Utah

...As a frequent traveler, what's always motivated my travels were locations that have either been on my bucket list, or are places that are photogenic and a little off the beaten path. During my recent 3 week road trip through Northern Arizona and Southern Utah, I had the opportunity to visit a spo...

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 faith...

Mirror Lake Scenic Byway is breathtaking. There is lots to take in via longer trips, but with numerous viewpoints, lakes, and the Provo River just off the main highway, the drive through alone is well worth it. There is SO much to do in the Uintas, with activities ranging from lakeside picnics to fl...

The summit of South Thunder Mountain, sitting at 11,154 ft, is a superb peak. Located on the Alpine Ridge of the Wasatch Mountains, this peak is criminally overlooked. The Schoolhouse Springs trailhead leads you onto an old dirt road, that switchbacks for about 2 miles through the foothills, before ...

Lofty Lake Loop Trail is located in the High Uintas near Kamas, Utah. The trail can be found right off the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway about 32 miles east of Kamas and starts at the Pass Lake Trailhead. This is a fairly mellow trail with some areas of good elevation gain, enough to get your heart worki...

The trailhead is at a dirt parking lot with a lot of parking, but on Saturday mornings it can get full and people are forced to park on the street. As you start off, there are a few steep and sandy switchbacks. They don't last too long but on a hot day it can seem like forever. After that, the trail...

There are many lakes in this area, but Island Lake is the only one with epic cliff jumping. You can camp anywhere around the lake and campfires are permitted. The cliff is best to jump off mid summer when the water is the warmest, but it's always pretty cold. The cliffs are about 30-50 feet tall. It...

To get to the trailhead from Ogden, Utah, take 12th street east up canyon and around Pine View Reservoir. When you get to Huntsville, turn right and continue to head east up the canyon. IN 8 miles you will come to a sign for Causey Road. Turn right here and follow the road to the dam. Turn right to ...

Mount Aire, standing around 8600 ft, certainly isn't the most inspiring peak in or around Salt Lake City, but to me it serves as a quick summit to catch the sunset when I'm short on time. Getting There: Start by heading up Mill Creek Canyon Rd. After passing the ranger booth, drive about 5.5 miles u...

Hovenweep National Monument consists of 5 separate units which were once Ancestral Puebloan communities. The main trail, Little Ruin Canyon, starts from the Visitor Center and is the only unit that has paved access. Don't let the dirt-clay roads keep you from the other units though, they are not to ...

Inspiration Point: All who look out from this point are bound to be inspired. The intricacies of the hoodoos and their formation through the erosion of the Claron Formation is simply beautiful. You get the most spectacular perspective of the main amphitheater in Bryce Canyon here. Swamp Canyon: Swam...

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 bi...

This beautiful, isolated hike also makes for a flexible route – very few places in Goblin Valley are off limits, allowing you to customize the adventure as much as you please. The hike begins on a rapidly descending trail, heading into the heart of Goblin Valley State Park. After a quarter mile of s...

Lake Blanche is an extremely popular hike along the Wasatch Range in Utah. During the summer and fall months the lake, wildlife, flowers, and Sundial Peak as a backdrop offer spectacular views. Lake Blanche is one of the most beautiful and scenic lakes in Utah and turns into a winter wonderland once...

This incredible trip isn't only about Rainbow Bridge. Honestly, the Bridge is just icing on the cake. The scenery is breathtaking along the way, changing and evolving as you pass through epic canyons and climb over rocky ledges to be rewarded with spanning vistas. It really is amazing. There's even ...

This is a 5.5 mile loop, if you opt out of the several in/outs to various lookout points, which extend the hike to about 10 miles -- do not opt out! These lookout points get better and better. However, you can skip the only modest part of the trail, where the West and East rims of the trail meet at ...