Built as part of the Legacy Parkway in 2008, the paved Legacy Parkway Trail follows the Legacy Parkway from North Salt Lake to Farmington The trail is a gem, offering easy access for bikers, walkers, runners, and others For most of its length, the trail is within a stone's throw of the highway, which detracts a bit from the ambiance, but views of the Wasatch Mountains, Antelope Island, and wetlands around the Great Salt Lake make up for the highway noise The trail, on its southern end, connects to the Jordan Parkwa...

With 314, Nevada has more mountain ranges than any other state The Ruby Mountains, south of Elko, are often touted as one of the crown jewels of the Nevada ranges Lamoille Canyon, the most visited area of the range, has been described by some as the Yosemite of Nevada I'm not sure I would go quite that far, but the Ruby Range is indeed beautiful, remote, and has an excellent thru hike that visits a large chunk of it The Ruby Crest Trail is between 33 and 37 miles depending on who you ask With small side trips for c...

Parowan Gap is one of the must see petroglyph panels in Utah in my humble opinion A short drive off of I-15, it feels a world away Ancient peoples found this place interesting, and the gap is covered in petroglyphs These panels were likely etched by many different cultural groups over a long period of time It is believed several of the panels were used as a calendar, marking the equinoxes by using a gnomon to cast a shadow on a particular symbol during the equinox Given the gaps east / west opening, it makes sense ...

Perched above the Price River, Grassy Trail is the site of both Native American visitation, as well as early railroad efforts The panels at Grassy Trail are a mix of "gringo graffiti" as well as older rock art, and quite extensive The site is fascinating Grassy Trail was a narrow-gauge railroad that was built in 1882 to connect Grand Junction Colorado to Helper Utah as part of a more significant Desert Mainline effort After only a few years of use, the track was upgraded and re-routed to a more direct path from Woo...

Buckskin Gulch is occasionally referred to as the longest slot canyon in the world I think that is a bit of a stretch, it is a big world, however Buckskin is likely one of the longest on the Colorado Plateau It is stunning, with miles of absolutely incredible slot By slot, think 10-or-so-foot-wide slot, not have-to-turn-sideways to pass slot I would put it in my short list of canyons I have done on the Plateau for scenery and overall fun factor It is amazing to me that such a long slot is relatively easy to navigat...

The eastern reef, near where I-70 enters the San Rafael Swell from the east, is one of the most dramatic parts of the Swell to visit The Navajo and Wingate uplift is dramatic from a distance, and even more so up close Buckeyes Canyon is one of those rare canyons that descends from the top of the reef In its short, but steep descent, it passes through the Wingate and Navajo layers in a series of 10 rappels En route, it also passes through several unnamed natural bridges and gives a rare view of Tip Top Arch One of t...

Separating the Wasatch Range from to the west from Woodruff, Randolf, and Wyoming to the east, the Monte Cristo Range runs north-south for about 30 miles State Highway 39 crosses the range and offers exquisite views and a winding road often frequented by motorcyclists Monte Cristo Peak, the tallest point in the range at 9,148, sits a very short distance off the highway and makes a great family friendly leg stretch when passing through the area A note on timing UT-39 is closed in the winter, roughly from November to...

A stone's throw from Salt Lake City, City Creek canyon feels a world away The pioneers, when they settled Salt Lake, used water from City Creek to irrigate their fields, and help develop the budding city The canyon is still used as part of the city’s water supply today, with a water treatment plant situated several miles up the canyon Historical fun fact, the upper reaches of the canyon have both a mining history, and a bootlegging history City Creek Canyon is one of my favorite quick outings in the city The gentle...

Established in 1965, Seedskadee Wildlife Refuge is an oasis in the otherwise bleak, high desert of Wyoming The 26,400 acre refuge provides a welcome break in the limitless sagebrush plains Visited as early as the 1300's by Native Americans, over 200 species of birds have been spotted here, not to mention many types of mammals and other wildlife that call the area home The area was used, more recently, by travelers moving west in the mid-1800's Some of the old wagon ruts are still visible in the area On even a short...

I am often asked what I think the "best" canyon is that I have done It depends on how you determine "best" There are narrow canyons, canyons with big rappels, climbing canyons, pothole canyons, etc I will admit though, when pressed, Deer Creek is usually my pick for best canyon I have done It is a stunning section of canyon tucked at the bottom of the overwhelmingly immense and beautiful Grand Canyon Deer Creek left a smile on my face that lasted way beyond the actual canyon day Had we not been pressed for time, I ...