The Box in Escalante is the name of the canyon Pine Creek descends through on its way to join the Escalante River and, in my opinion, one of the best short backpacks in the area Unlike many Escalante hikes, this one descends from high forest to the desert that Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is famous for The hike follows Pine Creek for its length, making it suitable in warmer temps when the drier regions of Escalante would be too hot to hike The 10-ish mile through hike is very do-able in a day 5-7 hou...

Tucked at the south end of Capitol Reef National Park, Halls Creek Narrows is a stunning, convoluted canyon that makes a meandering path through Navajo sandstone The canyon has a bit of everything: deep alcoves, a spring feed stream, narrower sections, and towering walls I would compare it a little in scale and experience to Coyote Gulch, but it is also quite different This is one of those hikes that has been on my list for literally decades When I started going to the desert, a friend showed me photos and told me ...

Cathedral Valley, in the northern part of Capitol Reef National Park, is a mesmerizing geological wonder The area gets its name from the towering rock formations that resemble Gothic cathedrals, with massive monoliths and intricate sedimentary layers creating a surreal landscape Capitol Reef itself is known for its diverse and stunning red-rock scenery, but Cathedral Valley stands out as an extraordinary highlight within the park It is an area I have visited many times over the years, and always enjoy We did an ove...

I find the Great Salt Lake a fascinating place The scenery and uniqueness of the lake are interesting, but the history and stories of the people who have tried to live and make a life there I find even more fascinating Fremont Island is one of those places on the lake that is steeped in history I had wanted to visit for several years, but visiting requires quite an effort At about 18 miles round-trip from Antelope Island and across the sandbar just to REACH the island, this is an outing for experienced outdoors peo...

NOTE: Both Danger and Jukebox Caves are gated and locked You can visit the outside of them, and look in through the gate, but can't go inside without being on a tour The site is owned and managed by Utah State Parks as a monument, and tours are by arrangement with a third-party I can't speak highly enough for the guided tour! It was incredibly informative and by far the best way to visit and learn about the caves As of 2024, you can find information on future caves tours here: https://metcalfarchaeologycom/danger-c...

Snow Canyon State Park is a beautiful park filled with many interesting hikes, but it can also be very crowded However, I found that the Cinder Cone Trail was not particularly busy even though I was there on a holiday weekend The cinder cone is generally referred to as the Diamond Valley Cinder Cone You can see black basalt rock throughout Snow Canyon, some of which originated from volcanic eruptions that started 3 million years ago The formation of the two cinder cones on the northern end of the park are from more...

Sometimes good things come in small packages! Although short, both the East and West forks of Big Spring Canyon offer fantastic slot sections The two canyons have different personalities, with the West Fork being more challenging and technical The West Fork is recommended for intermediate or better canyoneers The East Fork, on the other hand, is much easier and suitable for most canyoneers It does not have any rappels, but a short rope is recommended to help beginners over a couple of moderate downclimbs WARNING: F...

A very popular family hike, Grand Wash offers a family friendly outing in a short package The round trip distance is 44 miles, or if you have two cars, it can be done as a one way 22 mile through hike For those wanting something shorter, I would recommend parking at the bottom trailhead on Highway 24 and walking up from the bottom This visits the best narrow section of Grand Wash in a casual 20-30 minutes one way from the trailhead For those wanting something longer, see the [my:linkToObject type="trip" id="543" te...

Secret Lake, or Cecret Lake as it is also known, is one of the premier wildflower hikes in Little Cottonwood The hike is short, family-friendly, and usually bursting with color during wildflower season At about a mile round trip, this is a hike even young children can likely do part or most of and have a good time Older children will love clambering around on the small boulders that line the trail The lake is situated at the base of Sugarloaf Peak and Devils Castle, which provide a stunning background to its crysta...

Cavell Pond is tucked at the base of Mt Edith Cavell The turquoise waters flanked by Mountain Edith Carvell and Angel Glacier make for a stunning spot to visit Visiting the pond is a place where you feel like the magnitude of the Canadian Rockies envelopes you The hike to the pond is on an easy trail, suitable for most, though with some elevation gain For the more energetic, the trail continues from the pond high up into Cavell Meadows and offers even more dramatic views of the surroundings and Angel Glacier The wi...