Utah
From its expanses of iconic desert playgrounds to its towering Wasatch Range, Utah is home to every type of outdoor adventure you can imagine. Locals and visitors alike are spoiled with convenient access to world-class winter and summer time activities and lodging.
Top Spots in and near Utah
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Salt Lake County, Utah
Lake Blanche & Sundial Peak
5.09.52 mi / 4098 ft gainThis is a popular hike all year round, but less popular in the winter. If you’re backpacking you’ll most likely be alone. In winter, the lake is covered in snow, but Sundial Peak is one of the most picturesque mountains in the Wasatch. Especially when it is dusted with snow. You’ll also be far en...Read more -
Salt Lake City, Utah
Broads Fork Basin and Beaver Pond
4.05.1 mi / 2083 ft gainThe Broads Fork trailhead starts in Big Cottonwood Canyon in the same parking lot as the Lake Blanche trailhead, this trailhead is on the west side of the parking lot. The trail is very easy to follow and is well marked. Follow the trail until you come to a great big basin. Here you will be able...Read more -
Moab, Utah
Photograph the Milky Way at North Window Arch
4.7Arches National Park is a must see for all photographers, but especially for astrophotography. Many of the most common places to shoot are balanced rock, and Delicate Arch and there's a good reason, these are beautiful places. North Window Arch is much less common, and even on a moonless night,...Read more -
Moab, Utah
Double O Arch
4.64.09 mi / 390 ft gainStarting at the Devil's Garden Trailhead, this 4.1-mile looped moderate hike features flat sandy paths to narrow sandstone slabs with narrow ledges. The best time to complete this hike is early in the morning. Getting to the Devil's Garden Trailhead at sunrise will almost definitely guarantee you...Read more -
Sandy, Utah
Camp at the Cottonwood Ridgeline
Begin at the White Pine Trailhead in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Follow the trail up toward Red Pine Lake. The trail gets a little hard to follow after the lake, but find your way up to the ridge between Pfeifferhorn and White Baldy. Set up camp and enjoy a night in the high mountains. Morning will...Read more -
Mexican Hat, Utah
Explore Forrest Gump Hill
5.0If you are in or around Monument Valley, the drive and corresponding effort to get to Forrest Gump Hill is minimal. The location is known most notably as the spot where Forrest Gump ended his cross-country run in the movie. It's also simply an unbelievable view. From the most iconic site within M...Read more -
Moab, Utah
Navajo Arch via Devils Garden Trailhead
4.32.91 mi / 377 ft gainIn order to get to Navajo Arch, you will have to hike through Devils Garden Trailhead. The hike is relatively easy until you pass Landscape Arch. After that, the trail steadily climbs and you will find yourself scrambling and climbing up slickrock fins. You can stop and admire other well-known ar...Read more -
Escalante, Utah
Zebra and Tunnel Slot Canyons Loop
4.86.63 mi / 535 ft gainThis place is just outside of Escalante, Utah, about 6 miles drive down the Hole in the Rock Road / BLM 200. You will see a small parking lot on the right side, the trailhead is not marked, but it's right cross the road from parking lot, once you see the trail you can just easily follow it for 1....Read more -
Bountiful, Utah
Backpack to Rudy's Flat
4.07 miRudy's Flat is a great overnight hike with plenty of tent or hammock space and multiple established fire rings. This hike offers multiple options for distance depending on your availability and skill level.From the Mueller Park Canyon trailhead (5,234 ft), hikers will experience a gradual ascent ...Read more -
Kamas, Utah
Hike to Island Lake
5.09 mi / 1000 ft gainThere 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. ...Read more -
Payson, Utah
Mount Nebo via North Rim Trail
4.58.6 mi / 2897 ft gainMount Nebo is the tallest of all the mountains in the Wasatch, and also one of the easiest to hike, due to the fact that the trail begins at an elevation of ~9300 ft. The parking area for the trailhead is along a short dirt road, which is precisely marked on the location map. The trail itself is...Read more -
Brighton, Utah
Hike and Camp at the Twin Lakes Reservoir
5 mi / 650 ft gainThe trailhead begins at the Solitude Nordic Center. Walking around Silver Lake, you get a chance to observe the ducks and lovely wetlands area. This trail then leads you into the lower aspens, and if you are hiking just as fall colors have begun to emerge, they create a glowing effect in the wood...Read more -
Kamas, Utah
Hike Bald Mountain in the Uintas
4.54 mi / 1250 ft gainBald Mountain is one of the most popular hikes in the Uintas, so get an early start if you want to beat the crowds. Those willing to hike in before dawn will be rewarded with an unforgettable sunrise at the summit. I HIGHLY recommend this as a sunrise hike. The trail starts out with steep switchb...Read more -
Tropic, Utah
Under the Rim Trail to Swamp Canyon Camp
5.023.79 mi / 5794 ft gainThis trail is just about the only way I would see Bryce Canyon. When we initially drove in it was like we were at Disneyland, with crowds of people everywhere. We soon discovered, however, that very few people enter Bryce Canyon's backcountry. We chose to visit Bryce in July due to it's higher el...Read more -
Moab, Utah
Park Avenue Trail
4.21.83 mi / 318 ft gainFrom the Park Avenue Trail parking area, you can walk up towards the lookout and admire the beauty, or you can hike down the steep path towards the canyon. The trail takes you down the wash to Courthouse Towers. You can either hike round trip to Courthouse Towers and back, or have someone drop yo...Read more -
Grand County, Utah
Landscape Arch
2.8Landscape Arch is considered the longest natural arch in the world, and it doesn't take too much effort to experience and see. This arch is on a trail the is part of a larger loop called "Devil's Garden" and during the summer it lives up to its name, easily topping 100 degrees, the beautiful sand...Read more