Greg Witt - 50 Best Short Hikes in Utahs National Parks

To my wife, Elain, whose support and companionship on the trail, and in life, bring added joy to the journey

50 Best Short Hikes: Utahs National Parks
2nd Edition 2014

Copyright 2014 by Greg Witt

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Witt, Greg, 1952

50 best short hikes : Utahs national parks / Greg Witt. 2nd edition.

pages cm

Original edition: 50 best short hikes in Utahs national parks / Ron Adkison.

Berkeley, CA : Wilderness Press, 2001.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-89997-724-9 (alk. paper) ISBN 0-89997-724-3

(alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-89997-725-6 (eISBN)

1. HikingUtahGuidebooks. 2. National parks and reservesUtahGuidebooks.

3. UtahGuidebooks. I. Adkison, Ron. 50 best short hikes in Utahs national parks. II. Title.

III. Title: Fifty best short hikes. IV. Title: Utahs national parks.

GV199.42.U8W58 2014

796.5109792dc23

2014001232

Front-cover photos of Queens Garden and Golden Throne (inset): Greg Witt

Back-cover photo of Delicate Arch: Neal Herbert/National Park Service

Interior photos: Greg Witt except where noted

Maps and cover design: Scott McGrew

Text design: Annie Long

Editor: Amber Kaye Henderson

Proofreader: Ritchey Halphen

Indexer: Rich Carlson

Manufactured in the United States of America

Published by: WILDERNESS PRESS
An imprint of Keen Communications, LLC
PO Box 43673
Birmingham, AL 35243
800-443-7227
info@wildernesspress.com

Visit wildernesspress.com for a complete listing of our books and for ordering information.

Distributed by Publishers Group West

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.

Safety Notice

Although Wilderness Press and the author have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health while in the wilderness. The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean that it will be safe for you. Always check local conditions, know your own limitations, and consult a map and compass.

Acknowledgments

Im fortunate to be in the business of connecting people with nature, both through my writing and by guiding hikers and trekkers on outdoor adventuresa wonderfully rewarding career with roots that can be traced to childhood. I have no recollection of what our living room furniture looked like in my boyhood home or what color carpet we had, or if we even had carpet. All of my memories center on experiences I had in the outdoors. I remember the pale-yellow Sears canvas tent and the smell of the khaki-green sleeping bags we used while camping in the Sierra Nevada. I remember the red asphalt of Zions roads and driving through the ZionMt. Carmel tunnel in our 1955 Pontiac station wagon. I remember vividly our trips to Yellowstone, Crater Lake, and Glacier National Parks. Im grateful for parents who planted the seeds of a love for the outdoors. So as Ive written and researched the hikes in this book, Ive also been reviving memories from 30, 40, and 50 years ago. What a thrill!

On these hikes Ive shared the trail with dear friends, including Alan and Kris Colledge, Robert and Cathie Hooke (with whom we hiked five national parks in three days), and Nicki Preece. As always, my wife, Elain, has been close by with lively conversation on the trail as well as fresh ideas and thoughtful edits after the hike.

Every book is a collaborative effort, and the energetic assistance of Cami Lee in organizing photos and assembling maps is much appreciated. And once again its been a pleasure working with the talented and professional folks at Menasha Ridge PressMolly Merkle, Susan Haynes, Tim Jackson, Scott McGrew, Amber Kaye Henderson, and Ritchey Halphenall of whom are relentlessly dedicated to delivering superbly readable and consistently valuable outdoor books.

Greg Witt

The Very Best Short Hikes

Make the most of your national-park visit and discover the hikes that offer exactly what youre looking for. Here are my personal recommendations for the best of the best.

VERY BEST IN EACH NATIONAL PARK

VERY BEST VIEWS

VERY BEST WILDLIFE VIEWING

VERY BEST ARCHAEOLOGY

VERY BEST FOR SMALL CHILDREN

VERY BEST FOR EASY STROLLING

VERY BEST ICONIC NATURAL FEATURES

VERY BEST VEGETATION

Balanced Rock in Arches National Park (see )

INTRODUCTION

When was the last time you strapped on a pair of boots and let out a jaw-dropping WOW? If you cant remember, then its been way too long.

But where are the guaranteed wow-producing hiking trails? Right here, in Utahs five national parks.

Within these pages youll find trail descriptions and precise directions for dozens of the best day hikes in what I think is the most beautiful, fascinating, and diverse topography in the worldArches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National Parks.

This books title, 50 Best Short Hikes: Utahs National Parks, has two operative words in the title: best and short . What youre about to uncover represents the very best of the thousands of miles of hiking trails within Utahs national parks. Many of these hikes are not only national treasures but are also rightly considered to be some of the best hikes in the worldQueens Garden, Delicate Arch, and Angels Landing certainly achieve that level of distinction. By short we mean day hikes of less than 8 miles, so enjoying two or even three of these hikes in a single day is doable.

This book was written as a trip-planning resource with families, casual hikers, and out-of-state visitors in mind, so that they can obtain maximum enjoyment from what might be a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Utah. Nevertheless, if youre an avid hiker and you live nearby, I can assure you that youll still be amply rewarded by the hike descriptions and supplemental material provided herein.

Once you arrive at one of the parks, youll want more than a drive-by experience. Youll be looking for family-friendly, easy-to-manage trails with bragging rights and photo ops included. All of these trails are hiker-tested, measured, and mapped.

Dont worry about running out of breathtaking scenery to explore. It will take you years to travel all these trails and unravel their mysteries. Petrified sand dunes, slot canyons, hoodoos (rock columns), and brilliant sandstone will fascinate you at every turn in the trail. Prairie dogs, prickly cacti, trickling springs, and star-studded skies will add even more to your adventure.

Each Utah national park has a distinct personality, profile, and palette. The more trails you try, the more you will understand why these areas are protected as national parks. Towering cliffs of brilliant orange, deep rust, mustard yellow, chocolate brown, creamy white, and muted green create an ever-shifting scenery above you and underfoot. The colors change even further with the help of clouds, rain, snow, or the setting sun.