The Best Hiking Trails in Utah

The Living Room Trail is a fun hike to a couch-like rock formation with views of Salt Lake City. From the top you’ll take in views of the city and the surrounding Wasatch Valley. The trail follows an out and back route with one split section where the ascending and descending routes are slightly different. Because of the elevation gain, most hikers consider this a hard hike. This is one of the most popular trails in the area with Strava members.

From the bank of the Virgin River to the top of a stunning rock formation, The Watchman Trail is a great hiking option near the entrance to Zion Canyon in Zion National park. The trail follows an out and back route. Because of the steep sections and switchbacks, most hikers consider this a moderate hike. From the top you’ll have southern views to The Watchman and views north to The Beehive and The Sentinel. The views of the canyon, the park entrance, and the town of Springfield below are definitely worth the trip.

Jacks Mountain and Jacks Peak Trail were named in honor of a young Salt Lake City resident who lost his battle with cancer in the 1990s. At the summit, you’ll find a mailbox that serves as a memorial where hikers leave notes. The trail follows an out and back route. Because of the steep grades, most consider this a hard hike. This is one of the most popular hikes in the area with Strava members and the views from the top are spectacular.

Just on the other side of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel is the short and sweet Canyon Overlook Trail. This quick out-and-back route takes you to magical views of Pine Creek Canyon. From here you’ll be able to see all the way to Zion Canyon and take in the stunning beauty of the rock formations of Zion National Park. The trail is short, but includes steep sections, so appropriate footwear is definitely recommended. Note that the National Park shuttle bus does not stop here, and the parking lot is small. Take that into consideration when planning to hike the Canyon Overlook Trail.

"Mesa Arch is a spectacular stone arch perched at the edge of a cliff with vast views of canyons, rock spires, and the La Sal Mountains in the distance," [writes the NPS](https://www....

This short 3-mile loop combining the Queens Garden and Navajo trails is one of the most visually-stunning routes in all of Bryce Canyon National Park! The hard, smooth trail runs along "the tops of ridges” and "wind their way through a fairyland forest of towering hoodoos,” according to Lana Law on [PlanetWare....

The hike to Murphy Point is just far enough to keep the crowds away, but easy enough for all abilities, so anyone can find some solitude at this breathtaking viewpoint on the canyon rim....

"Slickrock” is the word for the bare rock that makes up much of the desert's surface in Southern Utah. Comprised of solidified sand, slickrock is actually quite coarse, which makes it great for hiking as long as it isn’t too steep....

Pleasant Creek is one of the special places in Utah’s desert where water flows year-round. The stream here babbles over sandstone bedrock and down small cascades through a broad but deep canyon....

The hike to Jenny's Slot Canyon might be short, but this is a beautiful gem that's well-worth seeing for yourself! This hike is located in the popular Snow Canyon State Park, so you can easily tackle a few extra hikes in this same area on the same day....

Little Wild Horse and Bell Canyons are two of the most popular slot canyons in the San Rafael Swell. While many people choose to hike an out-and-back in Little Wild Horse on its own, it's also possible to combine both of these canyons into an epic 8....

At 8 miles round-trip, Little Wild Horse Canyon has all the makings of an epic slot canyon outing in the Utah desert. However, don't let the noted distance dissuade you if you're not feeling like an 8-mile hike....

Two of the most incredible slot canyons in the Desert Southwest—Peek-a-boo and Spooky—can be combined into an otherworldly 3.5-mile loop. Located in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a whole host of other adventures, like Coyote Gulch, are located nearby, so if 3....

Buckskin Gulch is renowned as "one of the longest and deepest slot canyons in the Southwest, with its iconic and dramatic Navajo sandstone striations and towering walls," according to [VisitUtah.com](https://www.visitutah.com/articles/non-technical-slot-canyons-roundup). There are several different ways that you can access the canyons....

The far southern tip of Capitol Reef National Park receives relatively few visitors compared to the rest of the park. It’s a long trip on dirt roads to get there, and then there are no maintained trails or campgrounds, only open desert that’s gouged by deep canyons and tracked by a few footpaths....

Sulphur Creek is a narrow, twisting canyon that flows with water all year long. Capitol Reef’s ever-popular Goosenecks Overlook peers into this gorge, but hiking through the depths of its sinuous bends is far better than just seeing them from above....

Spring Canyon is a long and deep gorge that cuts roughly west to east in the northern part of Capitol Reef National Park, deep into colorful sandstone layers. Among all the canyons in Capitol Reef, Spring is one of the most extensive and impressive....

If you're looking for a short, easy hike in Arches National Park with a _massive_ payoff, it's tough to beat the short jaunt to Double Arch!  Double Arch is a rock formation consisting of two arches connected on one end....

Farm Trail is a paved path near Highway 224, in between Canyons Village and Park City Mountain Base Area. This part of the valley is especially narrow and scenic, with Quarry Mountain rising on one side and Iron Mountain on the other....

This hike is most popular for guests of the Zion Lodge and anyone looking for a casual stroll within proximity to the road in Zion National Park. It leads through open cottonwood groves and meadows at the foot of towering cliffs, including a great view of Angels Landing Buttress directly ahead....