in the background, which is...

It takes some commitment to get to the trailhead, but it’s worth it. After several dirt roads, follow a rocky 4X4 road for about 10 miles to the trailhead. Sunscreen up and walk down the path to an open wash. This wash runs into the San Rafael River. At the river, check the flow, it should be bel...

This adventure is a strenuous 4-mile (3-5 hour) loop into the backcountry of ZNP and is not recommended for families or those with a fear of heights. It begins at the Canyon Overlook Trailhead located on the east side of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. Parking in the area is very competitive and I ...

Thistle, Utah was a small community located in Spanish Fork Canyon, founded in 1883. It flourished for a time as a ranching community and eventually became a major stop on the rail line that ran through it. This all changed in 1983 when a massive landslide dammed the Spanish Fork River and floode...

Lone Mesa Campground off Utah Highway 313, 8 miles from Highway 191, and 20 miles from Moab serves as an excellent basecamp for accessing the fantastic Navajo Rocks mountain bike trail system, Dead Horse State Park, and Canyonlands National Park. In fact, the Big Mesa trail goes right through the...

From the parking area, the trail travel west directly into the lava field.  This is evident by the sharp black rocks the trail travels through.  Watch for the first lava tube on the left.  All lava tubes have a steep short descent down in to explore a bit but the tubes are not deep and could be d...

Grosvenor Arch is a sandstone double arch located in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  The arch is named after Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, a president of the National Geographic Society.  To reach the arch, park in the trailhead parking lot off Last Chance Creek Road.  The arches are vi...

Amasa Back / Cliffhanger is the primary entry point into one of the most fantastic mountain biking trail networks in the Moab area, connecting into Captain Ahab, Rockstacker, HyMasa, and Jacksons Trails. To get there take Kane Creek Blvd. from Moab into Kane Springs Creek Canyon. The road will qu...

The East Rim Trail is approximately 10-miles (one-way) and can either be started from the Eastern Entrance of Zion National Park, or more commonly from the Hidden Canyon or Observation Point Trailheads. Many people start from within Zion Canyon and do the arduous Observation Point Trail, forgoing...

Drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon until you reach the Spruces Campground on the right. You will park here and prep your gear for the day. Walk back out to the canyon road and cross the street to the trail head. As you hike up the trial, you'll pass some cabins, once you've passed all the cabins, you...

Navajo Knobs is one of Capital Reef’s most spectacular hikes. It brings you, moderately, to one of Capital Reef’s most spectacular viewpoints of the main park’s viewpoints. (Tip: Upon arriving at the park the Ranger recommended this as her favorite hike, and it lived up to the hype! If you’re lo...