Utah

Named for a toddler who died of Lukemia in 1995, Jacks Mountain is a beautiful place to sit above the valley and contemplate mortality. On the peak, you’ll find a couple mailboxes containing heartfelt notes from hundreds of hikers throughout the years. It’s the kind of place that restores your fa...

The Slickrock Trail is well known in the mountain biking community and has put Moab on the map as one of the premier mountain biking destinations in the world. The good news for folks who don't mountain bike is that it's just as much fun to run or hike.It's a loop trail and very well marked with ...

The Taylor Creek trailhead sits in the little-explored part of Zion National Park known as Kolob Canyon just south of Cedar City. The trail starts at around 6,000 feet and then drops a little lower in to the canyon and runs along Taylor Creek. With 450 feet of elevation change along the five-mile...

Be advised, the NPS signs and maps that warn of a very difficult hike ahead are not hyperbole, as I thought at first. This hike is a loop around the famous Upheaval Dome on an unmaintained trail that leads you down over 1500 feet into the canyon, close to the Green River, then climbs back up 1500...

Mueller Park is a beautiful, quaint canyon, with some sweeping up canyon views throughout the ascent. The trail is a fun, family friendly single track from the bridge all the way to the rock. You will pass a bald strip (pipeline) that runs North to South which marks about halfway to the rock. At ...

This modern campground is just steps from the beach and centrally located on the Arizona / Utah border -- perfect for exploring both sides of the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area. You do need a national parks pass or will incure a $25 fee to enter the park (good for one week).  The campgrou...

Williams Bottom Campground and its 17 first-come first-serve campsites are tucked into the side of the Colorado River Canyon on Utah Highway 279 aka "Potash Road" just 15 minutes from downtown Moab. It is commonly known as one of *the* rock climbing campground on the west side of Moab, as there a...

Moab has become an increasingly popular adventure destination over the last few years. Its proximity to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks make it a popular spot for beginning day hikers as well as seasoned canyoneers, bikers, and climbers. It comes as no surprise that it can be a hassle to fi...

You can reach this trail either via 27th Street or 29th Street in Ogden, Utah. Get on one of those roads and then head east until you reach the mountain. On 27th St. there is some parking on the road with a sign reminding people to keep their dogs on leash. On 29th St. there is a large parking lo...

Cardiff Fork and Donut Falls share the same parking lot, so depending on what time of week you go exploring here, it may be the most packed parking in all of the Wasatch. Head up on a weekday for less crowds.  The Cardiff Fork trailhead is follows the rocky jeep road around the parking lot to the...

Windmill trail and trailhead sits just down the road from Gooseberry Mesa Trailhead in Apple Valley, Utah. Head out on this figure-8 loop for as long as you want. If you're smart, you'll bring your MTB, and you can ride the singletrack once you're done getting your run in.This is also a great spo...

The Burr Trail is a 66 miles mostly-paved road connecting Boulder, Utah / Highway 12 with the Notom-Bullfrog road that passes through some of the most scenic (and largely untouched) painted-rock backcountry in three of our national parks/monuments including Grand Staircase-Escalante, Capitol Reef...

From the Rattlesnake Trailhead (about a mile northeast of the Sherwood Hills Resort on U.S. 89) to the peak is just under 4.5 miles. The hike is great exercise, as it's relatively steep. The steep angle provides for stunning views along the entire trail, making this one of the most picturesque hi...

Porter Fork starts at the aptly named Porter Fork Trailhead about 4 miles up Millcreek Canyon. It’s actually Porter Fork Road for the first 1.5 miles of the trail. This section is a pleasant, paved path winding up through a dozen or so cabins. You’ll gain about 1,000 feet. If you make it past the...

This 5.8 mile (one-way) trek is a multi-functional trail. The trail can serve as standalone trail allowing hikers to get in either a solid in-and-out day hike or as a leg to a much bigger and epic Trans-Zion Trek. For those interested in the later, the Wildcat Canyon Trail is the leg of the journ...

Natural Bridges National Monument is one of Utah's many geologic wonders. While this monument is primarily known for its bridges, it also has an impressive collection of cliff dwellings known as Horse Collar Ruin. The dwellings have passed the test of time after being abandoned by native people m...