Ditch the Crowds at Moab's Jeep Arch
While the crowds hit Arches National Park, take a detour for a taste of sweet fall solitude.
Utah Trails
The Buckskin Gulch, a canyon in southern Utah.
Located in the western U.S., Utah is known for its bright red cliffs and distinctive rock formations. Utah hiking spans everything from mountains to deep, winding sandstone canyons.
Utah is home to numerous national parks, including Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is also a popular spot for backpackers, boaters and hikers. The area’s dominating feature is Lake Powell, a massive artificial lake created in the 1960’s by the construction of the Glen Canyon dam.
The editors at Backpacker have created an extensive collection of popular trails to help you find the best Utah hiking.
14 Round-the-Mountain Hikes You Need to Do
We’re all for tagging summits, but the best way to experience a peak? Hike around it. You’ll see a mountain’s many faces on a single, peak-circling loop. These 14 trips circumnavigate the best of the best.
Hiking Angels Landing in Zion National Park
It's one of the classic day hikes of the United States—and with views like this, it's easy to see why.
Mom's Big Backpacking Adventure
A mother-and-son road trip through all five of Utah’s national parks in one week is the perfect way to make up for lost time—or court disaster.
An Explorer Confronts His Last Canyon
After a lifetime plumbing the backcountry of the Southwest, David Roberts finds himself face to face with mysteries past and present.
10 Threatened Hiking Trails That Need Your Help
Hit these endangered trails to vote with your feet and send a message that protection pays off.
The 4 Best Winter Sunrise Hikes
The upside of the year’s shortest days? It’s easier to beat the sun to the trailhead. Summit these east-facing high points for the month’s best sunrise shows.
Are You Brave Enough for These 4 Haunted Hikes?
Destinations Editor Maren Horjus shares four spooky, Halloween-ready tales from her new book, Haunted Hikes
The Best Day Hikes in America: Utah
Utah’s otherworldly redrock canyons may not only be best in the country, but the best on Earth.
5 Threatened National Monuments to Backpack While You Still Can
The federal government is considering changes to national monuments around the country. Hike these trails to get a ground-level view of what's at stake.
Hike Through American History on These 7 Trails
Follow in the footsteps of presidents, pioneers and prospectors on these hikes. Just don’t get snowed in and eat your friends.
The 8 Best Hikes to See Fireworks
Skip the crowds and catch the festivities on the trail.
America's Best Trail Towns: Moab, UT
With two national parks and endless wilderness nearby, this may be America's best-situated adventure town.
A Kid's First Journey in Ed Abbey's Utah
In Canyonlands’ backcountry, a family learns that the wonder of our parks belongs to anyone who goes looking for it.
The Fight for Bears Ears National Monument
Five Native American tribes band together to protect ancestral lands in southern Utah.
The Best National Park Campsites: Salt Creek Canyon Site 3
Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Grand Junction, CO: Quick-and-Easy Canyon Getaway (Jones Hole Creek, Dinosaur National Monument)
Swimming holes, waterfalls, petroglyphs, and an idyllic campsite—all just a few miles deep in Dinosaur National Monument. BY ROSE CONRY
3 Wild Places to Spend Christmas This Year
Go for solitude with a DIY holiday celebration outdoors (pack out your tinsel), or go luxe and enjoy one of these festive feasts before tackling some of the country’s finest trails.
Zion Reevaluates Permit System After Canyon Deaths
Flash floods claimed seven hikers' lives on September 14.
Ruth Lake Area, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, UT
Discover the forgotten lakes and boulder fields in, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, UT. Take Ruth Lake Trail and head off on a private adventure.
